Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry

The Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry is an ice hockey rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, two professional ice hockey clubs in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens and Maple Leafs are the league's oldest teams, with the former established in 1909 and the latter in 1917. Both clubs compete in the Atlantic Division of the NHL's Eastern Conference.

Though the Canadiens and Maple Leafs have played against each other from the inception of the league, the rivalry picked up after the Montreal Maroons folded in 1938, resulting in the Canadiens and Maple Leafs being the only Canadian-based teams in the NHL until 1970. Both teams saw success during the Original Six era, with either the Canadiens or Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup in 19 out of 25 seasons. The rivalry was exacerbated by societal issues in mid-20th century Canada, as the two clubs became emblematic of a variety of cultural dualities in Canadian society, with the Canadiens representing French-speaking Canada and the Maple Leafs the English-speaking part of the country. The rivalry's association with larger societal issues in the country has left an imprint on Canadian culture, most notably through the publication of the short story The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier.

The Canadiens and Maple Leafs have met in 16 Stanley Cup playoff series, including five Stanley Cup Finals. The rivalry has waned since the Original Six era, with the two squads playing in separate NHL conferences from 1981 to 1998 and not meeting each other in the playoffs from 1980 to 2020. Although the rivalry is no longer influenced by its historical associations, it remains symbolic of the relationship between the country's two largest cities, Toronto and Montreal.