National Hockey League NHL 1996-1997
NHL external links
NHL Team Rosters
Anaheim Ducks- Boston Bruins
- Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames- Carolina Hurricanes
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Colorado Avalanche
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Dallas Stars
- Detroit Red Wings
- Edmonton Oilers
- Florida Panthers
- Los Angeles Kings
- Minnesota Wild
- Montréal Canadiens
- Nashville Predators
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- New York Rangers
- Ottawa Senators
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- San Jose Sharks
- Seattle Kraken
- St. Louis Blues
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Utah Mammoth
- Vancouver Canucks
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Washington Capitals
- Winnipeg Jets
1996-1997
1996-1997 Season
Colorado Avalanche finished first in the 1996-97 NHL standings with 107 points. Dallas Stars (104 points) and New Jersey Devils (104 points) followed.
1996-1997 NHL Standings
| # | Team | GP | W | T | L | OTW | OTL | GF | GA | +/- | TP | PPG | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 49 | 9 | 24 | - | - | 277 | 205 | 72 | 107 | 1.30 | Conference Final loss |
| 2. | Dallas Stars | 82 | 48 | 8 | 26 | - | - | 252 | 198 | 54 | 104 | 1.27 | Conference QF loss |
| 3. | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 45 | 14 | 23 | - | - | 231 | 182 | 49 | 104 | 1.27 | Conference SF loss |
| 4. | Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 45 | 13 | 24 | - | - | 274 | 217 | 57 | 103 | 1.26 | Final loss |
| 5. | Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 38 | 18 | 26 | - | - | 253 | 197 | 56 | 94 | 1.15 | Champion |
| 6. | Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 40 | 12 | 30 | - | - | 237 | 208 | 29 | 92 | 1.12 | Conference SF loss |
| 7. | Florida Panthers | 82 | 35 | 19 | 28 | - | - | 221 | 201 | 20 | 89 | 1.09 | Conference QF loss |
| 8. | New York Rangers | 82 | 38 | 10 | 34 | - | - | 258 | 231 | 27 | 86 | 1.05 | Conference Final loss |
| 9. | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | 82 | 36 | 13 | 33 | - | - | 245 | 233 | 12 | 85 | 1.04 | Conference SF loss |
| 10. | Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 38 | 8 | 36 | - | - | 285 | 280 | 5 | 84 | 1.02 | Conference QF loss |
| 11. | Phoenix Coyotes | 82 | 38 | 7 | 37 | - | - | 240 | 243 | -3 | 83 | 1.01 | Conference QF loss |
| 12. | St. Louis Blues | 82 | 36 | 11 | 35 | - | - | 236 | 239 | -3 | 83 | 1.01 | Conference QF loss |
| 13. | Edmonton Oilers | 82 | 36 | 9 | 37 | - | - | 252 | 247 | 5 | 81 | 0.99 | Conference SF loss |
| 14. | Chicago Blackhawks | 82 | 34 | 13 | 35 | - | - | 223 | 210 | 13 | 81 | 0.99 | Conference QF loss |
| 15. | Vancouver Canucks | 82 | 35 | 7 | 40 | - | - | 257 | 273 | -16 | 77 | 0.94 | Did not make playoffs |
| 16. | Ottawa Senators | 82 | 31 | 15 | 36 | - | - | 226 | 234 | -8 | 77 | 0.94 | Conference QF loss |
| 17. | Montréal Canadiens | 82 | 31 | 15 | 36 | - | - | 249 | 276 | -27 | 77 | 0.94 | Conference QF loss |
| 18. | Washington Capitals | 82 | 33 | 9 | 40 | - | - | 214 | 231 | -17 | 75 | 0.91 | Did not make playoffs |
| 19. | Hartford Whalers | 82 | 32 | 11 | 39 | - | - | 226 | 256 | -30 | 75 | 0.91 | Did not make playoffs |
| 20. | Tampa Bay Lightning | 82 | 32 | 10 | 40 | - | - | 217 | 247 | -30 | 74 | 0.90 | Did not make playoffs |
| 21. | Calgary Flames | 82 | 32 | 9 | 41 | - | - | 214 | 239 | -25 | 73 | 0.89 | Did not make playoffs |
| 22. | New York Islanders | 82 | 29 | 12 | 41 | - | - | 240 | 250 | -10 | 70 | 0.85 | Did not make playoffs |
| 23. | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 30 | 8 | 44 | - | - | 230 | 273 | -43 | 68 | 0.83 | Did not make playoffs |
| 24. | Los Angeles Kings | 82 | 28 | 11 | 43 | - | - | 214 | 268 | -54 | 67 | 0.82 | Did not make playoffs |
