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 S ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

. The

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...

relocated to

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, becoming the

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...

. The Stanley Cup winners were the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

, 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 (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

in four games and won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

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 1984–85 NHL season, 1984 and 2005–06 NHL se ...

and Teemu Selanne, reached the 100-point plateau during the regular season (compared with 12 who reached the plateau in 1995–96). Many regulatory factors, including ruling changes that resulted in 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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The 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

Franchise relocation

This was the first season for the

, who had relocated from

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

and had previously been known as the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets. 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 25-year 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 1 ...

announced that they would move from

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

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. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

Entry draft

The 1996 NHL entry draft was held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 22. Chris Phillips was selected first overall by the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...

Rule changes

* The maximum stick length was increased from the 60-inch limit set in 1985–86 to 63 inches. * Offside rules were clarified, requiring all players to clear their opponents' zone before they can shoot the puck back into that zone. * Craig MacTavish, 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 protecti ...

, retired after this 1996–97 season. MacTavish was the last active player who had been grandfathered under the 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 song ...

. The first player to ever wear a helmet was George Owen in the 1928–29 season.

Arena changes

* 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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...

moved from

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins men's basketball, Canisius Golden Griffins (Nationa ...

Marine Midland Arena KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York, United States. 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 Nation ...

, with

Marine Midland Bank Marine Midland Bank was an American bank formerly headquartered in Buffalo, New York, with several hundred branches throughout the state of New York (state), New York, Pennsylvania and two branches located in Seattle, Washington (state), Washing ...

acquiring the naming rights. * The

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

' home arena, Brendan Byrne Arena, was renamed Continental Airlines Arena in January 2000 as part of a new naming rights deal with Continental Airline. * The relocated

moved from Winnipeg Arena to America West Arena. * The

moved from the CoreStates Spectrum to the CoreStates Center, with CoreStates Financial Corporation also acquiring the naming rights. * The

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

moved from the Thunderdome in St. Petersburg, Florida to the Ice Palace in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

. * The

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

' home arena, the USAir Arena, was renamed US Airways Arena after USAir rebranded to

US Airways US Airways was a major airline in the United States. It was originally founded in History of aviation in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon became a commercial passenger airline. In 1953, it ...

Regular season

All-Star Game

The

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...

was held on January 18, 1997, at San Jose Arena in San Jose, home of the

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...

Highlights

The

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

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

and the Bruins was postponed. A large-scale on-ice brawl occurred during the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...

–

game on March 26. The game featured 18 fighting major penalties and 144 minutes in penalties.

Final standings

;Eastern Conference ;Western Conference ''Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points''

Playoffs

Bracket

The top eight teams in each conference made the playoffs, with the two division winners seeded 1–2 based on regular season records, and the six remaining teams seeded 3–8. In each round, teams competed in a best-of-seven series (scores in the bracket indicate the number of games won in each best-of-seven series). The NHL used "re-seeding" instead of a fixed bracket playoff system. During the first three rounds, the highest remaining seed in each conference was matched against the lowest remaining seed, the second-highest remaining seed played the second-lowest remaining seed, and so forth. The higher-seeded team was awarded home-ice advantage. The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.

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 *Buffalo Sabres: Ted Nolan *Florida Panthers: Doug MacLean *Hartford Whalers: Paul Maurice *Montreal Canadiens: Mario Tremblay *New Jersey Devils: Jacques Lemaire *New York Islanders:

Mike Milbury Michael James Milbury (born June 17, 1952) is an American former professional ice hockey player and current sports announcer. He played for twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), all for the Boston Bruins. He helped the Bruins reach ...

and Rick Bowness *New York Rangers: Colin Campbell *Ottawa Senators: Jacques Martin *Philadelphia Flyers: Terry Murray *Pittsburgh Penguins: Eddie Johnston and Craig Patrick *Tampa Bay Lightning: Terry Crisp *Washington Capitals: Jim Schoenfeld

Western Conference

*Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Ron Wilson *Calgary Flames: Pierre Page *Chicago Blackhawks: Craig Hartsburg *Colorado Avalanche:

Marc Crawford Marc Joseph John Crawford (born February 13, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played as a forward (hockey), forward for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). Crawford won the Stanley Cup ...

