Canadiens-Islanders: A rivalry 50 years in the making

MONTREAL - The New York Islanders celebrated their 50-year anniversary in the NHL in October, thus marking 50 years of the Canadiens and Islanders storied rivalry.

Where it all began
The New York Islanders made their debut in the NHL in the fall of 1972. Under the direction of head coach Phil Goyette - who was replaced mid-season by Earl Ingarfield - the team finished the 1972-73 season with a 12-60-6 record.
The first meeting between the Canadiens and the Islanders was played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, NY, on October 24, 1972. The Habs defeated the league's newcomers 4-3, and went on to win each of the remaining four contests between the Isles and Canadiens that season.
It wasn't until the following season that New York knocked off Montreal for the first time. On February 19, 1974, the Islanders earned a 5-3 win over their newfound rivals, much to the delight of the New York faithful inside Nassau Coliseum.
First playoff matchups
In 1976, the Islanders and Canadiens met for the first time in the postseason during the semi-final of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Montreal prevailed, winning the series 4-1 over the New Yorkers. Nonetheless, the Islanders managed to hand Yvan Cournoyer and the Canadiens their only loss of the 1976 playoffs. Neither the Blackhawks, nor the Flyers saw a glimpse of daylight against the Canadiens who swept both series en route to the first of their four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979.
Montreal and New York renewed their rivalry the ensuing year, but the result was nearly identical. The Canadiens continued their dominance of the Isles, winning the series 4-2 this time around. Again, the Islanders were the only team to taste victory against the Canadiens, who swept the Blues in the first round that year, and then followed suit against the Bruins in the final round to defend their Stanley Cup title.
Two teams, eight Stanley Cups
After the Canadiens dominated not only the Islanders, but the entire league over four consecutive seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979, it was the Islanders turn to take the reins. A foundation of talented youth, including Montreal native Mike Bossy, powered the Isles to four straight Stanley Cups, knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983, respectively.
The Islanders punched their ticket to a fifth straight Stanley Cup final in the 1983-83 season, but failed to get past Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers this time around.
That season, New York and Montreal clashed three times in the regular season. The Islanders swept the season-series, scoring no less than seven goals in each of the three meetings. Final score lines read 7-4, 7-3 and 7-0 in favor of the Isles.
To this day, the Islanders and Canadiens stand as the only teams in NHL history to have won four consecutive Stanley Cups. The Canadiens' five Stanley Cups from 1956 to 1960, inclusively, stands as the record for most consecutive championships in the history of the league.
A Montrealer in Long Island
Mike Bossy was born January 22, 1957 in Montreal. After five seasons with the Laval National in the QMJHL, from 1972-73 to 1976-77, Bossy made the jump to professional ranks where he debuted with the Islanders. New York selected the forward in the first-round (15th overall) of the 1977 NHL Draft which was held in, you guessed it, Montreal!
Bossy, who established his stature on the right wing, played 10 seasons in the NHL, all on Long Island. At the end of the 1986-87 campaign, Bossy closed the curtains on a career decorated in honors: four Stanley Cups, Calder Trophy (1978), Conn Smythe Trophy (1982), three Lady Byng trophies (1983, 1984, 1986), and seven All-Star selections.

In 1991, Bossy was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame and on March 3, 1992, his no. 22 was retired by the Islanders organization.
Alongside none other than Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin, the Montrealer holds a share of the record for most 50-goal seasons all-time, having reached the milestone on nine separate occasions.
Today, Bossy continues to hold the franchise record for most goals scored (573), most goals scored in a single season (69), and most points in a single season (147) by an Islanders player.

The rivalry in numbers
50 (and a half) years later, here are some marquee numbers from the Islanders-Canadiens rivalry:
5 arenas
Over the years, the franchises have faced each other in five different buildings. The Molson Forum hosted Canadiens home games from 1926-1996, at which point the Molson Centre - now known as the Bell Centre - assumed the duties of welcoming visiting teams to town.
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum was the home of the Islanders from 1972-2015. After an abbreviated stay at Barclays Center for three seasons between 2015 and 2018, the Islanders' arena plans shifted again. During the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, the Isles alternated between Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum, before returning to their initial home building for the farewell tour in 2020-21. At last, in November 2021, New York rediscovered a permanent home arena when UBS Arena opened its doors to the team for the 2021-2022 season and onward.
197 games
Up until now, the Canadiens and Islanders have faced each other 197 times, regular season and playoffs included. Of those 197 meetings, 109 were won by the Canadiens, 73 by the Islanders and 15 ended in a draw.
1169 goals
Thus far, the two teams have combined for 1169 goals in their 197 games played. Of that total, 625 belong to Montreal and 544 have gone the way of New York.
4 playoff series
The Canadiens and Islanders have met four times in the playoffs. The Habs were victorious in each of the first two semi-final matchups in 1976 and 1977. New York returned the favor in 1984, defeating Montreal in the conference finals, but the Canadiens won their most recent series in 1993.

19 transactions
Arguably the most significant transaction between the two teams was the trade involving Rouyn-Noranda native Pierre Tourgeon, on April 5, 1995. On that day, Canadiens' general manager Serge Savard sent Craig Dirby, Kirk Muller and Mathieu Schneider to New York in exchange for Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov. In seven seasons with the Canadiens and Islanders, Turgeon recorded 467 points.
The most recent trade dates back to July 2022, when the Islanders acquired Alexander Romanov and a fourth-round pick (98th overall) from the Canadiens in exchange for the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.