# 1976 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1976 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1975–76 season, and the culmination of the 1976 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers, making their third consecutive finals appearance, and the Montreal Canadiens. This was the Canadiens first appearance in the Final since their Cup win in 1973. The Canadiens swept the series to win their 19th Stanley Cup in franchise history, denying the Flyers a three-peat.
This marked the first of what is currently six consecutive losses in the Cup Final for the Flyers, as they would lose in the Final again in 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997, and 2010.

## Paths to the Finals

Montreal defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 4–0 and the New York Islanders 4–1 to advance to the final.
Philadelphia defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 and the Boston Bruins 4–1 to make it to the final.

## Game summaries

Guy Lafleur scored the first two finals goals in his career, both game-winners.
Reggie Leach scored four goals in the Finals, and nineteen times in total in the playoffs to win the Conn Smythe Trophy even though the Flyers lost the Cup to the Canadiens. He is one of the only two non-goaltenders in NHL history to be named MVP of the playoffs in an unsuccessful cause, and the third of only six as of 2024. His accomplishment followed Roger Crozier (Detroit Red Wings, in 1966) and Glenn Hall (St. Louis Blues, 1968) and preceded Ron Hextall (Philadelphia, 1987), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 2003) and Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers, 2024).
* Montreal won series 4–0
Reggie Leach won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

## Team rosters
### Montreal Canadiens

| No. | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
| 1 | Michel Larocque | G | L | 24 | 1972 | Hull, Quebec |
| 2 | Bill Nyrop | D | L | 23 | 1972 | Washington, D.C. |
| 3 | John Van Boxmeer | D | R | 23 | 1972 | Petrolia, Ontario |
| 5 | Guy Lapointe | D | L | 28 | 1969 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 6 | Jimmy Roberts | RW | R | 36 | 1971 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 8 | Doug Risebrough | C | L | 22 | 1974 | Guelph, Ontario |
| 10 | Guy Lafleur | RW | R | 24 | 1971 | Thurso, Quebec |
| 11 | Yvon Lambert | LW | L | 25 | 1971 | Drummondville, Quebec |
| 12 | Yvan Cournoyer (C) | RW | L | 32 | 1963 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 14 | Mario Tremblay | RW | R | 19 | 1974 | Alma, Quebec |
| 17 | Murray Wilson | C | L | 24 | 1971 | Toronto, Canada |
| 18 | Serge Savard | D | L | 30 | 1966 | Landrienne, Quebec |
| 19 | Larry Robinson | D | L | 24 | 1971 | Winchester, Ontario |
| 20 | Peter Mahovlich | C | L | 29 | 1969 | Timmins, Ontario |
| 21 | Doug Jarvis | C | L | 21 | 1975 | Brantford, Ontario |
| 22 | Steve Shutt | LW | L | 23 | 1972 | North York, Ontario |
| 23 | Bob Gainey | LW | L | 21 | 1973 | Peterborough, Ontario |
| 24 | Don Awrey | D | L | 32 | 1975 | Kitchener, Ontario |
| 25 | Jacques Lemaire | C | L | 30 | 1967 | LaSalle, Quebec |
| 26 | Pierre Bouchard | D | L | 28 | 1965 | Longueuil, Quebec |
| 27 | Rick Chartraw | D | R | 21 | 1974 | Caracas, Venezuela |
| 29 | Ken Dryden | G | L | 28 | 1964 | Hamilton, Ontario |

