1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers season


The 1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers 30th season in the National Hockey League. The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep.

Regular season

While Eric Lindros rehabbed from a bothersome groin injury, the Flyers trod water through the early part of the schedule. They dropped the first-ever home game at the new CoreStates Center to the Florida Panthers, 3–1, on October 5, and lost again to their new rivals three weeks later. However, they rebounded to end the Panthers' season-opening 8–0–4 run with a 3–2 victory in Miami on November 2.
With John LeClair, Mikael Renberg, Dale Hawerchuk and Rod Brind'Amour expected to pick up the slack on offense, the club was inconsistent and went 12–10–1 prior to Lindros' return in a 2–0 loss in Boston on November 26. Another loss the next night to the Islanders dropped the team into fourth place, but the team soon caught fire, ripping off a 14–0–3 stretch from November 30 to January 7.
The run included an incredible stretch of four consecutive shutout wins in mid-December, a trade which netted high-scoring defenseman Paul Coffey and a thrilling come-from-behind 4–4 tie against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on January 4.
In a 9–5 win over Montreal on February 6, the Legion of Doom line set a franchise-record with 16 points and spoiled the NHL debut of Tomas Vokoun, and in a 5–5 tie on March 1 in Boston, third-line winger Trent Klatt recorded his first 20-goal season with a hat trick.
A 2–3–2 finish which saw Lindros sit out a one-game suspension and the Devils vault over the team for first place in the Atlantic was mitigated when LeClair scored his 50th goal of the season in a 5–4 win over New Jersey in the final regular-season game.

Season standings

Playoffs

Backstopped by the goaltending tandem of Ron Hextall and Garth Snow, the Flyers dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers all in five games apiece to win the Eastern Conference championship, and clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1987. However, their opponent, the Detroit Red Wings, swept the Flyers in four straight games. After Game 3, Terry Murray said that the team was in a "choking situation." It is said this remark cost Murray his job, as he was fired less than a week after the conclusion of the finals.

Schedule and results

Regular season

Playoffs

Player statistics

Scoring

Awards and records

Awards

Records

tied Rick MacLeish's team record for consecutive games played at 287 on January 29, 1997. Brind'Amour's streak ended at 484 games when a fractured left foot caused him to miss the first 34 games of the 1999–2000 season.
RecordTypeTotalPlayerDateOpponentRef
Goals scoredGame4John LeClair2/6/1997Montreal Canadiens
AssistsGame6Eric Lindros2/26/1997Ottawa Senators
Goals scoredPeriod3Eric Lindros3/19/1997Toronto Maple Leafs
Goals scoredGame4Eric Lindros3/19/1997Toronto Maple Leafs
Assists by a rookie defensemanSeason44Janne Niinimaa——
Shorthanded goals, playoffsPeriod2Rod Brind'Amour4/26/1997Pittsburgh Penguins
Shorthanded goals, playoffsGame2Rod Brind'Amour4/26/1997Pittsburgh Penguins
Assists, playoffsPeriod3Paul Coffey5/7/1997Buffalo Sabres
Assists, playoffsPeriod3Rod Brind'Amour5/11/1997Buffalo Sabres
Fastest two goals by one player, playoffsGame0:41Eric Lindros5/11/1997Buffalo Sabres

Team

Milestones

Transactions

The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from June 12, 1996, the day after the deciding game of the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 7, 1997, the day of the deciding game of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.

Trades

Signings

Free agency

The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk.
DatePlayerPrevious team TermRef
June 18, 1996Scott DanielsHartford Whalers3-year
July 9, 1996Dominic RousselWinnipeg Jets2-year*
July 10, 1996John StevensSpringfield Falcons *
July 15, 1996Daniel LacroixNew York Rangers2-year
July 17, 1996Peter WhiteToronto Maple Leafs*
July 23, 1996Steven KingMighty Ducks of Anaheim1-year*
October 1, 1996Brett Bruininks Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1-year*
October 3, 1996Martin Boisvenue Val-d'Or Foreurs multi-year*
May 28, 1997Andy Delmore Fredericton Canadiens *

Internal

The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to entry level contracts. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk.
DatePlayerTermRef
June 18, 1996Janne Niinimaa 2-year*
July 18, 1996Trent Klatt2-year
July 31, 1996Brian Wesenberg 1-year*
August 6, 1996Karl Dykhuis3-year
August 15, 1996Ron Hextall3-year
September 10, 1996Petr Svoboda4-year
October 3, 1996Dainius Zubrus 3-year*
October 10, 1996Brian Boucher 3-year*

Waivers

The Flyers were involved in the following waivers transactions. They were involved in two selections during the 1996 NHL Waiver Draft, which was held on September 30, 1996. The Flyers made the following players available: goaltenders Les Kuntar and Dominic Roussel, defensemen Frank Bialowas, Jason Bowen, Aris Brimanis, Darren Rumble, and John Stevens, and forwards Bruce Coles, Bob Corkum, Craig Darby, Rob DiMaio, Yanick Dupre, Tony Horacek, Patrik Juhlin, Steven King, Trent Klatt, Shawn McCosh, Clayton Norris, and Peter White.
DatePlayerTeamRef
September 30, 1996Rob DiMaioto San Jose Sharks
September 30, 1996Bob Corkumto Phoenix Coyotes
January 17, 1997Michel Petitfrom Edmonton Oilers

Departures

The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk.
DatePlayerNew team ViaRef
July 9, 1996Shawn AntoskiPittsburgh PenguinsRelease
July 9, 1996Dan QuinnPittsburgh PenguinsRelease
July 24, 1996Todd NelsonGrand Rapids Griffins Free agency
July 29, 1996Phil CroweOttawa SenatorsFree agency
August 27, 1996Tim CheveldaeBoston BruinsFree agency
N/AJim MontgomeryKolner Haie Free agency
N/ARuss RomaniukManitoba Moose Free agency
October 12, 1996Kerry HuffmanLas Vegas Thunder Free agency

Draft picks

Philadelphia's picks at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 22, 1996. The Flyers traded their first-round pick, 24th overall, their fourth-round pick, 106th overall, and Martin Spanhel to the San Jose Sharks for Pat Falloon on September 20, 1995. They also traded their third-round pick, 78th overall, and their sixth-round pick, 157th overall, to the Colorado Avalanche for Garth Snow on July 12, 1995, and their ninth-round pick, 239th overall, to the Ottawa Senators for Kerry Huffman on March 19, 1996.
RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityTeam Notes
115Dainius ZubrusRight WingLithuaniaCaledon Canadians
364Chester GallantRight WingCanadaNiagara Falls Thunder
5124Per-Ragnar BergkvistGoaltenderSwedenLeksands IF
5133Jesse BoulericeRight WingUnited StatesDetroit Whalers
7187Roman MalovCenterRussiaAvangard Omsk
8213Jeff MillekerCenterCanadaMoose Jaw Warriors

Farm teams

The Flyers were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL and the Mobile Mysticks of the ECHL.