The 1976–77 NHL season was the 60th season of the National Hockey League. The Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver, Colorado, and became the Colorado Rockies and the California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and became the Cleveland Barons. The Montreal Canadiens once again dominated the playoffs as, for the second straight year, they swept their opponent four games to none in the final series for the Stanley Cup.
League business
Not since the Ottawa Senators had relocated in 1934, becoming the St. Louis Eagles, had an NHL team moved. This year saw not one, but two teams relocate. The Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver, Colorado, and became the Colorado Rockies and the California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and became the Cleveland Barons. The instability, along with the poor performances of the Washington Capitals and the Scouts since the 1974 expansion, caused the league to shelve an expansion to Denver and Seattle that had been proposed for this season.
This season was Clarence Campbell's last as NHL President. He would be succeeded by John Ziegler.
Regular season
The previous season saw the Montreal Canadiens set new records in wins and points. Both of those records were broken again by the Canadiens this season as, with the highest points percentage in post-expansion NHL history (.825), they had 60 wins and 132 points. Their home record was an impressive 33 wins, 1 loss, and 6 ties. Scoring a remarkable two hundred goals more than they allowed, the Canadiens were a full 20 points ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers, however, were swept in four straight games by the third-place Boston Bruins in the semi-finals. The Bruins were in turn swept by the Canadiens in four straight in the finals.
On February 2, 1977, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Ian Turnbull became the first player in NHL history to score five goals on five shots.[1]
Final standings
- Prince of Wales Conference
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- Clarence Campbell Conference
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Playoffs
The New York Islanders won six consecutive games before the semi-final and were the only team from the preliminary round to make it to the semi-finals, where they lost to the first-ranked, defending champion and eventual champion Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues, dispatched the Islanders in six to reach the final. The losses to the Islanders were the Canadiens' only losses of their playoff run. Second-ranked Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the quarter-final, before being swept by the third-ranked Boston Bruins in the semi-final.
Playoff structure
For the 1976-77 Stanley Cup playoff tournament, the top three teams in each division were awarded playoff berths. These twelve teams were then ranked 1 through 12 according to their regular season records, irrespective of divisional affiliation. The four division winners automatically qualified for the quarterfinals, while the remaining eight teams (2nd and 3rd place teams in each division) played a preliminary round. For the preliminary round, the top-ranked non-division winner played the twelfth-ranked team, the second top ranked non-division winner played the eleventh-ranked team, the third ranked non-division winner played the third-lowest ranked non-division winner. (This did not necessarily have to be the tenth-ranked team, as it was possible for a tenth-ranked team to win its division. In fact, St. Louis did win the Smythe Division as the tenth-ranked playoff team.) The remaining two non-division winners formed the fourth preliminary round pairing. The preliminary round consisted of a best-of-three series with the first game played on the home ice of the higher-ranked team, and the second game on the home ice of the lower-ranked team. If a third and deciding game was necessary, it was played on the home ice of the higher-ranked team.
For the quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds, each series was a best-of-seven, with home-ice advantage in games 1, 2, 5 and 7 going to the team with the better regular season record. The other team hosted games 3 and 4, and game 6 if it was necessary. The four preliminary round winners joined the four division winners for the quarterfinals. The matchups were determined according to regular season records without regard to divisional affiliations. Of the eight remaining teams, the top-ranked team played the lowest-ranked remaining team, the second-highest-ranked remaining team played the second-lowest-ranked remaining team, etc. The four quarterfinal winners advanced to the semifinals, with the match-ups again determined by regular season records. The highest-ranked remaining team played the lowest-ranked remaining team, and the other two teams formed the second match-up. The two semifinal winners played each other in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Playoff seeds
The twelve teams that qualified for the playoffs are ranked 1–12 based on regular season points.
Note: Only teams that qualified for the playoffs are listed here.
