1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers season

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

1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers
Eastern Conference champions
Division	2nd Atlantic
Conference	3rd Eastern
1996–97 record	45–24–13
Home record	23–12–6
Road record	22–12–7
Goals for	274
Goals against	217
Team information
President	Bob Clarke
General manager	Bob Clarke
Coach	Terry Murray
Captain	Eric Lindros
Alternate captains	Rod Brind'Amour Eric Desjardins
Arena	CoreStates Center
Average attendance	19,311^[1]
Minor league affiliate(s)	Philadelphia Phantoms Mobile Mysticks
Team leaders
Goals	John LeClair (50)
Assists	John LeClair (47) Eric Lindros (47)
Points	John LeClair (97)
Penalty minutes	Scott Daniels (237)
Plus/minus	John LeClair (+44)
Wins	Ron Hextall (31)
Goals against average	Garth Snow (2.52)
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

Regular season

While Eric Lindros rehabbed from a bothersome groin injury, the Flyers treaded 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 (Hartford, Boston, Islanders, St. Louis), 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 (and only) 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

Atlantic Division

No.	CR		GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	Pts
1	1	New Jersey Devils	82	45	23	14	231	182	104
2	3	Philadelphia Flyers	82	45	24	13	274	217	103
3	4	Florida Panthers	82	35	28	19	221	201	89
4	5	New York Rangers	82	38	34	10	258	231	86
5	9	Washington Capitals	82	33	40	9	214	231	75
6	11	Tampa Bay Lightning	82	32	40	10	217	247	74
7	12	New York Islanders	82	29	41	12	240	250	70

Eastern Conference^[2]

R		Div	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	Pts
1	New Jersey Devils	ATL	82	45	23	14	231	182	104
2	Buffalo Sabres	NE	82	40	30	12	237	208	92
3	Philadelphia Flyers	ATL	82	45	24	13	274	217	103
4	Florida Panthers	ATL	82	35	28	19	221	201	89
5	New York Rangers	ATL	82	38	34	10	258	231	86
6	Pittsburgh Penguins	NE	82	38	36	8	285	280	84
7	Ottawa Senators	NE	82	31	36	15	226	234	77
8	Montreal Canadiens	NE	82	31	36	15	249	276	77
9	Washington Capitals	ATL	82	33	40	9	214	231	75
10	Hartford Whalers	NE	82	32	39	11	226	256	75
11	Tampa Bay Lightning	ATL	82	32	40	10	217	247	74
12	New York Islanders	ATL	82	29	41	12	240	250	70
13	Boston Bruins	NE	82	26	47	9	234	300	61

Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast

bold – Qualified for playoffs

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.^[3]

