1996–97 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 . They swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games. The Red Wings had not won the Stanley Cup for 42 years.
Regular season
The Boston Bruins recorded the league's worst record, missing the playoffs for the first time in thirty seasons and ending the longest number of years in a row in the playoffs ever recorded in the history of North American professional sport.
Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
Stanley Cup playoffs
Playoff bracket
The Stanley Cup
Conference quarterfinals
Eastern Conference
Montreal vs. New Jersey
Date
Away
Home
April 17
Montreal 2
5 New Jersey
April 19
Montreal 1
4 New Jersey
April 22
New Jersey 5
4 Montreal
April 24
New Jersey 3
4 Montreal
3OT
April 26
Montreal 0
4 New Jersey
New Jersey wins series 4–1
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia
Date
Away
Home
April 17
Pittsburgh 1
5 Philadelphia
April 19
Pittsburgh 2
3 Philadelphia
April 21
Philadelphia 5
3 Pittsburgh
April 23
Philadelphia 1
4 Pittsburgh
April 26
Pittsburgh 3
6 Philadelphia
Philadelphia wins series 4–1
NY Rangers vs. Florida
Date
Away
Home
April 17
NY Rangers 0
3 Florida
April 20
NY Rangers 3
0 Florida
April 22
Florida 3
4 NY Rangers
OT
April 23
Florida 2
3 NY Rangers
April 25
NY Rangers 3
2 Florida
OT
NY Rangers win series 4–1
Western Conference
Chicago vs. Colorado
Date
Away
Home
April 16
Chicago 0
6 Colorado
April 18
Chicago 1
3 Colorado
April 20
Colorado 3
4 Chicago
2OT
April 22
Colorado 3
6 Chicago
April 24
Chicago 0
7 Colorado
April 26
Colorado 6
3 Chicago
Colorado wins series 4–2
St. Louis vs. Detroit
Date
Away
Home
April 16
St. Louis 2
0 Detroit
April 18
St. Louis 1
2 Detroit
April 20
Detroit 3
2 St. Louis
April 22
Detroit 0
4 St. Louis
April 25
St. Louis 2
5 Detroit
April 27
Detroit 3
1 St. Louis
Detroit wins series 4–2
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference
NY Rangers vs. New Jersey
Date
Away
Home
May 2
NY Rangers 0
2 New Jersey
May 4
NY Rangers 2
0 New Jersey
May 6
New Jersey 2
3 NY Rangers
May 8
New Jersey 0
3 NY Rangers
May 11
NY Rangers 2
1 New Jersey
OT
NY Rangers win series 4–1
Philadelphia vs. Buffalo
Date
Away
Home
May 3
Philadelphia 5
3 Buffalo
May 5
Philadelphia 2
1 Buffalo
May 7
Buffalo 1
4 Philadelphia
May 9
Buffalo 5
4 Philadelphia
OT
May 11
Philadelphia 6
3 Buffalo
Philadelphia wins series 4–1
Western Conference
Edmonton vs. Colorado
Date
Away
Home
May 2
Edmonton 1
5 Colorado
May 4
Edmonton 1
4 Colorado
May 7
Colorado 3
4 Edmonton
May 9
Colorado 3
2 Edmonton
OT
May 11
Edmonton 3
Colorado 4
Colorado wins series 4–1
Anaheim vs. Detroit
Date
Away
Home
May 2
Anaheim 1
2 Detroit
OT
May 4
Anaheim 2
3 Detroit
3OT
May 6
Detroit 5
3 Anaheim
May 8
Detroit 3
2 Anaheim
2OT
Detroit wins series 4–0
Conference finals
Eastern Conference
NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia
Date
Away
Home
May 16
NY Rangers 1
3 Philadelphia
May 18
NY Rangers 5
4 Philadelphia
May 20
Philadelphia 6
3 NY Rangers
May 23
Philadelphia 3
2 NY Rangers
May 25
NY Rangers 2
4 Philadelphia
Philadelphia wins series 4–1 and Prince of Wales Trophy
Stanley Cup final
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
NHL Awards
The NHL Awards presentation took place on June 19 , 1997 .
Presidents' Trophy :
Colorado Avalanche
Prince of Wales Trophy :
Philadelphia Flyers
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl :
Detroit Red Wings
Art Ross Memorial Trophy :
Mario Lemieux , Pittsburgh Penguins
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy :
Tony Granato , San Jose Sharks
Calder Memorial Trophy :
Bryan Berard , New York Islanders
Conn Smythe Trophy :
Mike Vernon , Detroit Red Wings
Frank J. Selke Trophy :
Michael Peca , Buffalo Sabres
Hart Memorial Trophy :
Dominik Hasek , Buffalo Sabres
Jack Adams Award :
Ted Nolan , Buffalo Sabres
James Norris Memorial Trophy :
Brian Leetch , New York Rangers
King Clancy Memorial Trophy :
Trevor Linden , Vancouver Canucks
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy :
Paul Kariya , Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Lester B. Pearson Award :
Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
NHL Plus/Minus Award :
John LeClair , Philadelphia Flyers
Vezina Trophy :
Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres
William M. Jennings Trophy :
Martin Brodeur /Mike Dunham , New Jersey Devils
Lester Patrick Trophy :
Bill Cleary , Pat LaFontaine
All-Star teams
First Team
Position
Second Team
Dominik Hasek , Buffalo Sabres
G
Martin Brodeur , New Jersey Devils
Brian Leetch , New York Rangers
D
Chris Chelios , Chicago Blackhawks
Sandis Ozolinsh , Colorado Avalanche
D
Scott Stevens , New Jersey Devils
Mario Lemieux , Pittsburgh Penguins
C
Wayne Gretzky , New York Rangers
Teemu Selanne , Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
RW
Jaromir Jagr , Pittsburgh Penguins
Paul Kariya , Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
LW
John LeClair , Philadelphia Flyers
First games
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1996–97 (listed with their first team, stars(*) mark start in playoffs):
Dwayne Roloson , Calgary Flames
Marc Denis , Colorado Avalanche
Roman Turek , Dallas Stars
Tomas Holmstrom , Detroit Red Wings
Jean-Sebastien Giguere , Hartford Whalers
Tomas Vokoun , Montreal Canadiens
Jay Pandolfo , New Jersey Devils
Bryan Berard , New York Islanders
Wade Redden , Ottawa Senators
Janne Niinimaa , Philadelphia Flyers
Vaclav Prospal , Philadelphia Flyers
Patrick Lalime , Pittsburgh Penguins
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):
Tim Cheveldae , Boston Bruins
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 , Philadelphia Flyers
Dan Quinn , Pittsburgh Penguins
Joe Mullen , Pittsburgh Penguins
Tim Hunter , San Jose Sharks
Craig MacTavish , St. Louis Blues
Gary Leeman , St. Louis Blues
Jon Casey , St. Louis Blues
Jay Wells , Tampa Bay Lightning
Don Beaupre , Toronto Maple Leafs
Nick Kypreos , Toronto Maple Leafs
Mike Ridley , Vancouver Canucks
References
1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s The 2004–05 season was not played due to
a lockout .