1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1977–78 Pittsburgh Penguins season was their 11th in the National Hockey League. They finished fourth in the Norris Division, thus did not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. This was their worst regular season since 1974, with only 68 points, and the first time since 1974 that the Penguins did not qualify for the playoffs.
Off-season
In the off-season head coach Ken Schinkel was replaced by former Kings, Red Wings and Rockies head coach Johnny Wilson. Veterans Vic Hadfield and Ed Van Impe retired. Defensive forward J. Bob Kelly's contract ended and he took his services to Chicago, while Captain Ron Schock was traded to the Sabres.Regular season
In an attempt to replace Kelly general manager Baz Bastien acquired former Flyer enforcer Dave Schultz early in the season, but the price was high: Syl Apps, Jr., one of the team's all-time leading scorers. Schultz was traded the following season.Frustrated with the performance of talented winger Pierre Larouche, Bastien dealt the 22-year-old to the Montreal Canadiens for veteran Pete Mahovlich and prospect Peter Lee on November 29, 1977. Larouche would go on to win two Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens, while Mahovlich was traded to the Red Wings less than two years later. Lee would fail to live up to his promise, scoring an average of only 0.57 points per game over the course of six seasons with the Penguins.
The high roster turnover, particularly from three of the previous season's top five scorers, contributed to the Penguins missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
Division standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
The Penguins failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 1973–74 season, ending their three season playoff streak.Player statistics
;Skaters;Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
Awards and records
- Ron Stackhouse became the first defenseman to score 200 points for the Penguins. He did so in a 7–4 win over Chicago on November 12th.
- Jean Pronovost became the first person to play 700 games for the Penguins. He did so in a 3–5 loss to Los Angeles on December 8th.
- Jean Pronovost became the first player to score 300 goals for the Penguins. He did so in a 3–1 win over New York on January 22nd.
- Jean Pronovost became the first player to score 600 points for the Penguins. He did so in a 6–3 win over Toronto on April 2nd.
- Jean Pronovost established a career franchise record for games, goals and points. He had led in goals since 1972 and games and points since 1973.
- Syl Apps, Jr. established a career franchise record for assists. He had led the category since 1972.
- Dave Schultz established a franchise record for penalty minutes in a season with 378. He was also the first to record 300 PIMs in a season, beating the previous high of 212 held by Bryan Watson.
Transactions
Trades
| September 20, 1977 | To Buffalo Sabres ---- Ron Schock | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Brian Spencer |
| October 1, 1977 | To Washington Capitals ---- rights to Don Awrey | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Bob Paradise |
| October 16, 1977 | To Washington Capitals ---- 1979 1st round pick | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Hartland Monahan |
| November 2, 1977 | To Los Angeles Kings ---- Syl Apps Jr. Hartland Monahan | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Gene Carr Dave Schultz 1978 4th round pick |
| November 29, 1977 | To Montreal Canadiens ---- Pierre Larouche future considerations | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Peter Lee Pete Mahovlich |
| December 2, 1977 | To Colorado Rockies ---- Dennis Owchar | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Tom Edur |
| June 13, 1978 | To Toronto Maple Leafs ---- Dave Burrows 1978 6th round pick | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Randy Carlyle George Ferguson |
Additions and subtractions
Roster
Draft picks
The 1977 NHL amateur draft was held in Montreal, Quebec.| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 2 | 30 | James Hamilton | Right Wing | Canada | London Knights |
| 3 | 48 | Kim Davis | Center | Canada | Flin Flon Bombers |
| 4 | 66 | Mark Johnson | Center | United States | U. of Wisconsin |
| 6 | 102 | Gregory Millen | Goaltender | Canada | Peterborough Petes |