Schedule and results

Regular season

1996–97 regular season^[4]
October: 6–7–0, 12 Points (Home: 3–3–0; Road: 3–4–0) Game Date Opponent Score Record Points Recap 1 October 5 Florida Panthers 1–3 0–1–0 0 Recap 2 October 7 New Jersey Devils 3–1 1–1–0 2 Recap 3 October 10 Los Angeles Kings 5–4 OT 2–1–0 4 Recap 4 October 12 @ New York Islanders 1–5 2–2–0 4 Recap 5 October 13 Calgary Flames 0–1 2–3–0 4 Recap 6 October 15 @ Los Angeles Kings 2–3 2–4–0 4 Recap 7 October 16 @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 4–3 3–4–0 6 Recap 8 October 18 @ Phoenix Coyotes 3–1 4–4–0 8 Recap 9 October 22 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 3–0 5–4–0 10 Recap 10 October 26 @ Montreal Canadiens 5–6 5–5–0 10 Recap 11 October 27 Florida Panthers 2–3 5–6–0 10 Recap 12 October 30 @ Washington Capitals 2–4 5–7–0 10 Recap 13 October 31 @ Tampa Bay Lightning 4–3 6–7–0 12 Recap
November: 7–5–1, 15 Points (Home: 2–3–1; Road: 5–2–0) Game Date Opponent Score Record Points Recap 14 November 2 @ Florida Panthers 3–2 7–7–0 14 Recap 15 November 4 New York Islanders 3–4 7–8–0 14 Recap 16 November 7 @ Buffalo Sabres 5–2 8–8–0 16 Recap 17 November 9 Chicago Blackhawks 1–4 8–9–0 16 Recap 18 November 10 Toronto Maple Leafs 3–1 9–9–0 18 Recap 19 November 13 @ New York Rangers 2–1 10–9–0 20 Recap 20 November 14 Washington Capitals 2–5 10–10–0 20 Recap 21 November 16 San Jose Sharks 2–2 OT 10–10–1 21 Recap 22 November 21 Pittsburgh Penguins 7–3 11–10–1 23 Recap 23 November 23 @ Tampa Bay Lightning 2–1 12–10–1 25 Recap 24 November 26 @ Boston Bruins 0–2 12–11–1 25 Recap 25 November 27 @ New York Islanders 1–4 12–12–1 25 Recap 26 November 30 @ Ottawa Senators 4–3 13–12–1 27 Recap
December: 11–0–2, 24 Points (Home: 6–0–0; Road: 5–0–2) Game Date Opponent Score Record Points Recap 27 December 1 Vancouver Canucks 4–3 14–12–1 29 Recap 28 December 4 @ New York Rangers 1–1 OT 14–12–2 30 Recap 29 December 6 @ Dallas Stars 6–3 15–12–2 32 Recap 30 December 10 Florida Panthers 5–4 16–12–2 34 Recap 31 December 12 Hartford Whalers 3–2 17–12–2 36 Recap 32 December 14 @ Hartford Whalers 4–0 18–12–2 38 Recap 33 December 15 Boston Bruins 6–0 19–12–2 40 Recap 34 December 19 New York Islanders 5–0 20–12–2 42 Recap 35 December 21 St. Louis Blues 4–0 21–12–2 44 Recap 36 December 22 @ Chicago Blackhawks 2–2 OT 21–12–3 45 Recap 37 December 27 @ Edmonton Oilers 6–4 22–12–3 47 Recap 38 December 29 @ Calgary Flames 4–2 23–12–3 49 Recap 39 December 31 @ Vancouver Canucks 5–3 24–12–3 51 Recap
January: 5–2–4, 14 Points (Home: 3–2–2; Road: 2–0–2) Game Date Opponent Score Record Points Recap 40 January 2 @ San Jose Sharks 4–1 25–12–3 53 Recap 41 January 4 @ Colorado Avalanche 4–4 OT 25–12–4 54 Recap 42 January 7 Boston Bruins 7–3 26–12–4 56 Recap 43 January 9 Tampa Bay Lightning 1–3 26–13–4 56 Recap 44 January 11 Washington Capitals 3–3 OT 26–13–5 57 Recap 45 January 14 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 27–13–5 59 Recap 46 January 21 Dallas Stars 3–3 OT 27–13–6 60 Recap 47 January 22 @ Detroit Red Wings 2–2 OT 27–13–7 61 Recap 48 January 25 Detroit Red Wings 1–4 27–14–7 61 Recap 49 January 28 Phoenix Coyotes 4–1 28–14–7 63 Recap 50 January 29 @ Washington Capitals 2–1 29–14–7 65 Recap
February: 7–3–2, 16 Points (Home: 4–1–2; Road: 3–2–0) Game Date Opponent Score Record Points Recap 51 February 1 New York Rangers 2–4 29–15–7 65 Recap 52 February 4 Buffalo Sabres 1–1 OT 29–15–8 66 Recap 53 February 6 Montreal Canadiens 9–5 30–15–8 68 Recap 54 February 8 @ New Jersey Devils 2–4 30–16–8 68 Recap 55 February 13 Ottawa Senators 4–2 31–16–8 70 Recap 56 February 15 Pittsburgh Penguins 5–1 32–16–8 72 Recap 57 February 16 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 6–2 33–16–8 74 Recap 58 February 19 Hartford Whalers 2–2 OT 33–16–9 75 Recap 59 February 20 @ Tampa Bay Lightning 2–5 33–17–9 75 Recap 60 February 22 @ Florida Panthers 4–3 OT 34–17–9 77 Recap 61 February 23 New York Rangers 2–1 35–17–9 79 Recap 62 February 26 @ Ottawa Senators 8–5 36–17–9 81 Recap
March: 7–5–2, 16 Points (Home: 3–2–0; Road: 4–3–2) Game Date Opponent Score Record Points Recap 63 March 1 @ Boston Bruins 5–5 OT 36–17–10 82 Recap 64 March 2 @ Hartford Whalers 5–2 37–17–10 84 Recap 65 March 5 New Jersey Devils 1–3 37–18–10 84 Recap 66 March 8 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 2–3 OT 37–19–10 84 Recap 67 March 9 Washington Capitals 5–0 38–19–10 86 Recap 68 March 11 @ Buffalo Sabres 2–3 OT 38–20–10 86 Recap 69 March 13 Edmonton Oilers 5–4 OT 39–20–10 88 Recap 70 March 15 Buffalo Sabres 5–7 39–21–10 88 Recap 71 March 19 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 6–3 40–21–10 90 Recap 72 March 22 @ New York Islanders 3–3 OT 40–21–11 91 Recap 73 March 23 Colorado Avalanche 2–0 41–21–11 93 Recap 74 March 25 @ New Jersey Devils 4–3 42–21–11 95 Recap 75 March 29 @ Washington Capitals 5–3 43–21–11 97 Recap 76 March 30 @ St. Louis Blues 2–3 43–22–11 97 Recap
April: 2–2–2, 6 Points (Home: 2–1–1; Road: 0–1–1) Game Date Opponent Score Record Points Recap 77 April 1 Tampa Bay Lightning 1–1 OT 43–22–12 98 Recap 78 April 6 Ottawa Senators 2–1 44–22–12 100 Recap 79 April 7 @ New York Rangers 2–3 44–23–12 100 Recap 80 April 10 New York Rangers 3–6 44–24–12 100 Recap 81 April 12 @ Montreal Canadiens 3–3 OT 44–24–13 101 Recap 82 April 13 New Jersey Devils 5–4 45–24–13 103 Recap
Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

