1971 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1971 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Chicago Black Hawks and the Montreal Canadiens. The Black Hawks made their first appearance in the Final series since the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals, the Canadiens had last played and won the series in 1969. The Canadiens won the series 4–3.

Paths to the Final
The playoff system changed this year to allow cross-over between the divisions during the playoffs. Chicago defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4–0 and the New York Rangers 4–3 to advance to the final. Montreal defeated the defending champion Boston Bruins 4–3 and the Minnesota North Stars 4–2. This set up the first "Original Six" Finals since the 1967 Final.

The Series
Brothers Frank and Peter Mahovlich starred for the Canadiens, scoring nine goals in the seven game Final series. Ken Dryden debuted for the Canadiens, while this was Jean Beliveau's final finals appearance, and he ended his career with ten championships. The next Finals to go seven games would be the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals.

Montreal wins the series 4–3.

Parade
At least 500,000 people crowded the streets of downtown Montreal to greet the Stanley Cup champions at the parade on May 20.