### Philadelphia Flyers

| No. | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
| 1 | Bernie Parent | G | L | 31 | 1973 | Montreal, Quebec |
| 3 | Tom Bladon | D | R | 23 | 1972 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 5 | Larry Goodenough | D | R | 23 | 1973 | Toronto, Ontario |
| 6 | Andre Dupont | D | L | 26 | 1972 | Trois-Rivières, Quebec |
| 7 | Bill Barber | LW | L | 23 | 1972 | Callander, Ontario |
| 8 | Dave Schultz | LW | L | 26 | 1969 | Waldheim, Saskatchewan |
| 9 | Bob Kelly | LW | L | 25 | 1970 | Oakville, Ontario |
| 10 | Mel Bridgman | C | L | 21 | 1975 | Trenton, Ontario |
| 11 | Don Saleski | RW | R | 26 | 1972 | Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan |
| 12 | Gary Dornhoefer | RW | R | 33 | 1967 | Kitchener, Ontario |
| 14 | Joe Watson | D | L | 32 | 1967 | Smithers, British Columbia |
| 15 | Terry Crisp | C | L | 32 | 1973 | Parry Sound, Ontario |
| 16 | Bobby Clarke (C) | C | L | 26 | 1969 | Flin Flon, Manitoba |
| 18 | Ross Lonsberry | LW | L | 29 | 1972 | Watson, Saskatchewan |
| 20 | Jim Watson | D | L | 23 | 1972 | Smithers, British Columbia |
| 25 | Terry Murray | D | L | 25 | 1975 | Shawville, Quebec |
| 26 | Orest Kindrachuk | C | L | 25 | 1972 | Nanton, Alberta |
| 27 | Reggie Leach | RW | R | 26 | 1974 | Riverton, Manitoba |
| 29 | Jack McIlhargey | D | L | 24 | 1975 | Edmonton, Alberta |
| 35 | Wayne Stephenson | G | L | 31 | 1974 | Fort William, Ontario |

## Stanley Cup engraving

The 1976 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Yvan Cournoyer by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Canadiens 5–3 win over the Flyers in game four.
The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
1975–76 Montreal Canadiens

### Players
#### Centres

* 8 Doug Risebrough
* 20 Peter Mahovlich
* 21 Doug Jarvis
* 25 Jacques Lemaire

#### Wingers

* 6 Jim Roberts
* 10 Guy Lafleur
* 11 Yvon Lambert
* 12 Yvan Cournoyer (Captain)
* 14 Mario Tremblay
* 17 Murray Wilson
* 22 Steve Shutt
* 23 Bob Gainey

#### Defencemen

* 2 Bill Nyrop
* 3 John Van Boxmeer†
* 5 Guy Lapointe
* 18 Serge Savard
* 19 Larry Robinson
* 24 Don Awrey†
* 26 Pierre Bouchard
* 27 Rick Chartraw

#### Goaltenders

* 29 Ken Dryden
* 1 Michel Larocque
† left off cup, but qualified to be on it.

### Coaching and administrative staff

* Jacques Courtois (President), Jean Beliveau (Vice President – Director of Cooperate Relations)
* Peter Bronfman (Chairman/Owner), Edward Bronfman (Executive Director/Owner)
* Sam Pollock (Vice President/General Manager), William Scotty Bowman (Head Coach)
* Eddy Palchak (Trainer), Pierre Meilleur (Asst Trainer)
* Claude Ruel (Director of Player Development)
* Floyd Curry† (Asst. General Manager), Ron Caron† (Asst. General Manager)

### Stanley Cup engraving

* Don Awrey played 72 regular-season games, and John van Boxmeer played 46 games. As neither player played in the playoffs, their names were not included on the Stanley Cup. The official rules says that players must play in the playoffs to be included on the Stanley Cup, but this rule was not followed very well. Players who played in playoffs were often left off, and many players who did not play in the playoffs were still engraved on it. The NHL changed the rules to say that any player who played at least 40 games (half the regular season game total) or more for the winning team, or one game in the Stanley Cup Finals must be included. However, Awrey and Van Boxmeer were not added to the cup for 1976. Awrey's name is on the Cup in 1970, 1972 with Boston. Van Boxmeer's name does not appear on the Stanley Cup.
* Murray Wilson's name was misspelled in 1973, 1976, 1977 as MURRY WILSON missing an "A". Murray Wilson was spelled correctly on the Stanley Cup in 1978. Wilson's name was also spelled correctly all 4 times on the Replica Cup.
* Between 1976 and 1985, an "A" (alternate captain) was no longer marked on players' sweaters. Only the captain was marked with a "C."
* American Rick Chartraw was born in Venezuela, and was first South America born player to win the Stanley Cup.