The 1996–97 NHL season was the
80th regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
. The
Stanley Cup winners were the
Detroit Red Wings, who swept the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
in four games and won the
Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years.
The regular season saw a decline in scoring and rise in the number of shutouts to an all-time record of 127. This trend continued into the playoffs, during which an all-time record of 18 shutouts were recorded. Only two players,
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006, and he assumed ownership of the f ...
and
Teemu Selanne, reached the 100-point plateau during the regular season
(compared with 12 who reached the plateau in 1995–96). Many factors, including fewer power plays, more calls of the skate-in-the-crease rule, fewer shots on goal and more injuries to star players than the season before, contributed to the reduction in scoring and skyrocketing in shutouts.
This was the first time in 30 years—and in the entire expansion era—that the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
had a losing record and missed the playoffs, ending a still-unsurpassed North American professional sports streak of 29-straight seasons in the playoffs.
League business
This was the first season for the
Phoenix Coyotes, who had relocated from
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
and had previously been known as the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
. They would remain in the Central Division.
On March 26, 1997, the
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
announced that they would move from
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
following the 1996–97 season. On May 5, they announced that starting in the
1997–98 NHL season, they would be known as the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
.
The 1996–97 season marked the retirement of
Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish (born August 15, 1958) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player, currently in an assistant coaching position with the St. Louis Blues. He played centre for 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with th ...
, the last active NHL player who played without a protective
helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
. MacTavish had been
grandfathered
A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy, grandfathering, or grandfathered in, is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases. Those exempt from t ...
under the old rule requiring them to be worn because he had signed a pro contract before the rule was established on June 1,
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
. The first player to ever wear a helmet was
George Owen in the
1928–29 season.
Regular season
The
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
recorded the League's worst record, missing the playoffs for the first time in 30 seasons and ending the longest consecutive playoff streak ever recorded in the history of North American professional sports.
On November 16, 1996, the eight-sided scoreboard at the
Marine Midland Arena
KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ...
in
Buffalo crashed to the ice during a maintenance check. The accident occurred only 90 minutes after the visiting Boston Bruins players had conducted their morning practice. No-one was injured, but the game between the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
and the Bruins was postponed.
Final standings
;Eastern Conference
;Western Conference
''Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points''
Playoffs
Bracket
Awards
The NHL Awards presentation took place on June 19, 1997.
All-Star teams
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
''Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points''
Leading goaltenders
Regular season
Coaches
Eastern Conference
*Boston Bruins:
Steve Kasper
Stephen Neil Kasper (born September 28, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Light ...
*Buffalo Sabres:
Ted Nolan
*Florida Panthers:
Doug MacLean
James Douglas MacLean (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian sportscaster working for Rogers Media's Sportsnet and former ice hockey coach and general manager. He is the former president/general manager and head coach of the National Hockey League ...
*Hartford Whalers:
Paul Maurice
*Montreal Canadiens:
Mario Tremblay
Joseph Daniel Mario Tremblay (born September 2, 1956) is a former professional ice hockey player and former coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). As a player, he was a five-time Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens.
He was honou ...
*New Jersey Devils:
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire (born September 7, 1945) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward and head coach who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. He spent his entire twelve-year National Hockey League (NHL) playing career with the Mo ...
*New York Islanders:
Mike Milbury
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
*New York Rangers:
Colin Campbell Colin may refer to:
* Colin (given name)
* Colin (surname)
* ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie
* Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse
* Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney, ...
*Ottawa Senators:
Jacques Martin
*Philadelphia Flyers:
Terry Murray
*Pittsburgh Penguins:
Eddie Johnston
Edward Joseph Johnston (born November 24, 1935) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and former coach and general manager in the National Hockey League. His professional career spanned fifty-three years (twenty-two as a player ...
and
Craig Patrick
Craig Patrick (born May 20, 1946) is an American former hockey player, coach and general manager, the son of Lynn Patrick and the grandson of Lester Patrick. During the 1980 Winter Olympics, Patrick was the Assistant General Manager and Assist ...
*Tampa Bay Lightning:
Terry Crisp
Terrance Arthur Crisp (born May 28, 1943) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and player. Crisp played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers be ...
*Washington Capitals:
Jim Schoenfeld
Western Conference
*Mighty Ducks of Anaheim:
Ron Wilson
*Calgary Flames:
Pierre Page
*Chicago Blackhawks:
Craig Hartsburg
Craig William Hartsburg (born June 29, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and head coach, who currently serves as an amateur scout and defense development coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ( ...
*Colorado Avalanche:
Marc Crawford
Marc Joseph John Crawford (born February 13, 1961) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He most recently was the assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Crawford won the Stanley Cu ...
*Dallas Stars:
Ken Hitchcock
*Detroit Red Wings:
Scotty Bowman
William Scott Bowman, OC (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs and ...