| 25. | San Jose Sharks | 82 | 27 | 8 | 47 | - | - | 211 | 278 | -67 | 62 | 0.76 | Did not make playoffs |
| 26. | Boston Bruins | 82 | 26 | 9 | 47 | - | - | 234 | 300 | -66 | 61 | 0.74 | Did not make playoffs |
1996-1997 NHL Player Stats
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mario Lemieux (F) | 76 | 50 | 72 | 122 | 65 |
| 2. |  Teemu Selänne (F) | 78 | 51 | 58 | 109 | 34 |
| 3. | Paul Kariya (F) | 69 | 44 | 55 | 99 | 6 |
| 4. | John LeClair (F) | 82 | 50 | 47 | 97 | 58 |
| 5. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 82 | 25 | 72 | 97 | 28 |
1996-1997 NHL Goalie Stats
| # | Player | GP | GAA | SVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Dominik Hašek (G) | 67 | 2.27 | .930 |
| 2. | Jeff Hackett (G) | 41 | 2.16 | .927 |
| 3. | Martin Brodeur (G) | 67 | 1.88 | .927 |
| 4. | Patrick Roy (G) | 62 | 2.32 | .923 |
| 5. | Guy Hebert (G) | 67 | 2.67 | .919 |
NHL Stories
Insights and analysis from EP Editorial team
1996-1997 NHL Demographics
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NHL Games
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NHL Transactions
| Date | Status | Player | From | To | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmed | Matthew Wood (F) | Nashville Predators | Seattle Kraken | ||
| Confirmed | Shane Wright (F) | Seattle Kraken | Nashville Predators | ||
| Confirmed | Rémi Poirier (G) | New Jersey Devils | Washington Capitals | ||
| Confirmed | Kyle McDonald (F) | Dallas Stars | Belleville Senators | ||
| Confirmed | Cameron Crotty (D) | Ottawa Senators | Minnesota Wild |
NHL Team Comparison (Averages)
| # | Team | Players | Experience | Height | Weight | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Anaheim Ducks | 40 | 9 774 | 6'0" | 201 lbs | 26.90 |
| 2. | Arizona Coyotes | 38 | 14 862 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 28.42 |
| 3. | Boston Bruins | 44 | 9 686 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 26.45 |
| 4. | Buffalo Sabres | 33 | 8 379 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 25.97 |
| 5. | Calgary Flames | 38 | 9 332 | 6'0" | 201 lbs | 26.63 |
| 6. | Chicago Blackhawks | 35 | 13 415 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 28.23 |
| 7. | Colorado Avalanche | 32 | 9 024 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 26.50 |
| 8. | Dallas Stars | 30 | 14 044 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 29.63 |
| 9. | Detroit Red Wings | 32 | 13 358 | 6'0" | 201 lbs | 28.63 |
| 10. | Edmonton Oilers | 35 | 9 321 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 25.91 |
| 11. | Florida Panthers | 34 | 11 183 | 6'1" | 196 lbs | 26.82 |
| 12. | Hartford Whalers | 40 | 14 647 | 6'1" | 205 lbs | 27.18 |
| 13. | Los Angeles Kings | 39 | 9 264 | 6'1" | 205 lbs | 26.05 |
| 14. | Montréal Canadiens | 37 | 9 463 | 6'1" | 203 lbs | 25.41 |
| 15. | New Jersey Devils | 35 | 14 654 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 27.83 |
| 16. | New York Islanders | 39 | 9 020 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 26.28 |
| 17. | New York Rangers | 37 | 15 682 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 28.95 |
| 18. | Ottawa Senators | 31 | 7 254 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 26.90 |
| 19. | Philadelphia Flyers | 33 | 11 850 | 6'2" | 209 lbs | 27.48 |
| 20. | Pittsburgh Penguins | 42 | 15 841 | 6'1" | 205 lbs | 27.81 |
| 21. | San Jose Sharks | 37 | 13 372 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 27.97 |
| 22. | St. Louis Blues | 39 | 15 267 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 28.77 |
| 23. | Tampa Bay Lightning | 34 | 12 570 | 6'1" | 201 lbs | 27.76 |
| 24. | Toronto Maple Leafs | 45 | 13 106 | 6'0" | 198 lbs | 26.44 |
| 25. | Vancouver Canucks | 34 | 12 065 | 6'0" | 201 lbs | 27.71 |
| 26. | Washington Capitals | 38 | 14 630 | 6'0" | 201 lbs | 27.71 |
Where Are They Now?
