The 1976 Memorial Cup occurred from May 9 to 16 at the

Montreal Forum Montreal Forum (french: Le Forum de Montréal) is a historic building located facing Cabot Square in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by ''Sporting News'', it was an indoor arena which served as the h ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. It was the 58th annual

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...

competition and determined the

major junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

champion of the

Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; french: Ligue canadienne de hockey ‒ LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey L ...

(CHL). Participating teams were the winners of the

Ontario Major Junior Hockey League In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two more levels, Tier I (Major Junior A) and Tier II (Minor Junior A). In 1974, the "Major Junior A" division of the OHA became the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) and began to operate indepe ...

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...

and

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...

which were the

Hamilton Fincups The Hamilton Fincups were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for 4 years, from 1974 to 1978. The team played in Hamilton, Ontario for three years, and in St. Catharines, Ontario for one. The Hamilton Fin ...

Quebec Remparts There have been two junior ice hockey franchises known as the Quebec Remparts (french: Remparts de Québec) that played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The first edition played from 1969 to 1985; the current franchise has pla ...

and

New Westminster Bruins The New Westminster Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name: * 1971–1981 (formerly the Estevan Bruins, now the Kamloops Blazers) * 1983–1988 (formerly the Nan ...

. Hamilton won their second Memorial Cup, and first since changing their name to Fincups, defeating New Westminster in the final game.

Teams

Hamilton Fincups

The

represented the

at the 1976 Memorial Cup. The Fincups finished the 1975-76 season as the top team in the West Division, as they had a record of 43-15-8, earning 94 points. The Fincups had a high-scoring offense, scoring 378 goals, which ranked second in the league. Hamilton's 232 goals against ranked as the second fewest in the OMJHL. In the West Division semi-finals, the Fincups swept the

Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...

in four games. In the West Division finals, Hamilton defeated the defending OMJHL champions, the

Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros ...

four games to zero, as well as the teams playing to a tie. The Fincups faced the top team in the league, the

Sudbury Wolves The Sudbury Wolves are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) ice hockey team based in Greater Sudbury, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Sudbury has had various hockey teams competing at the Junior ice hockey, junior and senior ice hockey levels of the game k ...

, in the final round. Hamilton defeated the Wolves four games to two to capture the

J. Ross Robertson Cup The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...

and a berth into the 1976 Memorial Cup. The Fincups offense was led by

Dale McCourt Dale Allen McCourt, (born January 26, 1957), is a former professional ice hockey forward. He was drafted first overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1977 NHL amateur draft. Junior hockey McCourt played major junior in the Ontario Hockey Assoc ...

, who became a top prospect for the 1977 NHL Entry Draft during this season. McCourt scored 55 goals and 139 points in 66 games to lead the Fincups in scoring, and finished in fourth place in the league scoring race. McCourt followed up by scoring 20 goals and 28 points in 14 post-season games. McCourt was awarded the

William Hanley Trophy The William Hanley Trophy is awarded annually by Ontario Hockey League to the most sportsmanlike player. It is named for Bill Hanley, a former secretary-manager of the Ontario Hockey Association who served in that capacity for twenty-five years. T ...

, given to the Most Sportsmanlike Player in the league. Overager Ted Long scored 27 goals and 91 points in 62 games, while

Ric Seiling Richard James Seiling (born December 15, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He spent the majority of his 738-game National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Buffalo Sabres, but also played one season for the Detroit Red ...

was another emerging top prospect for the 1977 NHL Entry Draft, scoring 35 goals and 86 points in 59 games. Joe Contini scored 28 goals and 80 points in 54 games, and then led the Fincups in post-season scoring with nine goals and 29 points in 14 games. Goaltender Mark Locken was the Fincups starter, as he earned a 3.14 GAA in 44 games during the regular season. Locken was awarded the F.W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy for having the lowest goals against average by a first year goaltender in the OMJHL. The 1976 Memorial Cup was the first since the franchise was renamed the Fincups in 1974. The

Hamilton Red Wings The Hamilton Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1974. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum. History The Hamilton Tiger Cubs we ...

won the

1962 Memorial Cup The 1962 Memorial Cup final was the 44th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Hamilton Red Wings of the Ontario Hockey League, Ontario Hockey Association in E ...

when they defeated the

Edmonton Oil Kings The Edmonton Oil Kings are a major junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, that play in the Western Hockey League. As of July 2008, they are owned by Daryl Katz's Oilers Entertainment Group, which also owns the Edmonton Oilers. ...

in their only Memorial Cup appearance.

