1976–77 Chicago Black Hawks season
| 1976–77 Chicago Black Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Division | 3rd Smythe |
| Conference | 7th Campbell |
| 1976–77 record | 26–43–11 |
| Home record | 19–16–5 |
| Road record | 7–27–6 |
| Goals for | 240 |
| Goals against | 298 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Tommy Ivan |
| Coach |
Billy Reay (10–19–5) Bill White (16–24–6) |
| Captain | Stan Mikita |
| Alternate captains | None |
| Arena | Chicago Stadium |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Darcy Rota and Ivan Boldirev (24) |
| Assists | Ivan Boldirev (38) |
| Points | Ivan Boldirev (62) |
| Penalties in minutes | Phil Russell (233) |
| Plus/minus | Bobby Orr (+6) |
| Wins | Tony Esposito (25) |
| Goals against average | Tony Esposito (3.45) |
The 1976–77 Chicago Black Hawks season was the Hawks' 51st season in the NHL, and the club was coming off a 32–30–18 record in 1975–76, earning 82 points, and finishing in first place in the Smythe Division. In the playoffs, the Black Hawks were quickly swept out in four games by the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL quarter-finals.
During the off-season, the Hawks made a big free agent signing, as the club signed eight time Norris Trophy winner Bobby Orr. Orr missed the majority of the 1975–76 due to a knee injury, as he was limited to ten games in his final season with the Boston Bruins. The team also named Keith Magnuson to become a co-captain, joining Stan Mikita and Pit Martin in that role. The NHL also made a few changes, as the Kansas City Scouts were relocated to Denver, Colorado, and renamed the Colorado Rockies, while the California Seals moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and were renamed the Cleveland Barons.
The Black Hawks got off to a solid start to the season, as in the month of October, they had a 7–5–1 record, however, injuries took a toll on the team, and the Hawks fell into a slump. The Hawks went 3–14–4 in their next 21 games which cost longtime head coach Billy Reay his job. Reay had been with Chicago since 1963, and left the team with a record of 516-335-161 in his fourteen seasons with the club. He was replaced by recently retired Black Hawks defenseman Bill White, who played with the team from 1969–1975. Under White, the Hawks played better hockey, as they went 13–12–5 in his first 30 games, however, the team would go on an eight-game losing streak, and find themselves battling the Vancouver Canucks for the final playoff spot in the Smythe Division. The Hawks eventually finished the season with a 26–43–11 record, earning 63 points, and squeaked into the post-season. The 26 victories and 63 points was their fewest total since the team won 24 games and earned 55 points in 1957–58, while their 43 losses was their highest since losing 51 games in 1953–54.
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