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The 1977–78 NHL season was the 61st season of the National Hockey League. Eighteen teams each played 80 games. The Montreal Canadiens won their third Stanley Cup in a row as they beat the Boston Bruins four games to two in the finals.
[edit] League Business
Clarence Campbell retired as NHL President, prior to this season. John Ziegler succeeded him.
A trophy for the top defensive forward, the Frank J. Selke Trophy, made its debut this season and went to Bob Gainey, who played Left Wing for Montreal.
On June 14, 1978, the league approved the merger of the financially struggling Cleveland Barons and Minnesota North Stars franchises, reducing the number of teams to seventeen, with the North Stars assuming the Barons' place in the Adams Division. It was the only instance of a league team vanishing since the Brooklyn Americans ceased operations in 1942.
[edit] Regular season
[edit] Final standings
GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold
[edit] Prince of Wales Conference
[edit] Clarence Campbell Conference
[edit] Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes
[edit] Leading goaltenders
[edit] Stanley Cup playoffs
[edit] Playoff bracket
[edit] Finals
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Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Date |
Visitors |
Score |
Home |
Score |
Notes |
| May 13 |
Boston |
1 |
Montreal |
4 |
|
| May 16 |
Boston |
2 |
Montreal |
3 |
OT |
| May 18 |
Montreal |
0 |
Boston |
4 |
|
| May 21 |
Montreal |
3 |
Boston |
4 |
OT |
| May 23 |
Boston |
1 |
Montreal |
4 |
|
| May 25 |
Montreal |
4 |
Boston |
1 |
|
Montreal wins the series 4–2.
Larry Robinson won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
[edit] NHL awards
| Prince of Wales Trophy: |
Montreal Canadiens |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: |
New York Islanders |
| Art Ross Memorial Trophy: |
Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: |
Butch Goring, Los Angeles Kings |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: |
Mike Bossy, New York Islanders |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: |
Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy: |
Bob Gainey, Montreal Canadiens |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: |
Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
| Jack Adams Award: |
Bobby Kromm, Detroit Red Wings |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: |
Denis Potvin, New York Islanders |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: |
Butch Goring, Los Angeles Kings |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: |
Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
| NHL Plus/Minus Award: |
Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
| Vezina Trophy: |
Ken Dryden & Michel Larocque, Montreal Canadiens |
| Lester Patrick Trophy: |
Phil Esposito, Tom Fitzgerald, William T. Tutt, William W. Wirtz |
[edit] All-Star teams
| First Team |
Position |
Second Team |
| Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens |
G |
Don Edwards, Buffalo Sabres |
| Denis Potvin, New York Islanders |
D |
Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens |
| Brad Park, Boston Bruins |
D |
Borje Salming, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders |
C |
Darryl Sittler, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
RW |
Mike Bossy, New York Islanders |
| Clark Gillies, New York Islanders |
LW |
Steve Shutt, Montreal Canadiens |
[edit] Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1977–78 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
- Doug Wilson, Chicago Black Hawks
- Barry Beck, Colorado Rockies
- Dale McCourt, Detroit Red Wings
- Vaclav Nedomansky, Detroit Red Wings
- Dave Taylor, Los Angeles Kings
- Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
- Ron Duguay, New York Rangers
- Glen Hanlon, Vancouver Canucks
- Murray Bannerman, Vancouver Canucks
- Robert Picard, Washington Capitals
[edit] Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1977–78 (listed with their last team):
- Johnny Bucyk, Boston Bruins
- Eddie Johnston, Chicago Black Hawks
- Jim Neilson, Cleveland Barons
- Dennis Hull, Detroit Red Wings
- Ed Giacomin, Detroit Red Wings
- Bill Goldsworthy, New York Rangers
- Dallas Smith, New York Rangers
- Ken Hodge, New York Rangers
- Rod Gilbert, New York Rangers
- Gary Dornhoefer, Philadelphia Flyers
- Derek Sanderson, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Claude Larose, St. Louis Blues
- Jimmy Roberts, St. Louis Blues
- Red Berenson, St. Louis Blues
- Cesare Maniago, Vancouver Canucks
NOTE: Goldsworthy and Neilson would finish their major professional careers in the World Hockey Association.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
|
1977–78 NHL season by team |
|
| Patrick |
|
|
| Adams |
|
|
| Norris |
Detroit • Los Angeles • Montreal • Pittsburgh • Washington |
|
| Smythe |
Chicago • Colorado • Minnesota • St. Louis • Vancouver
|
|
| See also |
|
|