*Dallas Stars: Ken Hitchcock *Detroit Red Wings:

Scotty Bowman William Scott Bowman (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey head coach. He holds the record for most wins in National Hockey League (NHL) history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup ...

*Edmonton Oilers: Ron Low *Los Angeles Kings: Larry Robinson *Phoenix Coyotes: Don Hay *San Jose Sharks: Al Sims and Darryl Sutter *St. Louis Blues:

Mike Keenan Michael Edward Keenan (born October 21, 1949) is a Canadian-American former professional hockey coach. Previously, he served as head coach and/or general manager with several NHL teams between 1984 and 2009. He currently ranks fifth in playoff win ...

, Jim Roberts (interim) and Joel Quenneville *Toronto Maple Leafs: Mike Murphy *Vancouver Canucks: Tom Renney

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, Calgary Flames * Roman Turek, Dallas Stars * Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit Red Wings * Mike Knuble, Detroit Red Wings * Mike Grier, Edmonton Oilers * Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Hartford Whalers * Tomas Vokoun, Montreal Canadiens * Bryan Berard, New York Islanders * Todd Bertuzzi, New York Islanders * Wade Redden, Ottawa Senators * Vaclav Prospal, Philadelphia Flyers * Dainius Zubrus, 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, Chicago Blackhawks * Sergei Makarov, Dallas Stars * Neal Broten, Dallas Stars * Mike Ramsey, Detroit Red Wings * Vladimir Konstantinov, Detroit Red Wings * Dale Hawerchuk, Philadelphia Flyers * Brad McCrimmon, Phoenix Coyotes * Joe Mullen, Pittsburgh Penguins * Tim Hunter, San Jose Sharks * Craig MacTavish, St. Louis Blues (the last helmetless player) * Jay Wells, Tampa Bay Lightning * Don Beaupre, Toronto Maple Leafs * Dave McLlwain, New York Islanders * Gary Leeman, St. Louis Blues

Broadcasting

Canada

This was the ninth season that the league's Canadian national broadcast rights were split between TSN and ''

Hockey Night in Canada ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') is a long-running program of broadcast ice hockey play-by-play coverage in Canada. With roots in pioneering hockey coverage on private radio stations as early as 1923, ...

'' on

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

. During the regular season, Saturday night games aired on CBC, while TSN primarily had Monday and Thursday night games. Coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs was primarily on CBC, with TSN airing first round all-U.S. series.

United States

This was the third season of the league's five-year U.S. national broadcast rights deals with Fox and

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

. Both ESPN and

ESPN2 ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). ESPN2 was initially ...

aired weeknight games throughout the regular season, and Fox had the All-Star Game and weekly regional telecasts on six selected weekend afternoons between January and March. During the first two rounds of the playoffs, ESPN and ESPN2 aired selected games, while Fox provided Sunday regional telecasts. Each U.S. team's regional broadcaster produced local coverage of first and second round games (except for those games on Fox). Fox's Sunday telecasts continued into the Conference Finals, while ESPN had the rest of the third round games. The Stanley Cup Finals were also split between Fox and ESPN.

References

* * * * ;Notes

External links

Hockey DatabaseNHL.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1996-97 NHL season 1996–97 in American ice hockey by league 1996–97 in Canadian ice hockey by league

League business

Franchise relocation

Entry draft

Rule changes

Arena changes

Regular season

All-Star Game

Highlights

Final standings

Playoffs

Bracket

Awards

All-Star teams

Player statistics

Scoring leaders

Leading goaltenders

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Milestones

Debuts

Last games

Broadcasting

Canada

United States

See also

References

External links