*Edmonton Oilers:
Ron Low
Ronald Albert Low (born June 21, 1950) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender and coach. He played in the National Hockey League with six teams between 1972 and 1985. After retiring he became a coach and was head coach of Edmonton Oilers fro ...
*Los Angeles Kings:
Larry Robinson
Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2, 1951) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach, executive and player. His coaching career includes head coaching positions with the New Jersey Devils (which he held on two occasions), as well as the Los Angeles Ki ...
*Phoenix Coyotes:
Don Hay
*San Jose Sharks:
Al Sims and
Darryl Sutter
Darryl John Sutter (born August 19, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL ( Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, and ...
*St. Louis Blues:
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan (born October 21, 1949) is a Canadian professional hockey coach who most recently coached the Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League. Previously, he served as head coach and/or general manager with several NHL team ...
,
Jim Roberts (interim) and
Joel Quenneville
Joel Norman Quenneville (born September 15, 1958) is a Canadian–American ice hockey coach and former player in the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Coach Q", he is second in NHL coaching wins at 969 behind Scotty Bowman. Quenneville ac ...
*Toronto Maple Leafs:
Mike Murphy
Michael James Murphy (born 20 October 1941) is an Irish broadcaster, actor and property developer. He is best known for his long broadcasting career with RTÉ, presenting many TV shows such as ''The Live Mike'', '' Winning Streak'' and '' The Bi ...
*Vancouver Canucks:
Tom Renney
Thomas Renney (born March 1, 1955) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and executive. He served as the chief executive officer of Hockey Canada from 2014 to 2022, and was previously an associate coach with the National Hockey League's Detroit ...
Milestones
Debuts
The following is a list of
players of note who played their first NHL game in 1996–97 (listed with their first team, asterisk (*) marks debut in playoffs):
*
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson (born October 12, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and former goaltending coach of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently the Goaltending Coach and Director of Pla ...
, Calgary Flames
*
Roman Turek, Dallas Stars
*
Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit Red Wings
*
Mike Knuble
Michael Rudolph Knuble ( , lv, Maikls Rūdolfs Knuble; born July 4, 1972) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his 16 NHL seasons, he played for the Detro ...
, Detroit Red Wings
*
Mike Grier, Edmonton Oilers
*
Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Hartford Whalers
*
Tomas Vokoun Tomas may refer to:
People
* Tomás (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic given name
* Tomas (given name), a Swedish, Dutch, and Lithuanian given name
* Tomáš, a Czech and Slovak given name
* Tomas (surname), a French and Croatian surna ...
, Montreal Canadiens
*
Bryan Berard
Bryan Wallace Berard (born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Berard was the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He is most noted for a debilitating eye injury he received e ...
, New York Islanders
*
Todd Bertuzzi
Todd Bertuzzi (born February 2, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), winger of the National Hockey League (NHL). Known as a power forward (ice hockey), power forward, he has played in the NHL for the New York ...
, New York Islanders
*
Wade Redden
Wade Redden (born June 12, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and a development coach of the Ottawa Senators, with whom he spent the majority of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also played for the New Yo ...
, Ottawa Senators
*
Vaclav Prospal, Philadelphia Flyers
*
Dainius Zubrus
Dainius Gintas Zubrus (born June 16, 1978) is a Lithuanian former professional ice hockey right winger and centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL), the first Lithuanian to have played 1,000 games in the NHL. Drafted 15th overall in ...
, Philadelphia Flyers
*
Patrick Lalime, Pittsburgh Penguins
Last games
The following is a list of
players of note who played their last game in the NHL in 1996–97 (listed with their last team):
*
Charlie Huddy, Buffalo Sabres
*
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard (born February 4, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2017 Savard was named one of ...
, Chicago Blackhawks
*
Sergei Makarov, Dallas Stars
*
Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten (born November 29, 1959) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A member of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid in 1980, Broten was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in ...
, Dallas Stars
*
Mike Ramsey, Detroit Red Wings
*
Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov (russian: Владимир Николаевич Константинов; born March 19, 1967) is a Russian-American former professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) caree ...
, Detroit Red Wings
*
Dale Hawerchuk
Dale Martin Hawerchuk (April 4, 1963 – August 18, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Drafted first overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Hawerchuk played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for ...
, Philadelphia Flyers
*
Brad McCrimmon
Byron Brad McCrimmon (March 29, 1959 – September 7, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played over 1,200 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, ...
, Phoenix Coyotes
*
Joe Mullen
Joseph Patrick Mullen (born February 26, 1957) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins betwee ...
, Pittsburgh Penguins
*
Tim Hunter, San Jose Sharks
*
Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish (born August 15, 1958) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player, currently in an assistant coaching position with the St. Louis Blues. He played centre for 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with th ...
, St. Louis Blues (the last helmetless player)
*
Jay Wells, Tampa Bay Lightning
*
Don Beaupre
Donald William Beaupre (born September 19, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 17 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, and Toro ...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
*
Dave McLlwain
David Allan McLlwain (born June 9, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. McLlwain is best known for playing for a record four National Hockey League (NHL) teams (the Winnipeg Jets, the New York Islanders, the Buffalo Sabres, ...
