# 1976–77 Minnesota North Stars season

The 1976–77 Minnesota North Stars season was the North Stars' tenth season.
Coached by Ted Harris, the team compiled a record of 23–39–18 for 64 points, to finish the regular season 2nd in the Smythe Division. In the playoffs they lost the preliminary round 2–0 to the Buffalo Sabres.

## Regular season
### Final standings

Smythe Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 32 | 39 | 9 | 239 | 276 | 73 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 23 | 39 | 18 | 240 | 310 | 64 |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 80 | 26 | 43 | 11 | 240 | 298 | 63 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 25 | 42 | 13 | 235 | 294 | 63 |
| Colorado Rockies | 80 | 20 | 46 | 14 | 226 | 307 | 54 |
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

### Record vs. opponents

Smythe Division record vs. opponents :
Vs. Campbell Conference
Vs. Wales Conference
Vs. Smythe Division
1976–77 NHL records
Team
CHI
COL
MIN
STL
VAN
Total
Chicago
—2–2–22–3–12–41–4–17–13–4
Colorado
2–2–2—3–2–11–4–12–2–28–10–6
Minnesota
3–2–12–3–1—2–2–21–4–18–11–5
St. Louis
4–24–1–12–2–2—4–1–114–6–4
Vancouver
4–1–12–2–24–1–11–4–1—11–8–5
Vs. Patrick Division
1976–77 NHL records
Team
ATL
NYI
NYR
PHI
Total
Chicago
2–31–3–12–2–10–3–25–11–4
Colorado
1–3–10–51–3–10–52–16–2
Minnesota
1–2–21–3–10–50–3–22–13–5
St. Louis
1–41–3–12–2–10–54–14–2
Vancouver
3–1–11–42–30–4–16–12–2
Vs. Adams Division
1976–77 NHL records
Team
BOS
BUF
CLE
TOR
Total
Chicago
0–41–31–32–1–14–11–1
Colorado
1–30–3–11–2–11–2–13–10–3
Minnesota
2–1–11–2–11–1–21–35–7–4
St. Louis
1–2–12–21–2–12–26–8–2
Vancouver
0–40–3–11–2–11–2–12–11–3
Vs. Norris Division
1976–77 NHL records
Team
DET
LAK
MTL
PIT
WSH
Total
Chicago
4–02–20–3–12–22–1–110–8–2
Colorado
4–00–2–20–3–12–21–37–10–3
Minnesota
3–0–13–10–3–11–31–1–28–8–4
St. Louis
3–0–12–21–31–31–38–11–1
Vancouver
1–32–0–20–41–2–12–26–11–3 :

