The NHL Belt · reign 1,114
Montréal Canadiens
Took the belt from Detroit Red Wings, 4–2, on April 28, 1966. Lost it to Chicago Black Hawks, 5–3, on October 26, 1966.
5Defenses
181Days
208thReign for the franchise
+1Closest call · Oct 23, 1966
1.8Average winning margin
57thLongest of 3,434 reigns, by days
176thMost defenses of 3,434 reigns
Defended against
Red Wings ×3Bruins ×2
The seasons
- 1965–66: Montréal Canadiens finished 41–21–8, 1st of 6 by record; they won the Stanley Cup while holding the belt; 4 belt games of this reign; the belt changed hands 20 times that season.
- 1966–67: Montréal Canadiens finished 32–25–13, 2nd of 6 by record; Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup; 3 belt games of this reign; the belt changed hands 24 times that season.
Reign leaders
Most points for Montréal Canadiens across the 7 belt games of this reign with a box score.
| Player | PTS | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J.C. Tremblay | 7 | 7 |
| 2 | Ralph Backstrom | 6 | 7 |
| 3 | Bobby Rousseau | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | Jean Beliveau | 5 | 7 |
| 5 | Henri Richard | 5 | 7 |
Every game of the reign
margins from Montréal Canadiens’ side| Belt game | Date | Result | Margin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,858 | Apr 28, 1966 | Montréal Canadiens beat Detroit Red Wings 4–2 Playoffs Game → | +2 | Title change |
| 2,859 | May 1, 1966 | Montréal Canadiens beat Detroit Red Wings 2–1 Playoffs | +1 | Defense |
| 2,860 | May 3, 1966 | Montréal Canadiens beat Detroit Red Wings 5–1 Playoffs | +4 | Defense |
| 2,861 | May 5, 1966 | Montréal Canadiens beat Detroit Red Wings 3–2 (OT) Playoffs | +1 OT | Defense |
| 2,862 | Oct 22, 1966 | Montréal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins 3–1 | +2 | Defense |
| 2,863 | Oct 23, 1966 | Montréal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins 3–2 | +1 | Defense |
| 2,864 | Oct 26, 1966 | Chicago Black Hawks beat Montréal Canadiens 5–3 Game → | −2 | Title change |