1976–77 NHL season

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==
Two teams relocated: 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. These were the first franchise moves since the original Ottawa Senators had relocated in 1934 to become the St. Louis Eagles. Instability and 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. Seattle would not have a team until the expansion Seattle Kraken in the 2021–22 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 33 wins, 1 loss, and 6 ties. Scoring 216 more goals 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.Hockey's Book of Firsts, p.27, James Duplacey, JG Press, 
===Final standings===
;Prince of Wales Conference
;Clarence Campbell Conference
==Playoffs==
The New York Islanders won six consecutive games before the semifinal and were the only team from the preliminary round to make it to the semifinals, where they lost to the first-ranked, defending champion, and eventual champion Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues and 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 quarterfinals, before being swept by the third-ranked Boston Bruins in the semifinals.
===Playoff structure===
For the 1977 playoffs, the top three teams in each division were awarded playoff berths. These twelve teams were then ranked 1–12 according to their regular season records, regardless 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 best non-division winner played the twelfth-ranked team, the second-best non-division winner played the eleventh-ranked team, the third-best 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 final preliminary round pairing. The preliminary round consisted of a best-of-three series with game one played on the home ice of the higher-ranked team, and game two on the home ice of the lower-ranked team. If a deciding game three was necessary, it was played on the home ice of the higher-ranked team.
For the quarterfinal, semifinal, and the Stanley Cup Finals, each series was a best-of-seven, with home-ice advantage in games 1, 2, 5, and 7 (if necessary) going to the team with the better regular season record. The other team hosted games 3, 4, and 6 (if necessary). The four preliminary round winners joined the four division winners for the quarterfinals. The matchups were determined according to regular season records regardless of 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, and so on. The four quarterfinal winners advanced to the semifinals, with the match-ups again being reseeded by regular season records. The highest-ranked remaining team played the lowest-ranked remaining team, and the other two teams formed the second semifinal. 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===
* 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====
This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams. The Black Hawks were originally scheduled as the home team for the second game, but its home rink Chicago Stadium had already been booked that night for the second of three Led Zeppelin concerts.Herman, Robin. "Islanders Get Home Ice for All Hawk Games," The New York Times, Tuesday, April 5, 1977. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
====(2) Buffalo Sabres vs. (7) Minnesota North Stars====
This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.
====(3) Los Angeles Kings vs. (6) Atlanta Flames====
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Preliminary Round, in which Los Angeles won in a two-game sweep.
====(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs====
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Preliminary Round, in which Toronto won the series 2–1.
===Quarterfinals===
====(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) St. Louis Blues====
This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Montreal won both previous meetings in four-game sweeps in both the 1968 & 1969 Stanley Cup Finals.
====(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Toronto Maple Leafs====
This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won both previous meetings in the last two seasons. The latter of which Philadelphia won in seven games in last year's Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.
====(3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings====
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, in which Boston won in seven games.
====(4) New York Islanders vs. (5) Buffalo Sabres====
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, in which New York won in six games.
===Semifinals===
====(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) New York Islanders====
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Semifinals, in which Montreal won in five games.
====(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (3) Boston Bruins====
This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won both previous meetings. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Semifinals, in which Philadelphia won in five games.
===Stanley Cup Finals===
This was the 16th playoff series meeting between these two teams. Montreal lead 13–2 in previous meetings. They last met in the 1971 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, in which Montreal upset Boston in seven games.
The defending champion Montreal Canadiens took on the "Original Six" rival, the third-ranked Boston Bruins in the Finals. 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 	1977 NHL awards
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 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
==Player statistics==
===Scoring leaders===
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Player 	Team 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Guy Lafleur 	Montreal Canadiens 	80	56	80	136	20
Marcel Dionne 	Los Angeles Kings 	80	53	69	122	12
Steve Shutt 	Montreal Canadiens 	80	60	45	105	28
Rick MacLeish 	Philadelphia Flyers 	79	49	48	97 	42
Gilbert Perreault	Buffalo Sabres 	80	39	56	95 	30
Tim Young 	Minnesota North Stars	80	29	66	95 	58
Jean Ratelle 	Boston Bruins 	78	33	61	94 	22
Lanny McDonald 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	80	46	44	90 	77
Darryl Sittler 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	73	38	52	90 	89
Bobby Clarke 	Philadelphia Flyers 	80	27	63	90 	71
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
Player 	Team 	GP	MIN 	GA 	GAA 	W 	L 	T 	SO
Michel Larocque 	Montreal Canadiens 	26	1525	53 	2.09	19	2 	4 	4
Ken Dryden 	Montreal Canadiens 	56	3275	117	2.14	41	6 	8 	10
Chico Resch 	N.Y. Islanders 	46	2711	103	2.28	26	13	6 	4
Billy Smith 	N.Y. Islanders 	36	2089	98 	2.50	21	8 	6 	2
Don Edwards 	Buffalo Sabres 	25	1480	62 	2.51	16	7 	2 	2
Gerry Desjardins	Buffalo Sabres 	49	2871	126	2.63	31	12	6 	3
Bernie Parent 	Philadelphia Flyers	61	3525	159	2.71	35	13	12	5
Rogatien Vachon 	Los Angeles Kings 	68	4059	184	2.72	33	23	12	8
Denis Herron 	Pittsburgh Penguins	34	1920	94 	2.94	15	11	5 	1
Dunc Wilson 	Pittsburgh Penguins	45	2627	129	2.95	18	19	8 	5
==Coaches==
===Patrick Division===
*Atlanta Flames: Fred Creighton
*New York Islanders: Al Arbour
*New York Rangers: John Ferguson, Sr.
*Philadelphia Flyers: Fred Shero
===Adams Division===
*Boston Bruins: Don Cherry
*Buffalo Sabres: Floyd Smith
*Cleveland Barons: Jack Evans
*Toronto Maple Leafs: Red Kelly
===Norris Division===
*Detroit Red Wings: Larry Wilson
*Los Angeles Kings: Bob Pulford
*Montreal Canadiens: Scotty Bowman
*Pittsburgh Penguins: Ken Schinkel
*Washington Capitals: Tom McVie
===Smythe Division===
*Chicago Black Hawks: Billy Reay and Bill White
*Colorado Rockies: Johnny Wilson
*Minnesota North Stars: Ted Harris
*St. Louis Blues: Emile Francis
*Vancouver Canucks: Phil Maloney and Orland Kurtenbach
==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):
*Pat Quinn, Atlanta Flames
*Gilles Villemure, Chicago Black Hawks
*Jim Pappin, Cleveland Barons
*Simon Nolet, Colorado Rockies
*Bob Berry, Los Angeles Kings
*Ed Van Impe, Pittsburgh Penguins
*Vic Hadfield, Pittsburgh Penguins
*Barclay Plager, St. Louis Blues
*Roger Crozier, Washington Capitals
== See also ==
* List of Stanley Cup champions
* 1976 NHL Amateur Draft
* 1976–77 NHL transactions
* 1976 Canada Cup
* 30th National Hockey League All-Star Game
* National Hockey League All-Star Game
* 1976–77 WHA season
* 1976 in sports
* 1977 in sports
==References==
* 
* 
* 
* 
;Notes
==External links==
*Hockey Database
*NHL.com
 
Category:1976–77 in Canadian ice hockey by league
Category:1976–77 in American ice hockey by league