International Hockey League IHL 1996-1997
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1996-1997
1996-1997 Season
Detroit Vipers finished first in the 1996-97 IHL standings with 122 points. Long Beach Ice Dogs (117 points) and Orlando Solar Bears (111 points) followed.
1996-1997 IHL Standings
| # | Team | GP | W | T | L | OTW | OTL | GF | GA | +/- | TP | PPG | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||
| 1. | Detroit Vipers | 82 | 57 | - | 17 | - | 8 | 280 | 188 | 92 | 122 | 1.49 | Champion |
| 2. | Orlando Solar Bears | 82 | 53 | - | 24 | - | 5 | 305 | 232 | 73 | 111 | 1.35 | Conference SF loss |
| 3. | Indianapolis Ice | 82 | 44 | - | 29 | - | 9 | 289 | 230 | 59 | 97 | 1.18 | Conference QF loss |
| 4. | Cincinnati Cyclones | 82 | 43 | - | 29 | - | 10 | 254 | 248 | 6 | 96 | 1.17 | Conference QF loss |
| 5. | Québec Rafales | 82 | 41 | - | 30 | - | 11 | 267 | 248 | 19 | 93 | 1.13 | Conference SF loss |
| 6. | Grand Rapids Griffins | 82 | 40 | - | 30 | - | 12 | 244 | 246 | -2 | 92 | 1.12 | Conference QF loss |
| 7. | Cleveland Lumberjacks | 82 | 40 | - | 32 | - | 10 | 286 | 280 | 6 | 90 | 1.10 | Conference Final loss |
| 8. | Michigan K-Wings | 82 | 31 | - | 44 | - | 7 | 208 | 272 | -64 | 69 | 0.84 | Conference QF loss |
| 9. | Fort Wayne Komets | 82 | 28 | - | 47 | - | 7 | 223 | 318 | -95 | 63 | 0.77 | Did not make playoffs |
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||
| 1. | Long Beach Ice Dogs | 82 | 54 | - | 19 | - | 9 | 309 | 247 | 62 | 117 | 1.43 | Final loss |
| 2. | San Antonio Dragons | 82 | 45 | - | 30 | - | 7 | 276 | 278 | -2 | 97 | 1.18 | Conference SF loss |
| 3. | Houston Aeros | 82 | 44 | - | 30 | - | 8 | 247 | 228 | 19 | 96 | 1.17 | Conference Final loss |
| 4. | Utah Grizzlies | 82 | 43 | - | 33 | - | 6 | 259 | 254 | 5 | 92 | 1.12 | Conference SF loss |
| 5. | Kansas City Blades | 82 | 38 | - | 29 | - | 15 | 271 | 270 | 1 | 91 | 1.11 | Conference QF loss |
| 6. | Las Vegas Thunder | 82 | 41 | - | 34 | - | 7 | 287 | 299 | -12 | 89 | 1.09 | Conference QF loss |
| 7. | Chicago Wolves | 82 | 40 | - | 36 | - | 6 | 276 | 290 | -14 | 86 | 1.05 | Conference QF loss |
| 8. | Milwaukee Admirals | 82 | 38 | - | 36 | - | 8 | 253 | 298 | -45 | 84 | 1.02 | Conference QF loss |
| 9. | Manitoba Moose | 82 | 32 | - | 40 | - | 10 | 262 | 300 | -38 | 74 | 0.90 | Did not make playoffs |
| 10. | Phoenix Roadrunners | 82 | 27 | - | 42 | - | 13 | 239 | 309 | -70 | 67 | 0.82 | Did not make playoffs |
1996-1997 IHL Player Stats
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Rob Brown (F) | 76 | 37 | 80 | 117 | 98 |
| 2. | Steve Maltais (F) | 81 | 60 | 54 | 114 | 62 |
| 3. | Steve Larouche (F) | 79 | 49 | 53 | 102 | 78 |
| 4. | Michel Picard (F) | 82 | 46 | 55 | 101 | 58 |
| 5. | Patrice Lefebvre (F) | 82 | 21 | 73 | 94 | 94 |
1996-1997 IHL Goalie Stats
| # | Player | GP | GAA | SVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jeff Reese (G) | 32 | 1.87 | .926 |
| 2. | Frédéric Chabot (G) | 72 | 2.53 | .920 |
| 3. | Rich Parent (G) | 53 | 2.22 | .920 |
| 4. | Geoff Sarjeant (G) | 59 | 2.87 | .919 |