New Westminster Bruins

The

coached by Punch McLean, represented the

Western Canada Hockey League The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926. The WCHL's Victoria C ...

at the 1976 Memorial Cup. This was the Bruins second consecutive appearance at the tournament. New Westminster was the best regular season team in the WCHL during the 1975-76 season, earning a record of 54-14-4, registering 112 points. The Bruins were the highest scoring team in the league, recording 463 goals, while they allowed the fewest goals in the WCHL, allowing 247 goals. In the WCHL quarter-finals, the Bruins swept the

Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...

five games to zero. In the WCHL semi-finals, the Bruins remained undefeated, as they beat the

Victoria Cougars The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...

with four wins and a tie in their five game series. New Westminster defeated the

Saskatoon Blades The Saskatoon Blades are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League, formerly the Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL). They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195-seat SaskTe ...

four games to two, with a tie, to capture the

President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...

for the second straight season, earning a berth in the 1976 Memorial Cup.

Fred Berry Fred Allen Berry (March 19, 1951 – October 21, 2003) was an American actor and street dancer. He was best known for his role as Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs on the 1970s television show ''What's Happening!!'' Career Berry was born on March 19, 1951 ...

led the Bruins in scoring, as he scored 59 goals and 146 points in 72 games. He ranked fifth in overall league scoring.

Rick Shinske Richard Charles Shinske (May 31, 1955 – October 23, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 63 games in the National Hockey League for the Cleveland Barons and St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professiona ...

ranked fifth in league scoring, as he had 52 goals and 143 points in 70 games. Shinske led the club in post-season scoring with seven goals and 30 points in 17 games. Steve Clippingdale scored 51 goals and 117 points in 72 games to rank third in team scoring. In the post-season, Clippingdale scored a team high 15 goals and had 29 points in 17 games. Mark Lofthouse scored a team high 68 goals during the regular season, while adding 48 assists for 116 points in 72 games. On defense,

Barry Beck Barry David Beck (born June 3, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and currently the head coach of the Hong Kong national team. Beck was selected second overall in both the 1977 NHL amateur draft and the 1977 WHA Amateur ...

emerged as a force, as he scored 19 goals and 99 points in 68 games, while accumulating 325 penalty minutes. Beck was recognized as one of the top prospects for the 1977 NHL Entry Draft. Fellow defenseman Brad Maxwell also scored 19 goals and 99 points in 72 games played as he also emerged as a top pick for the 1977 NHL Entry Draft. Clayton Pachal scored 41 goals and 98 points in 65 games, as the Bruins had seven players with 98 or more points during the season. In goal, Carey Walker had the majority of playing time, earning a record of 28-6-2 with a 3.21 GAA and .900 save percentage in 38 games. Walker was named as the Top Goaltender in the league. Bruins head coach Punch McLean was named

Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...

. The 1976 Memorial Cup was the second berth in Bruins franchise history. New Westminster lost to the

7-3 in the final game of the

1975 Memorial Cup The 1975 Memorial Cup took place May 3–11 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex in Kitchener, Ontario. It was the 57th annual Memorial Cup competition, organized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to determine the cham ...

Quebec Remparts

The

represented the

at the 1976 Memorial Cup. The Remparts had the best record in the East Division during the 1975-76 with a record of 39-25-8, earning 86 points. Quebec scored 336 goals, ranking them fifth in the ten team league, while the Remparts allowed the third fewest goals against at 288. In the QMJHL quarter-finals, the Remparts defeated the

Sorel Éperviers The Sorel Éperviers (Black Hawks) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, ...

four games to one. In the QMJHL semi-finals, Quebec swept the

Cornwall Royals The Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. This team shared its name with o ...

in four games, advancing to the

. In the final round, the Remparts defeated the defending champions, the

Sherbrooke Castors The Sherbrooke Castors or Beavers (in English) was the name of two different junior ice hockey teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and another team in the Quebec Eastern Provincial Hockey League. Both later franchises played at the Pal ...

four games to two to clinch the championship and a berth into the 1976 Memorial Cup. The Remparts leading scorer was Denis Turcotte, who scored 54 goals and 113 points in 72 games. Turcotte also led the Remparts in post-season scoring with nine goals and 26 points in 15 games.

Eddy Godin Joseph Eddy Alain Godin (born March 29, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. As a youth, he played in the 1968, 1969 and 1970 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Donnacona. Sele ...

scored 38 goals and 100 points in 72 games as the club had two players with at least 100 points. Defenseman Jean Gagnon scored 21 goals and 73 points in 66 games to rank third in team scoring. Gagnon was awarded the

Emile Bouchard Trophy The Émile Bouchard Trophy is awarded annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, to the "Defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing te ...

