Start date 1996 Number of teams 26 | Number of games 82 | |
Duration October 4, 1996 – June 7, 1997 Similar 1998–99 NHL season, 1991–92 NHL season, 2001–02 NHL season, 2003–04 NHL season, 1992–93 NHL season | ||
The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years.
Contents
- League business
- Regular season
- Final standings
- Stanley Cup Final
- Playoff bracket
- Awards
- Scoring leaders
- Leading goaltenders
- Debuts
- Last games
- Trading deadline
- References
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 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. Paradoxically, teams averaged more even-strength goals scored (174) than in 1995–96 (172).
This was the first time in 30 years—and in the entire expansion era—that the Boston Bruins had either a losing record or 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 and had previously been known as the Winnipeg Jets. They would remain in the Central Division.
On March 25, 1997, the Hartford Whalers announced that they would move from Connecticut following the 1996–97 season. Starting in the 1997–98 NHL season, they would be known as the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 1996–97 season marked the retirement of Craig MacTavish, the last active NHL player who played without a protective helmet. MacTavish had been grandfathered 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. The first player to ever wear a helmet was George Owen in the 1928–29 season.
Regular season
The Boston Bruins 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 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 and the Bruins was postponed.
Final standings
Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast
bold – Qualified for playoffs
Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific
bold – Qualified for playoffs; p – Won Presidents' Trophy
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Stanley Cup Final
The Red Wings swept the Flyers in four games to win for the eighth time in franchise history and the first time since 1955. Mike Vernon of Detroit was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Detroit wins series 4–0 and Stanley Cup
Playoff bracket
Awards
The NHL Awards presentation took place on June 19, 1997.
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
Leading goaltenders
Regular season
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):
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1996–97 (listed with their last team):