## Schedule and results

| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
| 1 | L | October 6, 1976 | 5–6 | @ New York Rangers (1976–77) | 0–1–0 |
| 2 | L | October 7, 1976 | 2–6 | @ Boston Bruins (1976–77) | 0–2–0 |
| 3 | W | October 9, 1976 | 4–1 | Colorado Rockies (1976–77) | 1–2–0 |
| 4 | L | October 12, 1976 | 4–10 | New York Rangers (1976–77) | 1–3–0 |
| 5 | L | October 16, 1976 | 1–2 | Buffalo Sabres (1976–77) | 1–4–0 |
| 6 | L | October 17, 1976 | 0–3 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1976–77) | 1–5–0 |
| 7 | W | October 20, 1976 | 4–3 | Atlanta Flames (1976–77) | 2–5–0 |
| 8 | T | October 22, 1976 | 3–3 | @ Colorado Rockies (1976–77) | 2–5–1 |
| 9 | W | October 23, 1976 | 4–3 | Chicago Black Hawks (1976–77) | 3–5–1 |
| 10 | W | October 27, 1976 | 5–3 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1976–77) | 4–5–1 |
| 11 | L | October 30, 1976 | 1–5 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1976–77) | 4–6–1 |
| 12 | L | October 31, 1976 | 1–9 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1976–77) | 4–7–1 |
| 13 | L | November 3, 1976 | 2–5 | Montreal Canadiens (1976–77) | 4–8–1 |
| 14 | L | November 6, 1976 | 2–5 | @ New York Islanders (1976–77) | 4–9–1 |
| 15 | L | November 7, 1976 | 1–4 | @ Washington Capitals (1976–77) | 4–10–1 |
| 16 | W | November 10, 1976 | 3–2 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1976–77) | 5–10–1 |
| 17 | L | November 13, 1976 | 2–3 | New York Islanders (1976–77) | 5–11–1 |
| 18 | T | November 14, 1976 | 4–4 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1976–77) | 5–11–2 |
| 19 | T | November 17, 1976 | 3–3 | Cleveland Barons (1976–77) | 5–11–3 |
| 20 | L | November 19, 1976 | 3–6 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1976–77) | 5–12–3 |
| 21 | L | November 20, 1976 | 3–8 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1976–77) | 5–13–3 |
| 22 | L | November 24, 1976 | 2–4 | St. Louis Blues (1976–77) | 5–14–3 |
| 23 | W | November 27, 1976 | 6–1 | Washington Capitals (1976–77) | 6–14–3 |
| 24 | L | November 28, 1976 | 1–4 | @ New York Rangers (1976–77) | 6–15–3 |
| 25 | T | December 1, 1976 | 2–2 | Philadelphia Flyers (1976–77) | 6–15–4 |
| 26 | L | December 4, 1976 | 4–11 | New York Rangers (1976–77) | 6–16–4 |
| 27 | L | December 7, 1976 | 2–6 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1976–77) | 6–17–4 |
| 28 | L | December 8, 1976 | 0–5 | Atlanta Flames (1976–77) | 6–18–4 |
| 29 | T | December 10, 1976 | 3–3 | @ Atlanta Flames (1976–77) | 6–18–5 |
| 30 | T | December 11, 1976 | 1–1 | @ St. Louis Blues (1976–77) | 6–18–6 |
| 31 | T | December 14, 1976 | 3–3 | Philadelphia Flyers (1976–77) | 6–18–7 |
| 32 | L | December 18, 1976 | 1–3 | Vancouver Canucks (1976–77) | 6–19–7 |
| 33 | T | December 21, 1976 | 3–3 | Chicago Black Hawks (1976–77) | 6–19–8 |
| 34 | L | December 22, 1976 | 3–4 | @ Cleveland Barons (1976–77) | 6–20–8 |
| 35 | W | December 28, 1976 | 8–3 | Los Angeles Kings (1976–77) | 7–20–8 |
| 36 | T | December 30, 1976 | 5–5 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1976–77) | 7–20–9 |
| 37 | L | January 1, 1977 | 1–3 | @ St. Louis Blues (1976–77) | 7–21–9 |
| 38 | W | January 5, 1977 | 5–2 | Los Angeles Kings (1976–77) | 8–21–9 |
| 39 | W | January 6, 1977 | 7–2 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1976–77) | 9–21–9 |
| 40 | W | January 8, 1977 | 3–1 | Boston Bruins (1976–77) | 10–21–9 |
| 41 | L | January 12, 1977 | 3–5 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1976–77) | 10–22–9 |
| 42 | T | January 15, 1977 | 3–3 | @ Boston Bruins (1976–77) | 10–22–10 |
| 43 | L | January 16, 1977 | 2–4 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1976–77) | 10–23–10 |
| 44 | L | January 18, 1977 | 2–7 | @ New York Islanders (1976–77) | 10–24–10 |
