If you might have noticed in his 18 months at the helm, Scorpions president Howard Cornfield isn’t one to hold his tongue.

The former minor-league hockey impresario ruffled feathers around the NASL over the offseason when he chastised New York for luring former Scorpions striker Hans Denisen away with a free-agent contract he described as “ludicrous” and “ridiculous.”

His latest target is Minnesota United president Nick Rogers, whom he accused of making “unwarranted potshots at our fans and our organization” in an open letter posted on the Scorpions team web site in advance of Satuday’s NASL season opener between the two clubs at Toyota Field.

An excerpt:

Most teams in the NASL have a strong respect for each other and the competition both on and off the pitch is not personal. However, the Minnesota-Scorpions matchup has become a rivalry in every sense of the word, one that filters through the organization from the players, to the coaches, to the staff. In short, following various incidents, the organizations simply don’t like each other.

Much of the enmity stems from uncalled for comments by the Minnesota team president over the course of the past year about our fans and organization.

It is a rivalry that has seen former Scorpions players migrate from our beautiful world-class city to the snowy hinterlands of Minnesota in search of more money…and then pleading with us for the opportunity to come back to the Scorpions.

It is a rivalry that has seen the Minnesota President Nick Rogers – who is the son-in-law of the team owner and has no prior experience or track record in the sports industry – take unwarranted potshots at our fans and our organization. Through it all, we bit our tongues and watched as the Minnesota-Scorpions matchup quickly developed into one of the most intense rivalries in the NASL.

The bad blood was already brewing between the two clubs before Cornfield arrived in November 2012. United knocked the Scorpions out in the semifinals of the 2012 playoffs as league MVP and scoring leader Pablo Campos was shown a red card for head butting former Trinity standout Kyle Altman in the second leg at Heroes Stadium.

Campos promptly left the Scorpions for United during the offseason, along with teammates Daryl Sattler and Aaron Pitchkolan. (Note Cornfield’s allegation that at least one of those players has “pleaded” to return to San Antonio.)

Campos was then involved in an ugly incident with former teammate Kevin Harmse last fall at Toyota, resulting in respective one- and six-game bans. (In addition to striking Campos in the groin after the final whistle, Harmse allegedly struck United’s trainer outside the locker rooms.)

And now we have Cornfield’s letter to stir the pot for a matchup that will be missing Campos, who is out for the foreseeable future after suffering a major knee injury.

Cornfield did not immediately respond to a text message requesting comment. Rogers responded with bewilderment via Twitter:

“uncalled for comments by the Minnesota team president over the course of the past year about our fans and organization” uh, what? — Nick Rogers (@_NickRogers_) April 7, 2014

A free signed @MNUnitedFC jersey for the 1st person who can find me quoted saying anything negative about @SAScorpions or their fans — Nick Rogers (@_NickRogers_) April 8, 2014

I have nothing but respect for the @SAScorpions organization & their fans. I’m sorry Mr. Cornfield felt it necessary to write that letter. — Nick Rogers (@_NickRogers_) April 8, 2014

If someone on my staff wrote this, I’d make them take it down & apologize. We’ll have a further response on the field on Saturday. — Nick Rogers (@_NickRogers_) April 8, 2014

Kickoff for Saturday’s match is 7:30 p.m. Riot gear is optional.