1978–79 NHL season
The 1978–79 NHL season was the 62nd season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup finals four games to one for their fourth consecutive Cup; two "Original Six" teams would not meet again in the Finals for the next 34 years, when Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Finals. The Bruins faced the Canadiens in the 1979 semifinals, marking the last appearance by three Original Six teams in the final four for the next 35 years, when the Blackhawks, Canadiens and Rangers reached the semifinals of the 2014 playoffs.
| 1978–79 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 11, 1978 – May 21, 1979 |
| Number of games | 80 |
| Number of teams | 17 |
| TV partner(s) | CBC, SRC (Canada) NHL Network, CBS, ABC (United States) |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Bobby Smith |
| Picked by | Minnesota North Stars |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | New York Islanders |
| Season MVP | Bryan Trottier (Islanders) |
| Top scorer | Bryan Trottier (Islanders) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Bob Gainey (Canadiens) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Montreal Canadiens |
| Runners-up | New York Rangers |
The Cleveland Barons merged with the Minnesota North Stars (continuing as the North Stars), reducing the NHL membership to 17 teams, the last time that a team in the "big four" major professional sports league contracted.