1996–97 New York Rangers season

The 1996–97 New York Rangers season was the Rangers' 71st season. The highlight of the season was that it was Wayne Gretzky's first season in New York.

1996–97 New York Rangers
Division4th Atlantic
Conference5th Eastern
1996–97 record38–34–10
Home record21–14–6
Road record17–20–4
Goals for258
Goals against231
Team information
General managerNeil Smith
CoachColin Campbell
CaptainMark Messier
Alternate captainsBrian Leetch
Adam Graves
ArenaMadison Square Garden
Average attendance18,200 (100%)
Team leaders
GoalsMark Messier (36)
AssistsWayne Gretzky (72)
PointsWayne Gretzky (97)
Penalty minutesDarren Langdon (195)
WinsMike Richter (33)
Goals against averageGlenn Healy (2.61)

The Rangers qualified for the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers. This marked the last playoff appearance for the Rangers until the 2005–06 season.

Regular season

The Rangers had the fewest power-play opportunities during the regular season (287), but the best power-play percentage (21.95%).[1]

Final standings

Atlantic Division
No. CR GP W L T GF GA Pts
11New Jersey Devils82452314231182104
23Philadelphia Flyers82452413274217103
34Florida Panthers8235281922120189
45New York Rangers8238341025823186
59Washington Capitals823340921423175
611Tampa Bay Lightning8232401021724774
712New York Islanders8229411224025070
Eastern Conference[2]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1New Jersey DevilsATL82452314231182104
2Buffalo SabresNE8240301223720892
3Philadelphia FlyersATL82452413274217103
4Florida PanthersATL8235281922120189
5New York RangersATL8238341025823186
6Pittsburgh PenguinsNE823836828528084
7Ottawa SenatorsNE8231361522623477
8Montreal CanadiensNE8231361524927677
9Washington CapitalsATL823340921423175
10Hartford WhalersNE8232391122625675
11Tampa Bay LightningATL8232401021724774
12New York IslandersATL8229411224025070
13Boston BruinsNE822647923430061

Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast

bold – Qualified for playoffs

Schedule and results

1996-97 Game Log
October: 5-6-3 (Home: 4-3-1; Road: 1-3-0)
GameOctoberOpponentScoreRecord
15@ Boston Bruins4 - 4 OT0-0-1
26Florida Panthers5 - 20-1-1
38@ Florida Panthers1 - 1 OT0-1-2
410Dallas Stars2 - 10-2-2
512@ Montreal Canadiens5 - 20-3-2
614Calgary Flames5 - 41-3-2
716Pittsburgh Penguins8 - 12-3-2
818St. Louis Blues2 - 13-3-2
920@ Tampa Bay Lightning5 - 23-4-2
1023Washington Capitals3 - 23-5-2
1125@ Florida Panthers6 - 43-6-2
1227Buffalo Sabres6 - 44-6-2
1329Florida Panthers1 - 1 OT4-6-3
1430@ New Jersey Devils6 - 15-6-3
November: 4-7-1 (Home: 0-3-0; Road: 4-4-1)
GameNovemberOpponentScoreRecord
152@ Boston Bruins5 - 26-6-3
164Tampa Bay Lightning5 - 36-7-3
176@ New York Islanders1 - 1 OT6-7-4
189@ Washington Capitals3 - 26-8-4
1911Vancouver Canucks3 - 26-9-4
2013Philadelphia Flyers2 - 16-10-4
2116@ Pittsburgh Penguins8 - 37-10-4
2218@ Calgary Flames5 - 37-11-4
2321@ Edmonton Oilers3 - 27-12-4
2423@ Vancouver Canucks5 - 37-13-4
2526@ Phoenix Coyotes3 - 18-13-4
2627@ Colorado Avalanche5 - 29-13-4
December: 11-3-1 (Home: 7-1-1; Road: 4-2-0)
GameDecemberOpponentScoreRecord
271Montreal Canadiens6 - 210-13-4
284Philadelphia Flyers1 - 1 OT10-13-5
296Toronto Maple Leafs6 - 511-13-5
307@ Toronto Maple Leafs4 - 012-13-5
319Phoenix Coyotes5 - 213-13-5
3211New York Islanders5 - 313-14-5
3313@ Buffalo Sabres3 - 014-14-5
3416Hartford Whalers5 - 215-14-5
3518Los Angeles Kings4 - 016-14-5
3621@ Montreal Canadiens3 - 2 OT17-14-5
3722Florida Panthers7 - 318-14-5
3826@ Ottawa Senators5 - 218-15-5
3927Mighty Ducks of Anaheim3 - 219-15-5
4030@ Dallas Stars3 - 220-15-5
4131@ Tampa Bay Lightning4 - 220-16-5
January: 5-4-2 (Home: 3-3-2; Road: 2-1-0)
GameJanuaryOpponentScoreRecord
422New York Islanders4 - 321-16-5
434Ottawa Senators6 - 422-16-5
446Colorado Avalanche2 - 2 OT22-16-6
458Tampa Bay Lightning4 - 322-17-6
469@ Washington Capitals2 - 022-18-6
4712New Jersey Devils3 - 023-18-6
4813New York Islanders4 - 223-19-6
4921Edmonton Oilers4 - 4 OT23-19-7
5022@ Washington Capitals5 - 324-19-7
5125@ Pittsburgh Penguins7 - 425-19-7
5227Chicago Blackhawks2 - 125-20-7
February: 3-6-2 (Home: 1-1-1; Road: 2-5-1)
GameFebruaryOpponentScoreRecord
531@ Philadelphia Flyers4 - 226-20-7
542Boston Bruins3 - 226-21-7
555Hartford Whalers5 - 227-21-7
568@ New York Islanders5 - 228-21-7
579@ Florida Panthers4 - 328-22-7
5813@ St. Louis Blues4 - 128-23-7
5915@ Chicago Blackhawks2 - 028-24-7
6017New Jersey Devils2 - 2 OT28-24-8
6119@ New Jersey Devils1 - 1 OT28-24-9
6221@ Hartford Whalers7 - 228-25-9
6323@ Philadelphia Flyers2 - 128-26-9
March: 7-6-0 (Home: 4-2-0; Road: 3-4-0)
GameMarchOpponentScoreRecord
641@ Detroit Red Wings3 - 028-27-9
653San Jose Sharks5 - 4 OT29-27-9
666@ Los Angeles Kings6 - 230-27-9
677@ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim5 - 230-28-9
689@ San Jose Sharks2 - 131-28-9
6912Washington Capitals3 - 232-28-9
7014@ Ottawa Senators4 - 3 OT33-28-9
7117Ottawa Senators4 - 333-29-9
7219Montreal Canadiens5 - 433-30-9
7321Detroit Red Wings3 - 134-30-9
7424Pittsburgh Penguins3 - 035-30-9
7527@ New Jersey Devils4 - 035-31-9
7629@ Hartford Whalers2 - 135-32-9
April: 3-2-1 (Home: 2-1-1; Road: 1-1-0)
GameAprilOpponentScoreRecord
771Buffalo Sabres1 - 1 OT35-32-10
783Boston Bruins5 - 436-32-10
794@ Buffalo Sabres5 - 136-33-10
807Philadelphia Flyers3 - 237-33-10
8110@ Philadelphia Flyers6 - 338-33-10
8211Tampa Bay Lightning4 - 238-34-10

Playoffs

Key:   Win   Loss

1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Player statistics

Skaters
Goaltenders
Regular Season
Player GP TOI W L T GA GAA SA SV% SO
Mike Richter613598332261612.681945.9174
Glenn Healy23595124592.61632.9071
Playoffs
Player GP TOI W L GA GAA SA SV% SO
Mike Richter1593996332.11488.9323

Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.
Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.

[3]

Note:
Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

Draft picks

New York's picks at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft in St. Louis, Missouri at the Kiel Center.

Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club Team (League)
1 22 Jeff Brown D  Canada Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2 48 Daniel Goneau LW  Canada Granby Predateurs (QMJHL)
3 76 Dmitri Subbotin LW  Russia CSKA Moscow (Russia)
5 131 Colin Pepperall LW  Canada Niagara Falls Thunder (OHL)
6 158 Ola Sandberg D  Sweden Djurgårdens IF (SEL)
7 185 Jeff Dessner D  United States Taft School (Connecticut)
8 211 Ryan McKie D  Canada London Knights (OHL)
9 237 Ronnie Sundin D  Sweden Frölunda HC (SEL)

Awards and records

References

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