, New York Islanders
*
Gary Leeman
Gary Spencer Leeman (born February 19, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the NHL. In 1990, he became the second Toronto Maple Leaf player ever to score 50 goals or more in a single NHL season, after Rick Vaive did it in ...
, St. Louis Blues
Trading deadline
* Trading Deadline: March 18, 1997
NHL trade deadline: Deals since 1980
*March 18, 1997: G Pat Jablonski traded from Montreal to Phoenix for D Steve Cheredaryk.
*March 18, 1997: RW Roman Oksiuta
Roman Nikolaevich Oksiuta (russian: Роман Николаевич Оксюта; born 21 August 1970) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Mighty ...
traded from Anaheim to Pittsburgh for C Richard Park.
*March 18, 1997: LW Josef Beranek traded from Vancouver to Pittsburgh for future considerations.
*March 18, 1997: D Marc Hussey traded from Calgary to Chicago for LW Ravil Gusmanov.
*March 18, 1997: C Ed Olczyk traded from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh for RW Glen Murray.
*March 18, 1997: LW Jon Battaglia and Anaheim's fourth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft traded from Anaheim to Hartford for C Mark Janssens.
*March 18, 1997: RW Mike Prokopec traded from Chicago to Ottawa for RW Denis Chasse, D Kevin Bolibruck, and Ottawa's sixth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft.
*March 18, 1997: D Larry Murphy traded from Toronto to Detroit for future considerations.
*March 18, 1997: LW Derek King
Derek King (born February 11, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. King played 14 seasons in the National Hockey Leag ...
traded from NY Islanders to Hartford for Hartford's fifth round pick in 1997 Entry Draft.
*March 18, 1997: D Frantisek Kucera traded from Vancouver to Philadelphia for future considerations.
*March 18, 1997: D Jamie Huscroft traded from Calgary to Tampa Bay for G Tyler Moss.
*March 18, 1997: RW Kelly Chase
Kelly Wayne Chase (born October 25, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 458 games in the National Hockey League, and current radio sportscaster. He formerly served as the color commentator for St. Louis Blues radio ...
traded from Hartford to Toronto for Toronto's eighth round pick in 1998 Entry Draft.
*March 18, 1997: D Dave Manson traded from Phoenix to Montreal for RW Chris Murray and D Murray Baron
Murray McElwain Roy Baron (born June 1, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Phoenix Coyotes, and ...
.
*March 18, 1997: RW Chris Murray traded from Phoenix to Hartford to D Gerald Diduck.
*March 18, 1997: C Robert Reichel traded from Calgary to NY Islanders for LW Marty McInnis
Martin Edward McInnis (born June 5, 1970) is an American former ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Boston Bruins. An eighth round selectio ...
, G Tyrone Garner
Tyrone "Ty" Garner (born July 27, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the fourth round, 83rd overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
Garner was born in Stoney Creek, Ontar ...
and Calgary's sixth round pick in 1997 Entry Draft (previously acquired by NY Islanders).
*March 18, 1997: D Jeff Norton
Jeffrey Thomas Norton (born November 25, 1965) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Norton was selected in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Isla ...
traded from Edmonton to Tampa Bay for D Drew Bannister and the earlier of Tampa Bay or Anaheim's sixth round draft pick in 1997 Entry Draft (Anaheim pick previously acquired by Tampa Bay).
*March 18, 1997: LW Miroslav Satan traded from Edmonton to Buffalo for LW Barrie Moore
Barrie Moore (born May 22, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
Selected 220th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Moore played for the Sabres, Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals, playing 39 regul ...
and D Craig Millar.
*March 18, 1997: C Kirk Muller traded from Toronto to Florida for RW Jason Podollan.
Hat Tricks
See also
* List of Stanley Cup champions
The Stanley Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the playoff champion club of the National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey league. It was donated by the Governor General of Canada Lord Stanley of Preston in 1892, and is the oldest professional sp ...
* 1996 NHL Entry Draft
The 1996 NHL Entry Draft was the 34th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 22, 1996.
The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Zdeno Chára, who retired after the 2021–22 season.
...
* 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game
* National Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game (french: Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey, links=no) is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many o ...
* NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year. The team was first named a ...
* 1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey ( WCH), or ''1996 World Cup of Hockey'', replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey.
Inaugural ''World Cup of Hockey''
The first edition of the Cup featured eight teams d ...
* 1996 in sports
1996 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing
* Alpine Skiing World Cup
** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway
** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany
American football
* Super Bowl ...
* 1997 in sports
1997 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Alpine skiing
* Alpine Skiing World Cup
** Men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France
** Women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden
American football
* Super Bowl ...
References
*
*
*
*
;Notes
External links
Hockey Database
NHL.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1996-97 NHL season
1996–97 in Canadian ice hockey by league
1996–97 in American ice hockey by league