- Montreal Canadiens, Norris Division champions, Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions – 132 points
- Philadelphia Flyers, Patrick Division champions, Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions – 112 points
- Boston Bruins, Adams Division champions – 106 points (49 wins)
- New York Islanders – 106 points (47 wins)
- Buffalo Sabres – 104 points
- Los Angeles Kings – 83 points
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 81 points (34 wins)
- Toronto Maple Leafs – 81 points (33 wins)
- Atlanta Flames – 80 points
- St. Louis Blues, Smythe Division champions – 73 points
- Minnesota North Stars – 64 points
- Chicago Black Hawks – 63 points
Playoff bracket
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Preliminary Round |
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Quarterfinals |
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Semifinals |
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Stanley Cup Finals |
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1 |
Montreal |
4 |
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8 |
St. Louis |
0 |
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1 |
Montreal |
4 |
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4 |
NY Islanders |
2 |
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1 |
NY Islanders |
2 |
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8 |
Chicago |
0 |
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4 |
NY Islanders |
4 |
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5 |
Buffalo |
0 |
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2 |
Buffalo |
2 |
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7 |
Minnesota |
0 |
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1 |
Montreal |
4 |
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3 |
Boston |
0 |
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2 |
Philadelphia |
4 |
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7 |
Toronto |
2 |
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4 |
Pittsburgh |
1 |
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5 |
Toronto |
2 |
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2 |
Philadelphia |
0 |
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3 |
Boston |
4 |
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3 |
Boston |
4 |
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6 |
Los Angeles |
2 |
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3 |
Los Angeles |
2 |
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6 |
Atlanta |
1 |
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- Division winners earned a bye to the Quarterfinals
- Teams were re-seeded based on regular season record after the Preliminary and Quarterfinal rounds
Preliminary Round
(1) New York Islanders vs. (8) Chicago Black Hawks
(2) Buffalo Sabres vs. (7) Minnesota North Stars
(3) Los Angeles Kings vs. (6) Atlanta Flames
| April 5 |
Atlanta Flames |
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2–5 |
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Los Angeles Kings |
The Forum |
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| April 9 |
Atlanta Flames |
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2–4 |
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Los Angeles Kings |
The Forum |
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| Los Angeles won series 2–1 |
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(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs
Quarterfinals
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) St. Louis Blues
(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Toronto Maple Leafs
| Philadelphia won series 4-2 |
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(3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
| April 15 |
Boston Bruins |
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7-6 |
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Los Angeles Kings |
The Forum |
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| April 17 |
Boston Bruins |
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4-7 |
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Los Angeles Kings |
The Forum |
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| April 21 |
Boston Bruins |
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4-3 |
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Los Angeles Kings |
The Forum |
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(4) New York Islanders vs. (5) Buffalo Sabres
Semifinals
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) New York Islanders
(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (3) Boston Bruins
| April 24 |
Boston Bruins |
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4-3 |
OT |
Philadelphia Flyers |
Philadelphia Spectrum |
Recap |
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| Ratelle 3 (O'Reilly, Park) - 11:36 |
First period |
No Scoring |
Schmautz 9 (Ratelle, Marcotte) - pp - 6:56
Marcotte 3 (Forbes) - 15:31 |
Second period |
No Scoring |
| No Scoring |
Third period |
1:45 - pp - Bobby Clarke 4 (Rick MacLeish)
16:35 - Bob Dailey 3 (Rick MacLeish, Ross Lonsberry)
19:31 - Bobby Clarke 5 (Rick MacLeish, Bob Dailey) |
| Middleton 5 (Smith, Cashman) - 2:57 |
overtime period |
No Scoring |
| Gerry Cheevers ( 35 saves / 38 shots ) |
Goalie stats |
Wayne Stephenson ( 17 saves / 20 shots )
Bernie Parent ( 3 saves / 4 shots ) |
| April 26 |
Boston Bruins |
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5-4 |
2OT |
Philadelphia Flyers |
