Photo of Chris Bourque in a Caps uniform by Wikimedia Commons user Marcusvfx, used under a Creative Commons license

The Pittsburgh Penguins claimed Chris Bourque off waivers today.

So why is this interesting? The Penguins won the Stanley Cup, which means they’re currently last in line in the NHL’s waiver system. For their claim on Bourque to succeed, it means the other 28 teams in the NHL did not have room for Bourque on their NHL rosters.

For years, Penguins fans have claimed that their their team is not aware of any rivalry with the Caps, whose playoff hopes Pittsburgh has crushed more times than any other team. Last year, when the Pens made a free agent addition of Caps winger Matt Cooke, it started to look as though the Pens had taken notice of a threat to their rising prominence in the East. This summer, Pittsburgh gave a free agent contract to Caps goalie Brent Johnson, and it became a little bit more clear that the Penguins want to develop the rivalry between the two teams. It also became clear that they want to disarm the Caps as much as they possibly can.

So today, when the Penguins claimed Bourque off waivers — while every other team in the league thought the young Caps prospect could safely move to the minor leagues — the Pens tipped their hand. It’s become clear that Pittsburgh scouts the Capitals more closely than they follow any other team in the league. The Pittsburgh Penguins staff go to bed at night wondering what new danger awaits them in Washington. They wake up in the morning checking DCist for news of the latest disaster.

And they should. This is the year the Caps will destroy them.