1995–96 Detroit Red Wings season

The 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings season was the 70th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on September 25, 1926.

1995–96 Detroit Red Wings
Central Division champions
Division1st Central
Conference1st Western
1995–96 record62–13–7
Home record36–3–2
Road record26–10–5
Goals for325
Goals against181
Team information
General managerScotty Bowman (interim)
Jim Devellano (interim)
CoachScotty Bowman
CaptainSteve Yzerman
Alternate captainsPaul Coffey
Sergei Fedorov
ArenaJoe Louis Arena
Average attendance19,923 (100%)
Total: 816,850
Minor league affiliate(s)Adirondack Red Wings (AHL)
Toledo Storm (ECHL)
Jacksonville Bullets (SHL)
Team leaders
GoalsSergei Fedorov (39)
AssistsSergei Fedorov (68)
PointsSergei Fedorov (107)
Penalty minutesKeith Primeau (168)
Plus/minusVladimir Konstantinov (+60)
WinsChris Osgood (39)
Goals against averageKevin Hodson (1.10)

Regarded as one of the greatest regular seasons in NHL history, the Red Wings eclipsed the all-time record of most regular-season wins with 62, a record previously set at 60 by the 1976–77 Montreal Canadiens. Their 131 points during the regular season were the most since the 1976–77 Montreal Canadiens accumulated 132 points (still an all-time record). They surpassed most of that year's NBA season win records, the 64–18 Seattle SuperSonics and the 72–10 Chicago Bulls being the only teams with more. The Red Wings had two winning streaks of nine games and had a 13–game unbeaten streak from Sunday, March 3, 1996, to Sunday, March 31, going 12–0–1 during that stretch.

Having the best record in the league, the Red Wings were awarded the Presidents' Trophy. During the 1995–96 regular season, the Red Wings were the only team to score at least one goal in all 82 of its games.[1] While the team is remembered for its record-breaking regular season, it ended in heartbreaking fashion in the playoffs. Detroit lost five games to Winnipeg and St. Louis, both teams that failed to get above 80 points in the regular season, including having to go to a decisive game 7 against St. Louis. They were ultimately upset by the Colorado Avalanche, winning only two of the six games in the series, and failed to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. They won 72 combined victories that season, tying the same 1976–77 Canadiens.

Off-season

In September 1995, the former 1974 draft pick and attorney Bill Evo was appointed president the Detroit Red Wings.[2]

Regular season

  • November 28, 1995: The Montreal Canadiens were playing the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. The day before the game, Mario Tremblay spoke to Mario Leclerc of Le Journal de Montreal. Tremblay mentioned that he was resentful of current Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman. He had played under Bowman for the first five years of his NHL career, and Tremblay told Leclerc that Bowman always threatened to send him to the minors.[3] When Leclerc approached Cournoyer, he stated that he did not want to speak about Bowman.[4] The Canadiens lost the game by a score of 3–2. The next day, Le Journal de Montreal had a headline that stated, "Bowman has the last word."[4]
  • December 2, 1995: The Red Wings played at the Montreal Forum and dealt Tremblay's Montreal Canadiens their worst home game in franchise history, with an 11–1 win.[5] The Habs' star goaltender Patrick Roy allowed nine goals on 26 shots (five in the first period, and then another four in the second period), and the crowd jeered him whenever he made an easy save during the second period after the game was already 7–1 in favor of the Red Wings. In response, Roy raised his arms in mock celebration. When Head Coach Mario Tremblay finally pulled Roy in the middle of the second period in favor of Pat Jablonski (who allowed two more goals), Roy stormed past him and told Canadiens President Ronald Corey, "It's my last game in Montreal."[6] Tremblay was roundly criticized for not relieving Roy earlier, violating the unwritten rule that a star goaltender be taken out of the game once it is clear he is having an off-night.[7] Roy was traded to the Colorado Avalanche after that game, and he played a key role in eliminating the Red Wings during the Western Conference Finals, precipitating the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry.
  • Against the Hartford Whalers on March 6, 1996, Chris Osgood became the third goaltender in NHL history to score a goal.[8]
  • On March 22, 1996, the Red Wings scored three short-handed goals in a 7–0 win over the Colorado Avalanche.[9]

The Red Wings finished first in wins (62), points (131), tied the Washington Capitals for most shutouts (9), allowed the fewest goals (181), the fewest even-strength goals (128), the fewest power-play goals (44) and had the best penalty-kill percentage (88.27%).[10]

Season standings

Central Division
No. GP W L T GF GA Pts
1Detroit Red Wings8262137325181131
2Chicago Blackhawks8240281427322094
3Toronto Maple Leafs8234361224725280
4St. Louis Blues8232341621924880
5Winnipeg Jets823640627529178
6Dallas Stars8226421422728066

