Not a single Canadian team in the playoffs.

[flowerpower]

Did it happen before? Yes it did in the 1969-70 season. The Habs and the Leafs finished 5th and 6th in the Eastern Conference and there was no Canadian team in the Western Conference. Claude Ruel was the Habs' head coach and in their last game of the regular season against the Chicago Black Hawks strange things happened as reported in the Wikipedia.

"April 5, 1970 – The Montreal Canadiens were in a desperate race to qualify for the NHL playoffs. The Canadiens hosted the Chicago Blackhawks. With 9 minutes and 30 seconds left in the third period, Montreal was down by a score of 5–2. Montreal’s only hope of qualifying for the playoffs was to score three more goals. Canadiens coach Claude Ruel removed his goalie, Rogatien Vachon from the net. Vachon would return to the net only for faceoffs. Chicago would score five empty net goals and win the game by a score of 10–2. Montreal would miss the playoffs for the first time in 22 years."

Curiously enough, the Habs had won the Stanley Cup the previou year and they won it again the following season.

[Disgruntled70sHab]

Good to see you checking in, FP ... wondered where you were from time to time ... I remember the time you're talking about ... it didn't have the same impact with me back then as it does this time around ... back then, I was all about putting Bobby Orr cards in the spokes of my bike because he played with the Bruins ... nowadays I'll buy the odd card, but only if it's a deal and I can't substantiate paying full price to see a game, anywhere ... I just can't pay to see a team go through the motions when it feels like it ... anyway, great seeing you on the boards, FP ... your voice has been absent too long ...

Cheers.

[CentreHice]

An interesting note as to why the Habs needed 5 goals in that game (Sunday, April 5, 1970) to make the playoffs.

The Red Wings and the Rangers had a home-and-home back-to-backer to end the season.

Detroit won at home on Saturday, 6-2, and clinched a playoff spot, ending a 3-year absence. They partied.

The next day in New York, the Rangers pumped in 9 goals and won 9-5….moving into a tie with the Habs, same number of Ws and Ts…scoring 4 more goals (which was the first tie breaker, I believe. I don't think the head-to-head record was used).


All the Habs needed was a tie in Chicago. But, seeing as a loss was imminent, Ruel had no choice but to score 3 more goals.

A rare time that the Habs didn't come up big vs. the Blackhawks….oh well, we got our revenge the next year in the Finals….and again in 1973.

[blny]

They sure didn't take advantage that year in the draft.