1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers season

Updated on Oct 26, 2023

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Division 2nd Atlantic 1996–97 record 45–24–13 Road record 22–12–7		Conference 3rd Eastern Home record 23–12–6 Goals for 274

The 1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers 30th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep.

Regular season

While Eric Lindros rehabbed from a bothersome groin injury, the Flyers treaded water through the early part of the schedule. They dropped the first-ever home game at the new CoreStates Center to the Florida Panthers, 3–1, on October 5, and lost again to their new rivals three weeks later. However, they rebounded to end the Panthers' season-opening 8–0–4 run with a 3–2 victory in Miami on November 2.

With John LeClair, Mikael Renberg, Dale Hawerchuk and Rod Brind'Amour expected to pick up the slack on offense, the club was inconsistent and went 12–10–1 prior to Lindros' return in a 2–0 loss in Boston on November 26. Another loss the next night to the Islanders dropped the team into fourth place, but the team soon caught fire, ripping off a 14–0–3 stretch from November 30 to January 7.

The run included an incredible stretch of four consecutive shutout wins in mid-December (Hartford, Boston, Islanders, St. Louis), a trade which netted high-scoring defenseman Paul Coffey and a thrilling come-from-behind 4–4 tie against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on January 4.

In a 9–5 win over Montreal on February 6, the Legion of Doom line set a franchise-record with 16 points and spoiled the NHL debut of Tomas Vokoun, and in a 5–5 tie on March 1 in Boston, third-line winger Trent Klatt recorded his first (and only) 20-goal season with a hat trick.

A 2–3–2 finish which saw Lindros sit out a one-game suspension and the Devils vault over the team for first place in the Atlantic was mitigated when LeClair scored his 50th goal of the season in a 5–4 win over New Jersey in the final regular-season game.

Season standings

Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast

bold – Qualified for playoffs

Playoffs

Backstopped by the goaltending tandem of Ron Hextall and Garth Snow, the Flyers dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers all in five games apiece to win the Eastern Conference championship, and clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1987. However, their opponent, the Detroit Red Wings, swept the Flyers in four straight games. After Game 3, Terry Murray said that the team was in a "choking situation." It is said this remark cost Murray his job, as he was fired less than a week after the conclusion of the finals.

Skaters

Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing

= Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

= Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

Records

* NHL record

** Tied for NHL record

Transactions

The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from June 12, 1996, the day after the deciding game of the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 7, 1997, the day of the deciding game of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.

Trades

Trade notes

^a Condition not met.

Free agency

The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).

Re-signed

The following players were re-signed by the Flyers. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).

Entry level contracts

The following players — Flyers draft picks, undrafted free agents, and the unsigned draft picks of other teams — were signed by the Flyers to entry level contracts.

NHL Waiver Draft

The 1996 NHL Waiver Draft was held on September 30, 1996. Each NHL team placed 18 skaters and 2 goaltenders on a protected list from which the other teams could not select. First-year professional players were exempt.

The Flyers made the following players available: goaltenders Les Kuntar and Dominic Roussel, defensemen Frank Bialowas, Jason Bowen, Aris Brimanis, Darren Rumble, and John Stevens, and forwards Bruce Coles, Bob Corkum, Craig Darby, Rob DiMaio, Yanick Dupre, Tony Horacek, Patrik Juhlin, Steven King, Trent Klatt, Shawn McCosh, Clayton Norris, and Peter White.

Waivers

The Flyers were involved in the following waivers transactions.

Departures

The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).

Draft picks

Philadelphia's picks at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 22, 1996.

Draft notes

^a The Flyers acquired the 15th overall pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs along with the Los Angeles Kings' 1997 fourth-round pick, 84th overall, and the Kings' 1997 second-round pick for Dmitri Yushkevich and the Flyers' second-round pick, 50th overall, on August 30, 1995.

The Flyers traded their first-round pick, 24th overall, their fourth-round pick, 106th overall, and Martin Spanhel to the San Jose Sharks for Pat Falloon on September 20, 1995.

^b The Flyers traded Dominic Roussel to the Winnipeg Jets for Tim Cheveldae and the Jets' third-round pick, 64th overall, on February 17, 1996.

The Flyers traded their third-round pick, 78th overall, and their sixth-round pick, 157th overall, to the Colorado Avalanche for Garth Snow on July 12, 1995.

^c The Flyers traded Rob Zettler to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Maple Leafs' fifth-round pick, 124th overall, on July 8, 1995.

The Flyers traded their ninth-round pick, 239th overall, to the Ottawa Senators for Kerry Huffman on March 19, 1996.

Farm teams

The Flyers were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL and the Mobile Mysticks of the ECHL.

References

1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers season Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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