| 5. | Marc Lamothe (G) | 38 | 2.64 | .918 |
IHL Stories
Insights and analysis from EP Editorial team
1996-1997 IHL Demographics
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IHL Games
No Data Found
2026-2027 IHL Free Agents
No Data Found
2027-2028 IHL Free Agents
No Data Found
IHL Team Comparison (Averages)
| # | Team | Players | Experience | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Chicago Wolves | 34 | 5 371 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 27.35 |
| 2. | Cincinnati Cyclones | 32 | 6 974 | 6'0" | 192 lbs | 28.94 |
| 3. | Cleveland Lumberjacks | 38 | 5 651 | 6'0" | 194 lbs | 26.39 |
| 4. | Detroit Vipers | 51 | 5 378 | 6'0" | 192 lbs | 26.75 |
| 5. | Fort Wayne Komets | 52 | 6 998 | 6'0" | 194 lbs | 26.79 |
| 6. | Grand Rapids Griffins | 43 | 4 619 | 6'0" | 196 lbs | 26.40 |
| 7. | Houston Aeros | 34 | 5 197 | 6'0" | 196 lbs | 28.26 |
| 8. | Indianapolis Ice | 35 | 4 039 | 6'1" | 198 lbs | 24.34 |
| 9. | Kalamazoo Wings | 40 | 4 454 | 6'0" | 196 lbs | 25.55 |
| 10. | Kansas City Blades | 36 | 7 531 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 27.17 |
| 11. | Las Vegas Thunder | 53 | 4 804 | 6'0" | 194 lbs | 25.91 |
| 12. | Long Beach Ice Dogs | 38 | 5 998 | 6'0" | 194 lbs | 27.08 |
| 13. | Manitoba Moose | 44 | 5 295 | 6'0" | 194 lbs | 27.07 |
| 14. | Milwaukee Admirals | 31 | 7 919 | 6'0" | 192 lbs | 28.81 |
| 15. | Orlando Solar Bears | 30 | 5 267 | 6'0" | 192 lbs | 27.60 |
| 16. | Phoenix Roadrunners | 51 | 6 063 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 25.96 |
| 17. | Québec Rafales | 45 | 4 254 | 6'0" | 194 lbs | 26.53 |
| 18. | San Antonio Dragons | 41 | 5 058 | 6'0" | 196 lbs | 26.80 |
| 19. | Utah Grizzlies | 63 | 5 501 | 6'0" | 194 lbs | 27.32 |
Where Are They Now?
Played in the league during season
| # | player | season | team | league | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  René Vydarený (D) | 2026-2027 | HC Mad Bull | Czechia4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2. | David Ling (F) | 2026-2027 | Miramichi Northmen | LHSB | - | - | - | - | - |
Regular Season
IHL All-Time Points
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Len Thornson (F) | 819 | 426 | 826 | 1252 |
| 2. | Jock Callander (F) | 1054 | 477 | 765 | 1242 |
| 3. | Dave Michayluk (F) | 968 | 547 | 636 | 1183 |
| 4. | William Chalmers (F) | 888 | 363 | 791 | 1154 |
| 5. | Scott Gruhl (F) | 921 | 532 | 612 | 1144 |
IHL All-Time Goals
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dave Michayluk (F) | 968 | 547 | 636 | 1183 |
| 2. | Scott Gruhl (F) | 921 | 532 | 612 | 1144 |
| 3. | Joe Kastelic (F) | 868 | 526 | 551 | 1077 |
| 4. | Jock Callander (F) | 1054 | 477 | 765 | 1242 |
| 5. | Bryan McLay (F) | 924 | 474 | 626 | 1100 |
IHL All-Time Assists
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Len Thornson (F) | 819 | 426 | 826 | 1252 |
| 2. | William Chalmers (F) | 888 | 363 | 791 | 1154 |
| 3. | Jock Callander (F) | 1054 | 477 | 765 | 1242 |
| 4. | Dave Michayluk (F) | 968 | 547 | 636 | 1183 |
| 5. | Bryan McLay (F) | 924 | 474 | 626 | 1100 |
IHL All-Time Penalty Min.