1997 Stanley Cup playoffs^[4]
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins – Flyers win 4–1 Game Date Opponent Score Series Recap 1 April 17 Pittsburgh Penguins 5–1 Flyers lead 1–0 Recap 2 April 19 Pittsburgh Penguins 3–2 Flyers lead 2–0 Recap 3 April 21 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 5–3 Flyers lead 3–0 Recap 4 April 23 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 1–4 Flyers lead 3–1 Recap 5 April 26 Pittsburgh Penguins 6–3 Flyers win 4–1 Recap
Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Buffalo Sabres – Flyers win 4–1 Game Date Opponent Score Series Recap 1 May 3 @ Buffalo Sabres 5–3 Flyers lead 1–0 Recap 2 May 5 @ Buffalo Sabres 2–1 Flyers lead 2–0 Recap 3 May 7 Buffalo Sabres 4–1 Flyers lead 3–0 Recap 4 May 9 Buffalo Sabres 4–5 OT Flyers lead 3–1 Recap 5 May 11 @ Buffalo Sabres 6–3 Flyers win 4–1 Recap
Eastern Conference Finals vs. New York Rangers – Flyers win 4–1 Game Date Opponent Score Series Recap 1 May 16 New York Rangers 3–1 Flyers lead 1–0 Recap 2 May 18 New York Rangers 4–5 Series tied 1–1 Recap 3 May 20 @ New York Rangers 6–3 Flyers lead 2–1 Recap 4 May 23 @ New York Rangers 3–2 Flyers lead 3–1 Recap 5 May 25 New York Rangers 4–2 Flyers win 4–1 Recap
Stanley Cup Finals vs. Detroit Red Wings – Red Wings win 4–0 Game Date Opponent Score Series Recap 1 May 31 Detroit Red Wings 2–4 Red Wings lead 1–0 Recap 2 June 3 Detroit Red Wings 2–4 Red Wings lead 2–0 Recap 3 June 5 @ Detroit Red Wings 1–6 Red Wings lead 3–0 Recap 4 June 7 @ Detroit Red Wings 1–2 Red Wings win 4–0 Recap
Legend:   Win   Loss

Player statistics

Scoring

• Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
•   = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
•   = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

