The 1976 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1975–76 season, and the culmination of the 1976 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers, making their third consecutive finals appearance, and the Montreal Canadiens. This was the Canadiens first appearance in the Final since their Cup win in. The Canadiens swept the series to win their 19th Stanley Cup in franchise history, denying the Flyers a three-peat. This marked the first of what is currently six consecutive losses in the Cup Final for the Flyers, as they would lose in the Final again in 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997, and 2010.

Paths to the Finals

Montreal defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 4–0 and the New York Islanders 4–1 to advance to the final. Philadelphia defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 and the Boston Bruins 4–1 to make it to the final.

Game summaries

Guy Lafleur scored the first two finals goals in his career, both game-winners. Reggie Leach scored four goals in the Finals, and nineteen times in total in the playoffs to win the Conn Smythe Trophy even though the Flyers lost the Cup to the Canadiens. He is one of the only two non-goaltenders in NHL history to be named MVP of the playoffs in an unsuccessful cause, and the third of only six as of 2024. His accomplishment followed Roger Crozier (Detroit Red Wings, in ) and Glenn Hall (St. Louis Blues, ) and preceded Ron Hextall (Philadelphia, ), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, ) and Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers, ). Reggie Leach won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Team rosters

Montreal Canadiens

Philadelphia Flyers

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1976 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Yvan Cournoyer by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Canadiens 5–3 win over the Flyers in game four. The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup 1975–76 Montreal Canadiens