A rivalry as old as the sport of hockey itself is coming to the rock for the ECHL playoffs.

The Newfoundland Growlers, the affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Trois-Rivières Lions who represent the Montreal Canadiens will be meeting in the first round of the playoffs.

However, it’s not only the big clubs that have a heated rivalry. Growlers play-by-play broadcaster Chris Ballard says these teams have had their own battles, meeting 14 times this season.

He says that’s more than enough runway to brew up some animosity. He expects the matchup could get very physical, with Growlers captain James Melindy and Lions defenceman Mathieu Gagnon setting the tone for their respective squads.

That series kicks off Friday night at the Mary Brown’s Centre at 7:00 p.m.