			Regular season						Playoffs
No.	Player	Pos	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
10	John LeClair	LW	82	50	47	97	44	58	19	9	12	21	5	10
88	Eric Lindros	C	52	32	47	79	31	136	19	12	14	26	7	40
17	Rod Brind'Amour	C	82	27	32	59	2	41	19	13	8	21	9	10
19	Mikael Renberg	RW	77	22	37	59	36	65	18	5	6	11	1	4
37	Eric Desjardins	D	82	12	34	46	25	50	19	2	8	10	9	12
20	Trent Klatt	RW	76	24	21	45	9	20	19	4	3	7	1	12
44	Janne Niinimaa	D	77	4	40	44	12	58	19	1	12	13	3	16
18	Dale Hawerchuk	C	51	12	22	34	9	32	17	2	5	7	−2	0
25	Shjon Podein	LW	82	14	18	32	7	41	19	4	3	7	4	16
29	Joel Otto	C	78	13	19	32	12	99	18	1	5	6	3	8
77	Paul Coffey	D	37	6	20	26	11	20	17	1	8	9	−3	6
6	Chris Therien	D	71	2	22	24	27	64	19	1	6	7	14	6
15	Pat Falloon	RW	52	11	12	23	−8	10	14	3	1	4	−1	2
9	Dainius Zubrus	LW	68	8	13	21	3	22	19	5	4	9	3	12
24	Karl Dykhuis	D	62	4	15	19	6	35	18	0	3	3	1	2
26	John Druce	RW	43	7	8	15	−5	12	13	1	0	1	2	2
45	Vaclav Prospal	C	18	5	10	15	3	4	5	1	3	4	0	4
23	Petr Svoboda	D	67	2	12	14	10	94	16	1	2	3	4	16
32	Daniel Lacroix	C	74	7	1	8	−1	163	12	0	1	1	0	22
22	Scott Daniels	RW	56	5	3	8	2	237	—	—	—	—	—	—
28	Kjell Samuelsson	D	34	4	3	7	17	47	5	0	0	0	−3	2
21	Dan Kordic	LW	75	1	4	5	−1	210	12	1	0	1	1	22
11	Craig Darby	C	9	1	4	5	2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
5	Kevin Haller	D	27	0	5	5	−1	37	—	—	—	—	—	—
8	Michel Petit	D	20	0	3	3	2	51	3	0	0	0	−1	6
48	Colin Forbes	LW	3	1	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0
30	Garth Snow	G	35	0	1	1		30	12	0	2	2		11
34	Jason Bowen	D	4	0	1	1	1	8	—	—	—	—	—	—
3	Aris Brimanis	D	3	0	1	1	0	0	—	—	—	—	—	—
27	Ron Hextall	G	55	0	0	0		43	8	0	0	0		0
5	Darren Rumble	D	10	0	0	0	−2	0	—	—	—	—	—	—
2	Frantisek Kucera	D	2	0	0	0	−2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
38	Paul Healey	RW	2	0	0	0	0	2	—	—	—	—	—	—

Goaltending

		Regular season											Playoffs
No.	Player	GP	GS	W	L	T	SA	GA	GAA	SV%	SO	TOI	GP	GS	W	L	SA	GA	GAA	SV%	SO	TOI
27	Ron Hextall	55	54	31	16	5	1285	132	2.56	.897	5	3,094:19	8	7	4	3	203	22	2.97	.892	0	443:55
30	Garth Snow	35	28	14	8	8	816	79	2.52	.903	2	1,884:26	12	12	8	4	305	33	2.83	.892	0	698:31

Awards and records

Awards

Type	Award/honor	Recipient	Ref
League (annual)	Bud Ice Plus-Minus Award	John LeClair	^[5]
	NHL All-Rookie Team	Janne Niinimaa (Defense)	^[6]
	NHL second All-Star team	John LeClair (Left Wing)	^[7]
League (in-season)	NHL All-Star Game selection	Paul Coffey	^[8]
		Dale Hawerchuk^[a]
		John LeClair
		Eric Lindros
	NHL Player of the Week	John LeClair (November 11)	^[10]
		Eric Lindros (December 16)	^[11]
Team	Barry Ashbee Trophy	Eric Desjardins	^[12]
	Bobby Clarke Trophy	John LeClair	^[12]
	Class Guy Award	Shjon Podein	^[12]
	Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy	Trent Klatt	^[12]

Records

See also: List of Philadelphia Flyers records

Among the team records set during the 1996–97 season was goaltender Ron Hextall tying a team record with nine consecutive wins from December 6 to January 7.^[13] During Hextall’s streak the team set two shutout streaks, going a team record 265 minutes and eight seconds without allowing a goal from December 12 to December 22, and recording four consecutive shutouts from December 14 to December 21 (tied during the 1998–99 season).^[14][15] On January 29, Rod Brind'Amour tied Rick MacLeish's team record for consecutive games played at 287.^[16] Brind'Amour's streak continued another two seasons until a fractured left foot during training camp caused him to miss the first 34 games of the 1999–2000 season, ending the streak at 484 games.^[17][18]

