Which NHL team recorded the first 60-win season in league history?

The Montreal Canadiens recorded the first 60-win season in NHL history in 1976–77.

Montreal finished the regular season with 60 wins, 8 losses, and 12 ties for 132 points. The Canadiens were led by head coach Scotty Bowman and a deep roster that included Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden, and captain Yvan Cournoyer.

The team’s regular-season dominance continued into the playoffs. Montreal lost only two games while winning the Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins in the Final. The 1976–77 Canadiens are widely regarded as one of the strongest teams in NHL history.

A 60-win season is not the same as the league record for points or winning percentage. Later clubs exceeded Montreal’s point total under different standings systems, and the NHL eventually introduced the shootout. Those changes make direct comparisons across eras more complicated.