| 45 | T | January 20, 1977 | 4–4 | Atlanta Flames (1976–77) | 10–24–11 |
| 46 | W | January 22, 1977 | 4–3 | Buffalo Sabres (1976–77) | 11–24–11 |
| 47 | L | January 23, 1977 | 2–5 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1976–77) | 11–25–11 |
| 48 | W | January 26, 1977 | 3–2 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1976–77) | 12–25–11 |
| 49 | L | January 29, 1977 | 3–4 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1976–77) | 12–26–11 |
| 50 | L | January 30, 1977 | 2–4 | @ Colorado Rockies (1976–77) | 12–27–11 |
| 51 | L | February 2, 1977 | 2–5 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1976–77) | 12–28–11 |
| 52 | T | February 5, 1977 | 5–5 | Vancouver Canucks (1976–77) | 12–28–12 |
| 53 | W | February 6, 1977 | 3–0 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1976–77) | 13–28–12 |
| 54 | L | February 9, 1977 | 6–8 | Colorado Rockies (1976–77) | 13–29–12 |
| 55 | T | February 12, 1977 | 2–2 | Detroit Red Wings (1976–77) | 13–29–13 |
| 56 | L | February 13, 1977 | 2–6 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1976–77) | 13–30–13 |
| 57 | T | February 15, 1977 | 3–3 | @ Washington Capitals (1976–77) | 13–30–14 |
| 58 | T | February 17, 1977 | 4–4 | Washington Capitals (1976–77) | 13–30–15 |
| 59 | W | February 19, 1977 | 6–2 | Chicago Black Hawks (1976–77) | 14–30–15 |
| 60 | L | February 20, 1977 | 2–3 | @ Colorado Rockies (1976–77) | 14–31–15 |
| 61 | W | February 23, 1977 | 2–1 | Boston Bruins (1976–77) | 15–31–15 |
| 62 | L | February 25, 1977 | 2–6 | @ Atlanta Flames (1976–77) | 15–32–15 |
| 63 | W | February 26, 1977 | 3–0 | Vancouver Canucks (1976–77) | 16–32–15 |
| 64 | L | March 1, 1977 | 2–5 | Philadelphia Flyers (1976–77) | 16–33–15 |
| 65 | W | March 5, 1977 | 6–3 | Colorado Rockies (1976–77) | 17–33–15 |
| 66 | W | March 6, 1977 | 3–2 | St. Louis Blues (1976–77) | 18–33–15 |
| 67 | W | March 8, 1977 | 3–1 | @ New York Islanders (1976–77) | 19–33–15 |
| 68 | L | March 9, 1977 | 4–6 | @ New York Rangers (1976–77) | 19–34–15 |
| 69 | T | March 12, 1977 | 3–3 | @ St. Louis Blues (1976–77) | 19–34–16 |
| 70 | T | March 13, 1977 | 5–5 | New York Islanders (1976–77) | 19–34–17 |
| 71 | L | March 16, 1977 | 2–5 | Montreal Canadiens (1976–77) | 19–35–17 |
| 72 | T | March 18, 1977 | 2–2 | @ Cleveland Barons (1976–77) | 19–35–18 |
| 73 | W | March 20, 1977 | 2–1 | Detroit Red Wings (1976–77) | 20–35–18 |
| 74 | L | March 22, 1977 | 2–4 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1976–77) | 20–36–18 |
| 75 | L | March 26, 1977 | 2–7 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1976–77) | 20–37–18 |
| 76 | W | March 28, 1977 | 5–4 | St. Louis Blues (1976–77) | 21–37–18 |
| 77 | W | March 29, 1977 | 4–2 | Cleveland Barons (1976–77) | 22–37–18 |
| 78 | W | March 31, 1977 | 3–1 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1976–77) | 23–37–18 |
| 79 | L | April 2, 1977 | 2–7 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1976–77) | 23–38–18 |
| 80 | L | April 3, 1977 | 3–6 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1976–77) | 23–39–18 |

## Draft picks

Minnesota's draft picks at the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft held in Montreal.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 3 | Glen Sharpley | Canada | Hull Festivals (QMJHL) |
| 2 | 31 | Jim Roberts | Canada | Ottawa 67's (OMJHL) |
| 3 | 39 | Don Jackson | United States | University of Notre Dame (WCHA) |
| 3 | 51 | Ron Zanussi | Canada | London Knights (OMJHL) |
| 4 | 57 | Mike Fedorko | Canada | Hamilton Fincups (OMJHL) |
| 5 | 75 | Phil Verchota | United States | University of Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 6 | 93 | Dave Delich | United States | Colorado College (WCHA) |
| 7 | 110 | Jeff Barr | United States | Michigan State University (WCHA) |