The Legion of Doom line of Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg had two record setting games in February. On February 6 against the Montreal Canadiens, the line combined for a team record 16 points (LeClair 6 points, Lindros 5, and Renberg 5) with LeClair tying a team regular season record with four goals in the game.^[19][20] Three weeks later on February 26 against the Ottawa Senators, the line again recorded a combined 16 points (Lindros 7 points, Renberg 5, and LeClair 4) with Lindros setting the team records for assists in a single game (6) and a single period (4, later tied).^[19][21][22] Lindros also tied the team record for points in a single period (4).^[23] On March 19, Lindros tied the team regular season record for goals scored in a game (4) and tied the team record for goals in a period (3).^[20][24] Janne Niinimaa’s 40 assists on the season set a team record for rookie defensemen.^[25]

During game three of their conference quarterfinals series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers set a franchise single period playoff record for most shots on goal (28).^[26] During game three, Rod Brind’Amour tied the NHL records for most shorthanded goals scored in a playoff game and playoff period (2 for both).^[27][28] Likewise, the two total shorthanded goals scored by the Flyers is also tied for the franchise single playoff game and playoff period records.^[29][30] John LeClair’s three game-winning goals during the series is a franchise single series high.^[31] During game three of their conference semifinals series against the Buffalo Sabres, defenseman Paul Coffey recorded three assists during the first period, tying the franchise single playoff period mark.^[32] Brind’Amour repeated Coffey’s feat during the second period of game five.^[32] The Flyers five consecutive playoff wins on the road from May 3 to May 23 tied a team record.^[33]

Milestones

Individual career milestones^[34]

Milestone	Player	Date
500th game played	Ron Hextall	November 21, 1996

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.^[35]

Trades

Date	Details		Ref
July 18, 1996	To Philadelphia Flyers Frank Bialowas	To Washington Capitals Future considerations	^[36]
December 15, 1996	To Philadelphia Flyers Paul Coffey 3rd-round pick in 1997	To Hartford Whalers Kevin Haller 1st-round pick in 1997 Hartford's 7th-round pick in 1997	^[37]
March 18, 1997	To Philadelphia Flyers Frantisek Kucera	To Vancouver Canucks Conditional 7th-round pick in 1997^[b]	^[38]^[39]

Players acquired

Date	Player	Former team	Term	Via	Ref
June 18, 1996 (1996-06-18)	Scott Daniels	Hartford Whalers	3-year	Free agency	^[40]^[41]
July 9, 1996 (1996-07-09)	Dominic Roussel	Winnipeg Jets	2-year	Free agency	^[41]
July 10, 1996 (1996-07-10)	John Stevens	Springfield Falcons (AHL)		Free agency	^[41]
July 15, 1996 (1996-07-15)	Daniel Lacroix	New York Rangers	2-year	Free agency	^[42]
July 17, 1996 (1996-07-17)	Peter White	Toronto Maple Leafs		Free agency	^[43]
July 23, 1996 (1996-07-23)	Steven King	Anaheim Mighty Ducks	1-year	Free agency	^[44]
October 1, 1996 (1996-10-01)	Brett Bruininks	University of Notre Dame (CCHA)	1-year	Free agency	^[45]
October 3, 1996 (1996-10-03)	Martin Boisvenue	Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)	multi-year	Free agency	^[46]
January 17, 1997 (1997-01-17)	Michel Petit	Edmonton Oilers		Waivers	^[47]
May 28, 1997 (1997-05-28)	Andy Delmore	Fredericton Canadiens (AHL)	multi-year	Free agency	^[48]

Players lost

Date	Player	New team	Via^[c]	Ref
July 4, 1996 (1996-07-04)	Phil Crowe	Ottawa Senators	Free agency	^[50]
July 9, 1996 (1996-07-09)	Shawn Antoski	Pittsburgh Penguins^[d]	Release (UFA)	^[41]
	Dan Quinn	Pittsburgh Penguins^[d]	Release	^[41]
July 24, 1996 (1996-07-24)	Todd Nelson	Grand Rapids Griffins (IHL)	Free agency	^[52]
August 27, 1996 (1996-08-27)	Tim Cheveldae	Boston Bruins	Free agency	^[53]
N/A	Jim Montgomery	Kolner Haie (DEL)	Free agency (UFA)	^[54]
	Russ Romaniuk	Manitoba Moose (IHL)	Free agency	^[55]
September 30, 1996 (1996-09-30)	Bob Corkum	Phoenix Coyotes	Waiver draft	^[56]
	Rob DiMaio	San Jose Sharks	Waiver draft	^[56]
October 12, 1996 (1996-10-12)	Kerry Huffman	Las Vegas Thunder (IHL)	Free agency (UFA)	^[57]

