Los Angeles Kings (1990s Smythe Division hatred)

Lore & Background

The Canucks-Kings rivalry reached its boiling point in the early 1990s, ignited by three consecutive playoff collisions from 1991 to 1993. The Kings, turbocharged by Gretzky's 1988 arrival, embodied the NHL's glitzy, offensive firepower—all breakaways and highlight-reel goals. The Canucks, under coach Pat Quinn, answered with a grinding, defensive identity built around Trevor Linden's two-way tenacity and Kirk McLean's acrobatic goaltending. The 1991 series saw Vancouver shock the heavily favored Kings in six games, a gut-punch that left Los Angeles stewing. By 1993, the rematch turned into a six-game war soaked in bad blood: controversial hits, venomous trash talk, and a brawl-marred Game 6 at the Pacific Coliseum that sent fans into a frenzy and players into the tunnel swinging.

In Their Own Story

The Pacific Coliseum shook as the final horn blared—Game 6 of the 1993 Smythe Division semifinal had just ended in a 3-2 Kings victory, but the hatred was only beginning. In the concrete tunnel beneath the stands, Vancouver's Gino Odjick and Los Angeles's Marty McSorley—two enforcers who had spent the series cracking helmets and trading punches—collided in a scuffle that spilled past security. Above, the crowd hurled obscenities and a rain of debris onto the ice. For the Canucks, it was a bitter end to a season of promise; for the Kings, a stepping stone to the Stanley Cup Final. The image of Odjick and McSorley wrestling in the dim corridor, a tangle of sweat and rage, became the rivalry's defining snapshot—raw, personal, and unforgiving.

Reader's Guide

Opponent: Los Angeles Kings. Peak years: 1991–1993. What made it personal: The Kings' acquisition of Wayne Gretzky in 1988 transformed them into a glamorous powerhouse, all flash and firepower, while the Canucks built a blue-collar roster around Trevor Linden and Kirk McLean—players who bled for every shift. The playoff series in 1991, 1992, and 1993 forged a deep mutual disrespect, with running feuds between McSorley, Odjick, and Tomas Sandström that boiled over in nearly every game. The defining moment came in Game 6 of the 1993 series: after a Kings goal, McSorley leaned over and taunted the Canucks bench, sparking a bench-clearing brawl that surged into the stands. Fans still recount that night as the peak of the hatred—a raw, violent spectacle that captured an era of no rules and no mercy. The rivalry cooled after the 1994 realignment shifted both teams to separate conferences, but the memory of those battles remains a touchstone for longtime fans who remember the Smythe Division's bloodiest grudge match.

Did You Know?

• The 1991 playoff series was the first time the Canucks had won a playoff round since 1982.
• Wayne Gretzky recorded a hat trick in Game 4 of the 1993 series, but the Canucks won the game 7-4.
• The rivalry was so intense that the NHL scheduled a rare Sunday afternoon game in 1992 specifically to accommodate a national broadcast.
• Both teams wore their white jerseys at home for some games in the 1991 series due to a colour clash.