Played in the league during season
| # | player | season | team | league | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Petr Straka (F) | 2026-2027 | VHK Vsetín | 1. liga | 19 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 15 |
| 2. | Roby Järventie (F) | 2026-2027 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NL | 18 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 8 |
| 3. | Colin Smith (F) | 2026-2027 | Hannover Scorpions | Oberliga | 14 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 10 |
| 4. | Michael Keränen (F) | 2026-2027 | Tölzer Löwen | Oberliga | 15 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 6 |
| 5. | Jayden Halbgewachs (F) | 2026-2027 | HC Sierre | SL | 13 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 0 |
| 6. |  Denis Malgin (F) | 2026-2027 | ZSC Lions | NL | 18 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 10 |
| 7. | David Tomasek (F) | 2026-2027 | HC Dynamo Pardubice | Extraliga | 17 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 16 |
| 8. | Justin Bailey (F) | 2026-2027 | Barys Astana | KHL | 21 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 22 |
| 9. | Danick Martel (F) | 2026-2027 | HK Spisska Nova Ves | Extraliga | 15 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 11 |
| 10. |  Marcus Sörensen (F) | 2026-2027 | HC Fribourg-Gottéron | NL | 17 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 4 |
Regular Season
NHL All-Time Points
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1487 | 894 | 1963 | 2857 |
| 2. | Jaromír Jágr (F) | 1733 | 766 | 1155 | 1921 |
| 3. | Mark Messier (F) | 1756 | 694 | 1193 | 1887 |
| 4. | Gordie Howe (F) | 1767 | 801 | 1049 | 1850 |
| 5. | Ron Francis (F) | 1731 | 549 | 1249 | 1798 |
NHL All-Time Goals
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Alexander Ovechkin (F) | 1585 | 930 | 761 | 1691 |
| 2. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1487 | 894 | 1963 | 2857 |
| 3. | Gordie Howe (F) | 1767 | 801 | 1049 | 1850 |
| 4. | Jaromír Jágr (F) | 1733 | 766 | 1155 | 1921 |
| 5. | Brett Hull (F) | 1269 | 741 | 650 | 1391 |
NHL All-Time Assists
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1487 | 894 | 1963 | 2857 |
| 2. | Ron Francis (F) | 1731 | 549 | 1249 | 1798 |
| 3. | Mark Messier (F) | 1756 | 694 | 1193 | 1887 |
| 4. | Raymond Bourque (D) | 1612 | 410 | 1169 | 1579 |
| 5. | Jaromír Jágr (F) | 1733 | 766 | 1155 | 1921 |
NHL All-Time Penalty Min.
| # | Player | GP | G | TP | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tiger Williams (F) | 962 | 241 | 513 | 3966 |
| 2. | Dale Hunter (F) | 1409 | 323 | 1020 | 3565 |
| 3. | Tie Domi (F) | 1020 | 104 | 245 | 3515 |
| 4. | Marty McSorley (D) | 961 | 108 | 359 | 3381 |
| 5. | Bob Probert (F) | 935 | 163 | 384 | 3300 |
NHL All-Time Games Played
| # | Player | GP | G | A | TP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Patrick Marleau (F) | 1779 | 566 | 631 | 1197 |
| 2. | Gordie Howe (F) | 1767 | 801 | 1049 | 1850 |
| 3. | Mark Messier (F) | 1756 | 694 | 1193 | 1887 |
| 4. | Jaromír Jágr (F) | 1733 | 766 | 1155 | 1921 |
| 5. | Ron Francis (F) | 1731 | 549 | 1249 | 1798 |
NHL All-Time Points Per Game
| # | Player | GP | G | TP | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1487 | 894 | 2857 | 1.92 |
| 2. | Mario Lemieux (F) | 915 | 690 | 1723 | 1.88 |
| 3. | Newsy Lalonde (F) | 99 | 124 | 166 | 1.68 |
| 4. | Connor McDavid (F) | 808 | 417 | 1257 | 1.56 |
| 5. | Mike Bossy (F) | 752 | 573 | 1126 | 1.50 |
NHL All-Time Points Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1985-1986 | NHL | 80 | 52 | 163 | 215 | 2.69 | 46 |
| 2. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1981-1982 | NHL | 80 | 92 | 120 | 212 | 2.65 | 26 |
| 3. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1984-1985 | NHL | 80 | 73 | 135 | 208 | 2.60 | 52 |
| 4. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1983-1984 | NHL | 74 | 87 | 118 | 205 | 2.77 | 39 |
