1976–77 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1976–77 Montreal Canadiens season was the Canadiens' 68th season. The team is regarded to be the greatest NHL team ever composed. The Canadiens won their 20th Stanley Cup in 1976–77, taking the NHL championship. They set an NHL record for most points in a season by a team with 132 points. They outscored their opponents by 216 goals, a differential average of 2.7 goals per game.
Of the 24 players on the roster, 14 were drafted by the Canadiens: Pierre Bouchard, Rick Chartraw, Brian Engblom, Bob Gainey, Rejean Houle, Guy Lafleur, Michel Larocque, Pierre Mondou, Bill Nyrop, Doug Risebrough, Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt, Mario Tremblay, and Murray Wilson. The only player on the roster not developed by the Canadiens was Peter Mahovlich.
They won 72 combined victories that season, tied by the Detroit Red Wings in 1995-96. They won 60 games this season, which the 1995-96 Detroit team eventually surpassed.
Regular season
Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
Stanley Cup Final
scored three game-winning goals, including the Cup winner in overtime. Guy Lafleur won the Conn Smythe Trophy for scoring 9 goals and 17 assists during the playoffs.Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
| Date | Visitors | Score | Home | Score | Notes |
| May 7 | Boston | 3 | Montreal | 7 | |
| May 10 | Boston | 0 | Montreal | 3 | |
| May 12 | Montreal | 4 | Boston | 2 | |
| May 14 | Montreal | 2 | Boston | 1 | OT |
Montreal wins the series 4–0.
Guy Lafleur won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Player statistics
Regular season
;Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| RW | 80 | 56 | 80 | 136 | 20 | 89 | 14 | 0 | 8 | |
| LW | 80 | 60 | 45 | 105 | 28 | 88 | 8 | 0 | 9 | |
| D | 77 | 19 | 66 | 85 | 45 | 120 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| D | 77 | 25 | 51 | 76 | 53 | 69 | 10 | 0 | 6 | |
| C | 75 | 34 | 41 | 75 | 22 | 70 | 5 | 2 | 4 | |
| C | 76 | 15 | 47 | 62 | 45 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| C | 78 | 22 | 38 | 60 | 132 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 6 | |
| RW | 60 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 8 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 2 | |
| LW | 79 | 24 | 28 | 52 | 50 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| W | 65 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 24 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| RW | 74 | 18 | 28 | 46 | 61 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
| D | 78 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 35 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| C | 80 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 14 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| LW | 80 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 41 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| LW | 60 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| D | 74 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| D/RW | 45 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| D | 73 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 52 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| D/RW | 43 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 59 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| G | 56 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
| 3275 | 56 | 41 | 6 | 8 | 117 | 2.14 | 10 | |
| 1525 | 26 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 53 | 2.09 | 4 | |
| Team: | 4800 | 80 | 60 | 8 | 12 | 170 | 2.12 | 14 |
Playoffs
;Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| RW | 14 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| C | 14 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| LW | 14 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| D | 12 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 14 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 13 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| D | 14 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| LW | 14 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 14 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 14 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| C | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D/RW | 14 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| RW | 14 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D/RW | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| W | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C/LW | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO |
| 849 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 22 | 1.55 | 4 | |
| Team: | 849 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 22 | 1.55 | 4 |
Awards and records
- Prince of Wales Trophy
- Ken Dryden and Michel Larocque, Vezina Trophy
- Ken Dryden, Goaltender, NHL First Team All-Star
- Guy Lafleur, Art Ross Trophy
- Guy Lafleur, Conn Smythe Trophy
- Guy Lafleur, Hart Memorial Trophy
- Guy Lafleur, Lou Marsh Trophy
- Guy Lafleur, right wing, NHL First Team All-Star
- Guy Lafleur, NHL leader, assists
- Guy Lafleur, NHL leader, points
- Guy Lapointe, defence, NHL Second Team All-Star
- Larry Robinson, defence, NHL First Team All-Star
- Steve Shutt, left wing, NHL First Team All-Star
- Steve Shutt, NHL leader, goals
- 132 points, NHL record for most points in a season by a team
- +216 goal differential, NHL record for highest team differential
1977 Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Champions
Draft picks
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/junior/club team |
| 1 | 12 | Peter Lee | / | Ottawa 67's |
| 1 | 13 | Rod Schutt | Sudbury Wolves | |
| 1 | 18 | Bruce Baker | Ottawa 67's | |
| 2 | 36 | Barry Melrose | Kamloops Chiefs | |
| 3 | 54 | Bill Baker | University of Minnesota | |
| 4 | 72 | Ed Clarey | Cornwall Royals | |
| 5 | 90 | Maurice Barrette | Quebec Remparts | |
| 6 | 108 | Pierre Brassard | Cornwall Royals | |
| 7 | 118 | Rich Gosselin | Flin Flon Bombers | |
| 8 | 123 | John Gregory | University of Wisconsin | |
| 9 | 125 | Bruce Horsch | Michigan Tech University | |
| 10 | 127 | John Tavella | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | |
| 11 | 129 | Mark Davidson | Flin Flon Bombers | |
| 12 | 131 | Bill Wells | Cornwall Royals | |
| 13 | 133 | Ron Wilson | St. Catharines Black Hawks |