Signings

Date	Player	Term	Contract type	Ref
June 18, 1996 (1996-06-18)	Janne Niinimaa	2-year	Entry-level	^[40]^[41]
	Trent Klatt	2-year	Re-signing	^[58]
July 31, 1996 (1996-07-31)	Brian Wesenberg	1-year	Entry-level	^[51]
August 6, 1996 (1996-08-06)	Karl Dykhuis	3-year	Re-signing	^[59]^[60]
August 15, 1996 (1996-08-15)	Ron Hextall	3-year	Re-signing	^[61]
September 10, 1996 (1996-09-10)	Petr Svoboda	4-year	Re-signing	^[62]
October 3, 1996 (1996-10-03)	Dainius Zubrus	3-year	Entry-level	^[63]
October 10, 1996 (1996-10-10)	Brian Boucher	3-year	Entry-level	^[64]

Draft picks

See also: List of Philadelphia Flyers 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.^[65] 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.^[66] 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.^[66]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	Team (league)	Notes
1	15	Dainius Zubrus	Right Wing	Lithuania	Caledon Canadians (MJAHL)	^[e]
3	64	Chester Gallant	Right Wing	Canada	Niagara Falls Thunder (OHL)	^[f]
5	124	Per-Ragnar Bergkvist	Goaltender	Sweden	Leksands IF (Elitserien)	^[g]
5	133	Jesse Boulerice	Right Wing	United States	Detroit Whalers (OHL)
7	187	Roman Malov	Center	Russia	Avangard Omsk (RSL)
8	213	Jeff Milleker	Center	Canada	Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

Farm teams

The Flyers were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL^[67][68] and the Mobile Mysticks of the ECHL.^[69]

Notes

1. Selected by the Commissioner^[9]
2. Condition not met.
3. In parenthesis is the player's free agency group on July 1 if applicable.^[49]
4. Antoski and Quinn signed with the Penguins on July 31, 1996.^[51]
5. The Flyers acquired the 15th overall pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs along with the Los Angeles Kings' 1996 fourth-round pick, 84th overall, and the Kings' 1997 second-round pick for Dmitri Yushkevich and the Flyers' second-round pick, 50th overall, on August 30, 1995.^[66] The Flyers traded the 1996 fourth-round pick back to the Kings for John Druce and the Kings' 1997 seventh-round pick on March 19, 1996.^[66]
6. The Flyers traded Dominic Roussel to the Winnipeg Jets for Tim Cheveldae and the Jets' third-round pick, 64th overall, on February 17, 1996.^[66]
7. The Flyers traded Rob Zettler to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Maple Leafs' fifth-round pick, 124th overall, on July 8, 1995.^[66]

References

General

• "Philadelphia Flyers 1996–97 roster and statistics". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
• "1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
• "Flyers History - Season Overview : 1996–97". Flyers History. FlyersAlumni.net. Retrieved February 10, 2022.