| 5. | Mario Lemieux (F) | 1988-1989 | NHL | 76 | 85 | 114 | 199 | 2.62 | 100 |
NHL All-Time Goals Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1981-1982 | NHL | 80 | 92 | 120 | 212 | 2.65 | 26 |
| 2. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1983-1984 | NHL | 74 | 87 | 118 | 205 | 2.77 | 39 |
| 3. | Brett Hull (F) | 1990-1991 | NHL | 78 | 86 | 45 | 131 | 1.68 | 22 |
| 4. | Mario Lemieux (F) | 1988-1989 | NHL | 76 | 85 | 114 | 199 | 2.62 | 100 |
| 5. | Phil Esposito (F) | 1970-1971 | NHL | 78 | 76 | 76 | 152 | 1.95 | 71 |
NHL All-Time Assists Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1985-1986 | NHL | 80 | 52 | 163 | 215 | 2.69 | 46 |
| 2. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1984-1985 | NHL | 80 | 73 | 135 | 208 | 2.60 | 52 |
| 3. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1982-1983 | NHL | 80 | 71 | 125 | 196 | 2.45 | 59 |
| 4. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1990-1991 | NHL | 78 | 41 | 122 | 163 | 2.09 | 16 |
| 5. | Wayne Gretzky (F) | 1986-1987 | NHL | 79 | 62 | 121 | 183 | 2.32 | 28 |
NHL All-Time Penalty Min. Per Season
| # | Player | Season | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dave Schultz (F) | 1974-1975 | NHL | 76 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 0.34 | 472 |
| 2. | Paul Baxter (D) | 1981-1982 | NHL | 76 | 9 | 34 | 43 | 0.57 | 409 |
| 3. | Mike Peluso (F) | 1991-1992 | NHL | 63 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 0.14 | 408 |
| 4. | Dave Schultz (F) | 1977-1978 | NHL | 74 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 0.49 | 405 |
| 5. | Marty McSorley (D) | 1992-1993 | NHL | 81 | 15 | 26 | 41 | 0.51 | 399 |
Player Nationalities Throughout History
- 5819 players
- 1561 players
- 459 players
- 336 players
- 281 players
- 274 players
100 players- 46 players
41 players
31 players
20 players
17 players
10 players
10 players
9 players
9 players
6 players
6 players
5 players
3 players
2 players
2 players
2 players
2 players
2 players
2 players
2 players
2 players
2 players
1 player
1 player
1 player
1 player
List of NHL Champions
NHL Awards
- NHA Stanley Cup Champion
- NHL All-Rookie Team
- NHL All-Star Game
- NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy)
- NHL Best Defenseman (Norris Trophy) Finalist
- NHL Best GAA
- NHL Best Goalie (Vezina Trophy)
- NHL Best Goalie (Vezina Trophy) Finalist
- NHL Best Plus/Minus
- NHL Best SVS%
- NHL Coach of the Year (Jack Adams Award)
- NHL Contribution to U.S. Hockey (Lester Patrick Trophy)
- NHL First All-Star Team
- NHL Foundation Player Award
- NHL General Manager of the Year
- NHL Gentleman Conduct (Lady Byng Trophy)
- NHL Gentleman Conduct (Lady Byng Trophy) Finalist
- NHL Leadership-Humanitarian Award (King Clancy Trophy)
- NHL Lowest GA (Jennings Trophy)
- NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award
- NHL Most Assists
- NHL Most Assists by Defenseman
- NHL Most Assists by Rookie
- NHL Most Goals (Maurice Richard Trophy)
- NHL Most Goals by Defenseman
- NHL Most Goals by Rookie
- NHL Most Penalized Player
- NHL Most Points (Art Ross Trophy)
- NHL Most Points by Defenseman
- NHL Most Points by Rookie
- NHL Most Valuable Player (Hart Trophy)
- NHL Most Valuable Player (Hart Trophy) Finalist
- NHL MVP Selected by NHLPA (Ted Lindsay Award)
- NHL Playoffs Most Assists
- NHL Playoffs Most Goals
- NHL Playoffs Most Points
- NHL Playoffs Most Points by Defenseman
- NHL Rookie of the Month
- NHL Rookie of the Year (Calder Trophy)
- NHL Rookie of the Year (Calder Trophy) Finalist
- NHL Second All-Star Team
- NHL Sportsmanship Award (Bill Masterton Trophy)
- NHL Sportsmanship Award (Bill Masterton Trophy) Finalist
- NHL Stanley Cup Champion
- NHL Stanley Cup Clinching Goal
- NHL Stanley Cup MVP (Conn Smythe Trophy)
- NHL Top Defensive Forward (Frank J. Selke Trophy)
- NHL Top Defensive Forward (Selke Trophy) Finalist
- NHL YoungStars Roster