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

Western Conference[11]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1p – Detroit Red WingsCEN8262137325181131
2Colorado AvalanchePAC82472510326240104
3Chicago BlackhawksCEN8240281427322094
4Toronto Maple LeafsCEN8234361224725280
5St. Louis BluesCEN8232341621924880
6Calgary FlamesPAC8234371124124079
7Vancouver CanucksPAC8232351527827879
8Winnipeg JetsCEN823640627529178
9Mighty Ducks of AnaheimPAC823539823424778
10Edmonton OilersPAC823044824030468
11Dallas StarsCEN8226421422728066
12Los Angeles KingsPAC8224401825630266
13San Jose SharksPAC822055725235747

Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific

bold – Qualified for playoffs; p – Won Presidents' Trophy

Playoffs

In the first round of the playoffs, the Red Wings defeated the eighth-place Winnipeg Jets marking the Jets' final games in Winnipeg as the franchise relocated to Phoenix following their playoff defeat. The Wings then defeated the fifth-place St. Louis Blues in the second round. In the Western Conference Finals, the Red Wings were ousted in six games by the Colorado Avalanche, who were in the first year after moving from Quebec. These two teams started the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry, which lasted nearly a decade.

Schedule and results

Regular season

1995-96 game log: 62–13–7 (Home: 36–3–2; Road: 26–10–5)

Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Playoffs

1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Legend:   Win   Loss

Player statistics

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; GS = Games started; TOI = Time on Ice; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals against average; SA = Shots Against; SV% = Save Percentage;
SO = Shutouts; G = Goals; A = Assists; PIM = Penalty minutes

Regular Season
Player GP GS TOI W L T GA GAA SA SV% SO G A PIM
Chris Osgood50472,932:5939651062.171,190.9115124
Mike Vernon32221,854:432172702.26723.9033002
Kevin Hodson43163:16200671.1067.9551000
Total4,950:58621371792.171,980.9109126
Playoffs
Player GP GS TOI W L GA GAA SA SV% SO G A PIM
Chris Osgood1515935:4887332.12322.8982004
Mike Vernon44243:2322112.7181.8640002
Total1,179:11109442.24403.8912006

† Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Red Wings. Stats reflect time with the Red Wings only.
‡ Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Red Wings only.

Awards and records

Transactions

Signings

DatePlayerContract term
August 28, 1995 (1995-08-28)Mike Ramsey1-year
September 7, 1995 (1995-09-07)Viacheslav Fetisov1-year

Draft picks

Detroit's draft picks at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta.

Round # Player Pos Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (League)
126Maxim KuznetsovD RussiaDynamo Moscow (Russia)
252Philippe AudetLW CanadaGranby Bisons (QMJHL)
3158Darryl LaplanteC CanadaMoose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
4104Anatoli UstyugovLW RussiaTorpedo Yaroslavl (Russia)
52125Chad WilchynskiD CanadaRegina Pats (WHL)
53126Dave ArsenaultG CanadaDrummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
6156Tyler PerryC CanadaSeattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
7182Per EklundRW SwedenDjurgardens IF (Sweden)
8208Andrei SamokhvalovRW KazakhstanTorpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk (Kazakhstan)
9234David EngblomC SwedenVallentuna (Sweden)
Notes
  1. The Red Wings acquired this pick as the result of a trade on May 25, 1994 that sent Sheldon Kennedy to Winnipeg in exchange for this pick.
  2. The Red Wings acquired this pick as the result of a trade on January 17, 1994 that sent Vincent Riendeau to Boston in exchange for this pick.
  3. The Red Wings acquired this pick as the result of a trade on September 9, 1993 that sent Stewart Malgunas to Philadelphia in exchange for this pick.
  • The Red Wings third-round pick went to the New Jersey Devils as the result of a trade on April 3, 1995 that sent Viacheslav Fetisov to Detroit in exchange for this pick (78th overall).
  • The Red Wings fifth-round pick went to the San Jose Sharks as the result of a trade on February 27, 1995 that sent Bob Errey to Detroit in exchange for this pick (130th overall).

References

  1. 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings Schedule and Results | Hockey-Reference.com
  2. Ludington Daily News - July 24, 1996, Page 7
  3. Roy, Michel (2008). Patrick Roy Winning, Nothing Else. John Wiley & Sons. p. 350. ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2.
  4. Roy, Michel (2008). Patrick Roy Winning, Nothing Else. John Wiley & Sons. p. 351. ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2.
  5. "Patrick Roy". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2008-02-21. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
  6. "Remembering Roy's Career-Changing Game". TSN. 2005-12-02. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-02-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. Legends of Hockey - NHL Player Search - Player - Chris Osgood
  9. "Colorado Avalanche at Detroit Red Wings Box Score — March 22, 1996".
  10. 1995-96 NHL Season Summary | Hockey-Reference.com
  11. "1995-1996 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
  12. "1995-96 Detroit Red Wings Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
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