Specific

1. "All Time Team Attendance". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
2. "1996-1997 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
3. Bowen, Les (June 14, 1997). "Where There's Choke There's Fire". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
4. "1996-97 Philadelphia Flyers Schedule and Results". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
5. "Bud Light Plus-Minus Award award winners at hockeydb.com". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
6. 2014–15 NHL Official Guide & Record Book, p. 233
7. 2014–15 NHL Official Guide & Record Book, p. 230–32
8. "47th NHL All-Star Game". NHL.com. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
9. "Hawerchuk, Hunter Are Bettman's Picks". Los Angeles Times. January 9, 1997. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
10. Panaccio, Tim (November 12, 1996). "A Pick-me-up For Pat Falloon". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
11. Panaccio, Tim (December 17, 1996). "Newest Flyer Gets Warm Welcome". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
12. "Flyers History – Team Awards". P.Anson. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
13. "Goaltender Records: Longest Winning Streaks, Season". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
14. 2016–2017 Philadelphia Flyers Media Guide, p. 262
15. "Team Records: Most Consecutive Shutouts, Season". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
16. Blockus, Gary R. (January 29, 1997). "Flyers Reach Limit With 55 Shots To Top Coyotes". The Morning Call. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
17. Isaac, Dave (November 23, 2015). "Rod Brind'Amour heads into Flyers Hall of Fame". The New Journal. p. C6. Retrieved June 13, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
18. 2016–2017 Philadelphia Flyers Media Guide, p. 263
19. 2016–2017 Philadelphia Flyers Media Guide, p. 264
20. "Skater Records: Most Goals, Game". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
21. "Skater Records: Most Assists, Game". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
22. "Skater Records: Most Assists, Period". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
23. "Skater Records: Most Points, Period". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
24. "Skater Records: Most Goals, Period". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
25. "Skater Records: Most Assists, Rookie Defenseman, Season". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
26. "Playoff Team Records: Most Shots on Goal, One Team, Period (Since 1965-66)". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
27. "Playoff Skater Records: Most Shorthanded Goals, Playoff Game". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
28. "Playoff Skater Records: Most Shorthanded Goals, Playoff Period". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
29. "Playoff Team Records: Most Shorthanded Goals, One Team, Playoff Game". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
30. "Playoff Team Records: Most Shorthanded Goals, One Team, Playoff Period". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
31. "Playoff Skater Records: Most Game-Winning Goals, Playoff Series". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
32. "Playoff Skater Records: Most Assists, Playoff Period". records.nhl.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
33. 2016–2017 Philadelphia Flyers Media Guide, p. 346
34. "Flyers History – All-Time Milestone Award Winners". P.Anson. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
35. "Hockey Transactions Search Results". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
36. "Frank Bialowas – Notes". NHL.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
37. Panaccio, Tim (December 16, 1996). "Coffey Becomes Flyer at Last". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
38. Panaccio, Tim (March 19, 1997). "Flyers Quiet On Trade Front". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
39. Bowen, Les (March 19, 1997). "Holding, Clarke Refusal To Give Up Prospects Dooms Flyers' Trade Efforts". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
40. Miles, Gary (June 19, 1996). "Flyers Sign Two Players, Hire Brown As An Assistant". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
41. Panaccio, Tim (July 11, 1996). "Hextall Facing Deadline On Offer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
42. Panaccio, Tim (July 16, 1996). "Hextall Files For Arbitration". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
43. "Three Injured in Garden Brawl File Suit". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 18, 1996. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
44. Panaccio, Tim (July 24, 1996). "King, Right Winger, Signs With Flyers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
45. "Woods Ready To Play in Las Vegas, Australia". Orlando Sentinel. October 2, 1996. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
46. Bowen, Les (October 4, 1996). "Youth Hopes He Can Serve Flyers". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
47. Bowen, Les (January 17, 1997). "Flyers Get Petit Off Waivers". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
48. Bowen, Les (May 29, 1998). "Flyers' Objective: Seize The Moment". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
49. "NHL FREE AGENTS". Buffalo News. July 2, 1996. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
50. . Ottawa Senators. July 4, 1996. Archived from the original on April 10, 2004. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
51. "Flyers Sign Winger Wesenberg, Former Anaheim Draft Choice". Philadelphia Daily News. August 1, 1996. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
52. "Todd Nelson – Notes". NHL.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
53. "Tim Cheveldae – Notes". NHL.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
54. "Flyers A-Z: Montgomery, Jim". Philadelphia Flyers. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
55. . HHOF.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
56. Panaccio, Tim (October 1, 1996). "Flyers Lose DiMaio And Corkum". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
57. "Kerry Huffman – Notes". NHL.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
58. "Klatt Signs Contract, Will Stay With Flyers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 19, 1996. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
59. "Flyers Sign Dykhuis to a New Deal". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 7, 1996. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
60. Bowen, Les (August 16, 1996). "Flyers' Hextall, Clarke Reconcile After Reaching Three-year, No-trade Deal". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
61. Miles, Gary; Panaccio, Tim (August 16, 1996). "Flyers Reach 3-year Deal With Hextall". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
62. Panaccio, Tim (September 11, 1996). "Flyers Sign Svoboda For 4 Years". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
63. Panaccio, Tim (October 4, 1996). "Zubrus, Top Draft Pick, Agrees To 3-year Pact". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
64. Panaccio, Tim (October 11, 1996). "Flyers Blow 3-goal Lead, But Beat Kings in Ot". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
65. "1996 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
66. "1996 NHL Entry Draft Pick Transactions". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
67. "AHL Franchise Statistics". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
68. "AHL Season Overview: 1996–97". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
69. "Non-AHL Affiliates". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.