1996–97 NHL season
A season of record shutouts and the end of a historic playoff streak.
The 1996–97 NHL campaign, the league's 80th, saw the former Winnipeg Jets move to Phoenix and rebrand as the Coyotes. Detroit ended a 42-year Stanley Cup drought by sweeping Philadelphia in the finals. Scoring plummeted league-wide, with only Mario Lemieux and Teemu Selanne topping 100 points—down from 12 the previous season. Shutouts soared to a record 127 in the regular season and 18 more in the playoffs.
Rule changes reduced power plays, stricter crease violations limited shots, and injuries to stars all contributed to the downturn. Boston finished with the worst record, missing the postseason for the first time in 30 years and snapping an unmatched North American pro sports streak of 29 consecutive playoff appearances. The Hartford Whalers announced a move to Carolina after the season, becoming the Hurricanes. The 1996 entry draft saw Ottawa select Chris Phillips first overall.
Stick length increased to 63 inches, and offside rules were tightened. Craig MacTavish, the last helmetless player, retired. Several teams changed arenas: Buffalo to Marine Midland Arena, New Jersey's home renamed Continental Airlines Arena, Phoenix to America West Arena, Philadelphia to CoreStates Center, Tampa to the Ice Palace, and Washington's arena became US Airways Arena. The All-Star Game took place in San Jose.
A scoreboard collapse in Buffalo postponed a game, and a massive brawl between Colorado and Detroit resulted in 144 penalty minutes. The playoffs used a re-seeding format, with conference winners meeting in the finals.
Quick Facts
- League
- National Hockey League
- Sport
- Ice hockey
- Duration
- October 4, 1996 – June 7, 1997
- Draft
- Draft
- Top pick
- Chris Phillips
- Season
- Regular season
- Top scorer
- Mario Lemieux (Penguins)
- Playoffs
- Playoffs
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The first player to ever wear a helmet was George Owen in the 1928–29 season.
- The NHL used re-seeding instead of a fixed bracket playoff system.
League business
The Phoenix Coyotes debuted in the Central Division after moving from Winnipeg, where they had been the original Jets. The Hartford Whalers revealed on March 26, 1997, that they would leave Connecticut after that season, and on May 5 they announced their new identity as the Carolina Hurricanes for 1997–98. At the 1996 NHL entry draft, held June 22 at St. Louis’s Kiel Center, the Ottawa Senators picked Chris Phillips first overall. Stick length maxed out at 63 inches, up from 60. A clarified offside rule meant all players had to exit the opposing zone before the puck could be sent back in. Craig MacTavish, the last NHLer to play without a helmet, hung up his skates after this season.
Arena changes
The Buffalo Sabres moved from Buffalo Memorial Auditorium to Marine Midland Arena. The New Jersey Devils' home, Brendan Byrne Arena, was renamed Continental Airlines Arena in January 1996. The Phoenix Coyotes moved to America West Arena. The Philadelphia Flyers moved from the CoreStates Spectrum to the CoreStates Center. The Tampa Bay Lightning moved from the Thunderdome to the Ice Palace. The Washington Capitals' USAir Arena was renamed US Airways Arena after USAir rebranded.
Regular season
The 1997 All-Star Game took place on January 18 at the San Jose Sharks' home arena. That season, the Boston Bruins posted the worst record in the league, ending their 30-season playoff streak—the longest in North American pro sports history. A maintenance mishap on November 16, 1996, sent the eight-sided scoreboard at Marine Midland Arena crashing onto the ice, forcing a postponement of the Buffalo Sabres–Bruins game. A massive brawl between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings on March 26 resulted in 18 fighting majors and 144 penalty minutes.
Broadcasting
This was the ninth season of Canadian national broadcast rights split between TSN and Hockey Night in Canada on CBC, with Saturday night games on CBC and Monday/Thursday games on TSN. Stanley Cup playoff coverage was primarily on CBC, with TSN airing first-round all-U.S. series. In the U.S., this was the third season of five-year deals with Fox and ESPN; ESPN and ESPN2 aired weeknight games, Fox had the All-Star Game and weekend regional telecasts. Fox's Sunday telecasts continued into the Conference Finals, while ESPN had the rest of the third round. The Stanley Cup Finals were split between Fox and ESPN.
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