, awarded to the Top Defenseman in the league. In goal,

Maurice Barrette Maurice Barrette (February 17, 1956 – September 30, 2018) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the AHL and the Springfield Indians. Barrette was drafted i ...

appeared in 58 games, earning a record of 34-19-4 with a 3.81 GAA and a .870 save percentage. The 1976 Memorial Cup was the Remparts fourth appearance in club history. Quebec won the 1971 Memorial Cup when they defeated the

. The club then lost in the final game at the 1973 Memorial Cup to the

, and then once again lost in the final game at the 1974 Memorial Cup against the

Regina Pats Regina (Latin for "queen") may refer to: Places Canada * Regina, Saskatchewan, the capital city of the province ** Regina (electoral district) ** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina France * Régina, French Guiana, a commune United States * R ...

Round-robin standings

Scores

Round-robin *May 9 Quebec 4–3 Hamilton *May 10 New Westminster 4–2 Quebec *May 12 Hamilton 8–4 New Westminster Semi-Final *May 14 New Westminster 10–3 Quebec Final *May 16 Hamilton 5–2 New Westminster

Winning roster

Joe Contini,

Mike Fedorko Mike Fedorko (born September 13, 1956, in Hamilton, Ontario) is a former professional ice hockey player who played four games with the Houston Aeros (WHA), Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association in 1977. Previously, he played three seasons ...

, Steve Hazlett, Cal Herd, Denis Houle,

Willie Huber Wilhelm Heinrich "Willie" Huber (January 15, 1958 – June 28, 2010) was a professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Phila ...

Al Jensen Allan Raymond Jensen (born November 27, 1958) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. Selected 31st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft, Jensen only played one game for the Red Wings before he was traded to the Wash ...

, Mike Keating, Archie King,

Joe Kowal Joseph Douglas Kowal (born February 3, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing who played 22 games in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres between 1976 and 1978. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1976 to ...

, Mark Locken, Ted Long,

, Bob Mierkalns, Mark Perras,

Bill Reilly William Francis Reilly (June 8, 1938 – October 17, 2008) was an American publishing and media executive who was the founder and former chairman of Primedia. During Reilly's time at the helm of Primedia, the firm built a collection of more tha ...

, Ron Roscoe,

Al Secord Alan William Secord (born March 3, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing who played in the National Hockey League for twelve seasons from 1978–79 until 1989–90. He's now a captain for American Airlines, flying Boein ...

, Danny Shearer, Ed Smith,

Rob Street Robert Nicholas Street (born 26 September 2001) is an English professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), striker for Cheltenham Town F.C., Cheltenham Town. Street began his career with Crystal P ...

, Sean Sullivan. Coach:

Bert Templeton Robert "Bert" Templeton (May 11, 1940 – December 5, 2003) was a junior ice hockey coach. He worked primarily in the Ontario Hockey League from 1974 to 2003. Templeton compiled a career coaching record of 907-678-148 with major junior teams in ...

Award winners

Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League (CHL) trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup Tournament. The trophy was first awarded in 1972 and won by Richard Brodeur of the QMJHL's Cornwall Royals. ...

(MVP):

, Hamilton *

George Parsons Trophy The George Parsons Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged to be the most sportsmanlike at the Memorial Cup tournament. It was first awarded in 1974. The trophy is named for George Parsons, a former Ontario Hockey Association player who ...

(Sportsmanship): Richard Shinske, New Westminster *

Hap Emms Memorial Trophy The Hap Emms Memorial Trophy is awarded to the outstanding goaltender at the Memorial Cup of the Canadian Hockey League. The award is named after Leighton "Hap" Emms, a former NHL player, who had a 33 year presence in the Ontario Hockey Associ ...

(Goaltender):

, Quebec All-star team *Goal:

, Quebec *Defence: Jean Gagnon, Quebec;

, New Westminster *Centre:

, Hamilton *Left wing:

, Hamilton *Right wing:

Harold Phillipoff Harold Michael Phillipoff (born February 14, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He was drafted in the first round, 10th overall, by the Atlanta Flames in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. He played in 141 games in the Nati ...

, New Westminster

References

External links

Memorial Cup

Canadian Hockey League
{{DEFAULTSORT:Memorial Cup 1976 1975–76 in Canadian ice hockey Memorial Cup tournaments Memorial Cup tournaments hosted in Montreal