1996–97 Dallas Stars season
The 1996–97 Dallas Stars season was the fourth National Hockey League season in Dallas, Texas as they attempted to bounce back from their dismal last place finish in the Central Division, which they would, finishing first, clinching the first Division title for Dallas. They would face off against the Edmonton Oilers in the Conference Quarterfinals, playing a tough series, losing 4-3.
Offseason
Regular season
Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
Round 1: (2) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Edmonton Oilers
Player statistics
Regular season
;Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| C | 80 | 35 | 48 | 83 | 42 | 43 | 9 | 5 | 9 | |
| RW | 81 | 17 | 36 | 53 | 128 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| C | 66 | 30 | 21 | 51 | 32 | -5 | 8 | 0 | 2 | |
| D | 82 | 8 | 40 | 48 | 51 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| C | 73 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 54 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 5 | |
| RW | 63 | 16 | 27 | 43 | 2 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| D | 78 | 13 | 30 | 43 | 24 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| LW | 82 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| RW | 76 | 13 | 26 | 39 | 51 | -2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| LW | 50 | 21 | 15 | 36 | 2 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| RW/C | 71 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 142 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| LW | 67 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| D | 63 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 97 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 73 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 36 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| D | 67 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 61 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 20 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| D | 77 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 62 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| C | 46 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| D | 57 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 87 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| LW | 40 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 105 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 56 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 98 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 24 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| D | 55 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 35 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 48 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% |
| 2738 | 48 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 98 | 2.15 | 3 | 1121 | 1023 | .913 | |
| 1965 | 35 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 88 | 2.69 | 3 | 825 | 737 | .893 | |
| 263 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2.05 | 0 | 129 | 120 | .930 | |
| Team: | 4966 | 82 | 48 | 26 | 8 | 195 | 2.36 | 6 | 2075 | 1880 | .906 |
Playoffs
;Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| C | 7 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| C | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16 | -2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| D | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW/C | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% |
| 449 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 2.81 | 0 | 214 | 193 | .902 | |
| 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1.000 | |
| Team: | 462 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 2.73 | 0 | 218 | 197 | .904 |
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;
Awards and records
Transactions
Roster
Draft picks
Dallas's draft picks at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri.| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 1 | 5 | Ric Jackman | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | |
| 3 | 70 | Jon Sim | Sarnia Sting | |
| 4 | 90 | Mike Hurley | Tri-City Americans | |
| 5 | 112 | Ryan Christie | Owen Sound Platers | |
| 5 | 113 | Yevgeni Tsybuk | Yaroslavl Torpedo | |
| 7 | 166 | Eoin McInerney | London Knights | |
| 8 | 194 | Joel Kwiatkowski | Prince George Cougars | |
| 9 | 220 | Nick Bootland | Guelph Storm |