| # | Player | GP | G | TP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kevin Evans (F) | 517 | 128 | 399 | 3083 |
| 2. |  Rick Hayward (D) | 528 | 28 | 112 | 2712 |
| 3. | Ken Sabourin (D) | 763 | 30 | 156 | 2417 |
| 4. | Kevin MacDonald (D) | 547 | 19 | 93 | 2383 |
| 5. | David Mackey (F) | 828 | 246 | 513 | 2334 |
IHL All-Time Games Played
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jock Callander (F) | 1054 | 477 | 765 | 1242 |
| 2. | Jim Bannatyne (D) | 1042 | 101 | 495 | 596 |
| 3. | Dave Michayluk (F) | 968 | 547 | 636 | 1183 |
| 4. | Bryan McLay (F) | 924 | 474 | 626 | 1100 |
| 5. | Scott Gruhl (F) | 921 | 532 | 612 | 1144 |
IHL All-Time Points Per Game
| # | Player | GP | G | TP | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bob Sykes (F) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3.00 |
| 2. | Jerry Shannon (F) | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2.75 |
| 3. | Cliff Ronning (F) | 12 | 11 | 31 | 2.58 |
| 4. | Randy Wyrozub (F) | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2.33 |
| 5. | Bert Giesebrecht (F) | 34 | 41 | 75 | 2.21 |
IHL All-Time Points Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | John Cullen (F) | 1987-1988 | IHL | 81 | 48 | 109 | 157 | 1.94 | 113 |
| 2. | Rob Brown (F) | 1993-1994 | IHL | 79 | 42 | 113 | 155 | 1.96 | 188 |
| 3. | Gary Ford (F) | 1972-1973 | IHL | 59 | 69 | 81 | 150 | 2.54 | 2 |
| 4. | Rob Brown (F) | 1995-1996 | IHL | 79 | 52 | 91 | 143 | 1.81 | 100 |
| 5. | Terry McDougall (F) | 1978-1979 | IHL | 79 | 57 | 82 | 139 | 1.76 | 47 |
IHL All-Time Goals Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daniel Lecours (F) | 1982-1983 | IHL | 82 | 75 | 42 | 117 | 1.43 | 72 |
| 2. | Craig Fisher (F) | 1995-1996 | IHL | 82 | 74 | 56 | 130 | 1.59 | 81 |
| 3. | Merv Dubchak (F) | 1965-1966 | IHL | 70 | 72 | 45 | 117 | 1.67 | 29 |
| 4. | Guy Trottier (F) | 1966-1967 | IHL | 68 | 71 | 64 | 135 | 1.99 | 23 |
| 5. | Gary Schall (F) | 1965-1966 | IHL | 68 | 71 | 55 | 126 | 1.85 | 60 |
IHL All-Time Assists Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rob Brown (F) | 1993-1994 | IHL | 79 | 42 | 113 | 155 | 1.96 | 188 |
| 2. | John Cullen (F) | 1987-1988 | IHL | 81 | 48 | 109 | 157 | 1.94 | 113 |
| 3. | Dale Yakiwchuk (F) | 1982-1983 | IHL | 79 | 38 | 100 | 138 | 1.75 | 223 |
| 4. | Len Thornson (F) | 1966-1967 | IHL | 71 | 46 | 93 | 139 | 1.96 | 10 |
| 5. | William Chalmers (F) | 1959-1960 | IHL | 68 | 41 | 93 | 134 | 1.97 | 4 |
IHL All-Time Penalty Min. Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kevin Evans (F) | 1986-1987 | IHL | 73 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 0.68 | 648 |
| 2. | Andy Bezeau (F) | 1995-1996 | IHL | 74 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 0.28 | 590 |
| 3. | Mark Toffolo (D) | 1978-1979 | IHL | 78 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 0.17 | 557 |
| 4. | Chris McSorley (F) | 1985-1986 | IHL | 75 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 0.73 | 545 |
| 5. | Alvin White (F) | 1977-1978 | IHL | 74 | 27 | 33 | 60 | 0.81 | 510 |
Player Nationalities Throughout History
List of IHL Champions
IHL Awards
- IHL Best Defenseman
- IHL Best Defensive Forward
- IHL Best GAA (James Norris Trophy)
- IHL Coach of the Year (Commissioners Trophy)
- IHL First All-Star Team
- IHL Goaltender of the Year
- IHL Most Points (Lamoureux Trophy)
- IHL Most Sportsmanlike Player
- IHL Most Valuable Player (James Gatschne Trophy)
- IHL Playoffs MVP (Bud Poile Trophy)
- IHL Rookie of the Year (Garry F. Longman Trophy)
- IHL Second All-Star Team
- IHL Turner Cup Champion
- IHL U.S. Born Rookie of the Year (Ken McKenzie Trophy)