Philadelphia Spectrum |
Recap |
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| McNab 3 (Wensink, Middleton) - 13:45 |
First period |
14:53 - Andre Dupont 1 (Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke) |
Sheppard 4 (Cashman) - 14:01
Milbury 1 (McNab) - 15:01
Ratelle 3 (Smith, Park) - 15:39 |
Second period |
5:35 - Orest Kindrachuk 2 (Jim Watson)
7:58 - Paul Holmgren 1 (Bob Kelly, Jim Watson)
15:16 - Gary Dornhoefer (Rick MacLeish, Andre Dupont) |
| No Scoring |
Third period |
No Scoring |
| O'Reilly 4 (Marcotte, Doak) - 10:07 |
overtime period |
No Scoring |
| Gerry Cheevers ( 43 saves / 47 shots ) |
Goalie stats |
Wayne Stephenson ( 28 saves / 33 shots ) |
| April 28 |
Philadelphia Flyers |
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1-2 |
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Boston Bruins |
Boston Garden |
Recap |
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| Bob Dailey 4 (Bobby Clarke, Reggie Leach) - pp - 8:59 |
First period |
No Scoring |
| No Scoring |
Second period |
12:09 - McNab 4 (Smith, Wensink) |
| No Scoring |
Third period |
7:51 - Milbury 2 (O'Reilly, Ratelle) |
| Wayne Stephenson ( 26 saves / 28 shots ) |
Goalie stats |
Gerry Cheevers ( 14 saves / 15 shots ) |
| May 1 |
Philadelphia Flyers |
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0-3 |
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Boston Bruins |
Boston Garden |
Recap |
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| No Scoring |
First period |
No Scoring |
| No Scoring |
Second period |
10:45 - Ratelle 5 (Cashman, Middleton) |
| No Scoring |
Third period |
14:05 - Marcotte 4 (Schmautz, Ratelle)
19:13 - en - Marcotte 5 (Cashman, Sheppard) |
| Wayne Stephenson ( 35 saves / 37 shots ) |
Goalie stats |
Gerry Cheevers ( 21 saves / 21 shots ) |
Stanley Cup Finals
The defending champion Montreal Canadiens took on the "Original Six" rival, the third-ranked Boston Bruins in the Final. Both teams had swept a series and had lost only two games in the earlier rounds. The Canadiens swept the series in four games to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Awards
| 1977 NHL awards |
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Prince of Wales Trophy:
(Wales Conference regular season champion) | Montreal Canadiens |
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:
(Campbell Conference regular season champion) | Philadelphia Flyers |
Art Ross Trophy:
(Top scorer, regular season) | Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy:
(Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) | Ed Westfall, New York Islanders |
Calder Memorial Trophy:
(Top first-year player) | Willi Plett, Atlanta Flames |
Conn Smythe Trophy:
(Most valuable player, playoffs) | Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
Hart Memorial Trophy:
(Most valuable player, regular season) | Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
Jack Adams Award:
(Best coach) | Scotty Bowman, Montreal Canadiens |
James Norris Memorial Trophy:
(Best defenceman) | Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens |
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship) | Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings |
Lester B. Pearson Award:
(Outstanding player, regular season) | Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
Vezina Trophy:
(Goaltender(s) of team(s) with best goaltending record) | Ken Dryden & Michel Larocque, Montreal Canadiens |
Lester Patrick Trophy:
(Service to hockey in the U.S.) | John Bucyk, Murray A. Armstrong, John Mariucci |
All-Star teams
| First Team | Position | Second Team |
| Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens |
G |
Rogie Vachon, Los Angeles Kings |
| Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens |
D |
Denis Potvin, New York Islanders |
| Borje Salming, Toronto Maple Leafs |
D |
Guy Lapointe, Montreal Canadiens |
| Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings |
C |
Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres |
| Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
RW |
Lanny McDonald, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Steve Shutt, Montreal Canadiens |
LW |
Rick Martin, Buffalo Sabres |
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Player statistics
Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Source: NHL.
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min - Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1976–77 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
- Mike Palmateer, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Don Edwards, Buffalo Sabres
- Bob Sauve, Buffalo Sabres
- Reed Larson, Detroit Red Wings
- Brian Engblom*, Montreal Canadiens
- Don Murdoch, New York Rangers
- Bernie Federko, St. Louis Blues
- Brian Sutter, St. Louis Blues
- Randy Carlyle, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Rick Green, Washington Capitals
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1976–77 (listed with their last team):
See also
References
- Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, NY: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
- Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.
- Dryden, Steve, ed. (2000). Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9.
- Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.
- Notes
- ↑ Hockey’s Book of Firsts, p.27, James Duplacey, JG Press, ISBN 978-1-57215-037-9
- 1 2 3 4 Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 151. ISBN 9781894801225.
External links
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