1977–78 NHL season

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.

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.

Regular season

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"

Prince of Wales Conference

"Montreal wins the series 4–2."

"Larry Robinson won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP."

NHL awards

All-Star teams

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

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."

See also

* List of Stanley Cup champions
* 1977 NHL Amateur Draft
* 31st National Hockey League All-Star Game
* National Hockey League All-Star Game
* 1977–78 WHA season
* 1977 in sports
* 1978 in sports

References

* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/nhl1927.html Hockey Database]
* [http://nhl.com/ NHL.com]