40 years ago today, on April 29th 1986; Hartford Whaler fans’ hearts were broken by the hands, and sticks, of the Montreal Canadiens in overtime of Game Seven of their Stanley Cup Playoff series
The New England Whalers were one of the premier teams of the World Hockey Association (WHA) during the 1970’s; making the playoffs every year of the leagues brief existence; winning the WHA championship in 1973. But those days were over when the WHA folded after the 1978-79 season. The Whalers were one of the four teams (along with the Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets, and Edmonton Oilers) that merged with the rival National Hockey League (NHL), but the merger came with a stiff price for the team. First of all the Boston Bruins, who were adamantly against another team making grounds in the New England region, demanded the Whalers drop the ‘New England’ moniker in favor of ‘Hartford’. Secondly, like the other former WHA teams, with one notable exception, the Whalers were gutted of their best players in an expansion draft per terms of joining the NHL. The Hartford Whalers made the playoffs during their first year in the new league, but were easily swept in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens. The Whalers struggled in the their early seasons in the NHL never having a winning record let alone making the playoffs until the 1985-86 season. The team was slowly rebuilding in that time though; drafting future Hall-of-Famer Ron Francis, the best player to ever don a Whaler sweater, in 1981, adding support in the 1982 draft by adding goal-scorer Kevin Dineen, winger Ray Ferraro, and notorious enforcer Ulf Samuelsson, picking up Sylvain Turgeon in ‘83, and lastly signing steadfast veteran goaltender Mike Luit in 1985. Coached by Stanley Cup winner Jack Evans the Whalers entered the 1985-86 season at last looking like a legitimate dark horse to win the Stanley Cup.
The 1985-86 regular season was the best the Hartford Whalers since joining the league. The Whalers were consistent throughout the season; a scrappy thorn in the sides of the top contenders. During the season the Whalers acquired former Canadien Doug Jarvis before adding veteran brothers Dave and Wayne Babych, in separate trades, to their roster. This seamed to be the final pieces that would propel the Whalers back into Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Whalers would finish the 85-86 season with a 40-36-4 record the teams’ best in the NHL up to that point. Their record was good enough for fourth place in the Adams Division; setting up a playoff matchup with the Adams Division leaders and former WHA rivals Quebec Nordiques. The Nordiques were favored to win the Adams Division Semifinals (first round) Best-of-five matchup, but Hartford proved they were a force to be reckoned with when they took Game One at the Colisée de Québec in Quebec City 3-2 in overtime thanks to a Sylvain Turgeon goal. The win was the first playoff game the Whalers would win as an NHL team. In Game Two, still in Quebec, the Whalers were in control most of the game on the way to a 4-1 win and a 2-0 series lead. The series moved to the Hartford Civic Center for Game Three. The Whalers scored fast and often on way to a 9-4 blowout win, sweeping the Quebec Nordiques aside in three games, and setting up a Adams Division Finals (second round) match up with the Montreal Canadiens to determine which team would represent the Prince of Wales Conference (Eastern) . The storied Canadiens (Habs) far removed from the powerhouse team of they were in the 1970’s were still one of the star-studded dominant teams throughout the ‘80s. The Habs roster included 70’s dynasty holdovers Bob Gainey and Larry Robinson, goal scoring threat Mats Naslund, speedy Stephane Richer , Chris Chelios; one of the greatest US born players in NHL history, notorious goon enforcer Chris Nilan, infamous hockey villain Claude Lemieux, and in goal the up and coming superstar; rookie Patrick Roy. Montreal swept arch-rivals Boston Bruins in their Adams Division Semifinal match-up, and were predicted to easily defeat the upstart Whalers.
The seven game series began on April 17, 1986 at the Montreal Forum. Hartford came out strong and shutout the vaunted Canadiens until the third period on way to a 4-1 win. Game Two, still in Montreal, saw the Habs return to form in force en route to a dominant 3-1 win. The series shifted to the Hartford Civic Center for Game Three in which the Canadiens continued to roll in a 4-1 win and a 2-1 series lead. Game Four, in Hartford, was mostly a defensive game between the teams. The Whalers scored early in the first period and kept the lead for most of the game until the Canadiens tied the game late in the third sending the game into overtime. Kevin Dineen gave the home fans something to cheer about when he scored the game winning goal a mere 66 seconds in OT to tie the series at 2 games apiece. Back in Montreal for Game Five, the Habs jumped out to an early 3 goal lead and looked like they would run away with the game. The Whalers mounted a comeback cutting the lead to 4-3, but it was all for naught as Montreal scored an empty net goal for a 5-3 win and a 3-2 series lead. Returning to Hartford for Game Six with the Whalers facing elimination; both teams threw everything they could at their opponent’s goal, but both Luit and Roy were steadfast in the net. Midway through the second period Whalers’ center Dean Evason finally beat Patrick Roy for a 1-0 Hartford win; tying the series at 3-3 and setting up a winner-take-all Game Seven in Montreal.
The Montreal Forum was rocking on the night of April 29th 1986 for the pivotal Game Seven between the Canadiens and Whalers. Both teams came out with a tight defensive strategy; waiting for their opponents to make a mistake in which they could pounce. That moment came for the Habs with 13 seconds left in the first period. The Whalers were on a power-play, setting up in the offensive zone when Ron Francis slipped on the blue-line and lost puck. Canadien penalty killer Mike McPhee grabbed the loose puck and beat Mike Luit on the breakaway; deflecting the puck off the inside of the Whaler goalie’s pad. The Canadiens were able to hold the 1-0 lead for most of the rest of the game. Patrick Roy looked invincible while fending off any attempt Hartford made to tie the game until late in the third period. With less than 3 minutes left in the game Dave Babych, on a pass from Dean Evason, beat Roy with a slapshot from the left point; tying the game at 1-1 and sending Game Seven into sudden death overtime. Both teams had chances to win the game in overtime, but both goalies remained solid between the pipes. At 5:55 of overtime both teams were amping up the physical play. The Whalers were desperately and unsuccessfully trying to get the puck out of their defensive zone and there was a scrum behind the Whalers net. Whaler Paul MacDermid tried to put a hit on Montreal’s Claude Lemieux, but missed and fell over. Lemieux grabbed the loose puck, whipped around the net, and beat Mike Luit high on his glove side. The Hartford Whalers’ dreams of a Stanley Cup in 1986 died to the sound of the cheers of fans at the Montreal Forum. The Canadiens would beat the New York Rangers 4-1 (a team the Whalers had a winning record against during the regular season) in the next round; the Wales Conference Finals, before easily defeating the Campbell Conference (Western) champions Calgary Flames(another team the Whalers were successful against) 4-1 in the Stanley Cup Finals to win their 23rd Stanley Cup. All the Hartford Whalers and their fans could do was spend the rest of their days wondering ‘What if?”
The Hartford Whalers would, almost, recover from the deflating loss. The 1986-87 season was their best ever regular season in the NHL. They held a record of 43-30-7; finishing in first place in the Adams Division for the first and only time of their NHL existence. However come the playoffs they were knocked out by the Quebec Nordiques 4-2 in the first round (the 85-86 season was the last time the first round of the playoffs was a Best-of-Five series). They would make the playoffs a few more seasons while they remained in Hartford, but the ‘86 Adams Division Semifinal victory over the Nordiques remains the only playoff series they would ever win in their NHL lifetime.
This wouldn’t be the last time the Hartford Whalers would break their fans’ hearts, but alas dear Avocado, that is for another thread.