1996–97 Edmonton Oilers season

1996–97 Edmonton Oilers
Division3rd Pacific
Conference7th Western
1996–97 record36–37–9
Home record21–16–4
Road record15–21–5
Goals for252
Goals against247
Team information
General managerGlen Sather
CoachRon Low
CaptainKelly Buchberger
Alternate captainsLuke Richardson
Doug Weight
ArenaEdmonton Coliseum
Average attendance16,043 (93.8%)
Minor league affiliate(s)Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)
Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Team leaders
GoalsRyan Smyth (39)
AssistsDoug Weight (61)
PointsDoug Weight (82)
Penalty minutesKelly Buchberger (159)
Plus/minusBryan Marchment (+13)
WinsCurtis Joseph (32)
Goals against averageBob Essensa (2.83)

The 1996–97 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 18th season in the NHL. They were coming off a 30–44–8 record, earning 68 points in the 1995–96 season, which led them to failing to qualify for the post-season for the 4th time in a row.

The Oilers had their best season since 1991–92 as they won 36 games and earn 81 points, finishing third place in the Pacific Division and seventh in the Western Conference, earning their first playoff berth in five years. The main reason for the Oilers' turn-around was their solid goaltending and defensive hockey, only allowing 247 goals, 57 fewer than the previous season.

Regular season

On November 26, 1996, the Oilers defeated their provincial rival Calgary Flames on the road by a score of 10-1.[1] Ten different Oilers scored in the game. It was the first time that the Oilers had scored 10 goals in a regular-season game since December 4, 1988, when they defeated the New York Rangers at home by a score of 10-6.[2]

Offensively, Doug Weight led the club once again this season in points, earning 82, and achieved a club high 61 assists. Ryan Smyth had a breakout season, scoring a team high 39 goals and led the team in power play goals with 20. Andrei Kovalenko, acquired in the off-season, scored 32 goals and 59 points, while Jason Arnott earned 57 points in 67 games. Rookie Mike Grier had 32 points in 79 games, and Mariusz Czerkawski finished third on the team in goals with 26. Boris Mironov anchored the defense, earning 32 points in only 55 games. Todd Marchant led the team in short-handed goals with 4. Team captain Kelly Buchberger provided the team toughness, earning a club high 159 penalty minutes.

In goal, Curtis Joseph got the majority of playing time, winning 32 games while posting a 2.93 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He set a team record with 6 shutouts. Bob Essensa, despite a strong GAA of 2.83, won only 4 games.

The Oilers had the most power-play opportunities during the regular season, with 406 opportunities in total.[3]

Season standings

Pacific Division
No. CR GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 1 Colorado Avalanche 82 49 24 9 277 205 107
2 4 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 82 36 33 13 243 231 85
3 7 Edmonton Oilers 82 36 37 9 252 247 81
4 9 Vancouver Canucks 82 35 40 7 257 273 77
5 10 Calgary Flames 82 32 41 9 214 239 73
6 12 Los Angeles Kings 82 28 43 11 214 268 67
7 13 San Jose Sharks 82 27 47 8 211 278 62

Note: CR = Conference rank; 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[4]
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 p – Colorado Avalanche PAC 82 49 24 9 277 205 107
2 Dallas Stars CEN 82 48 26 8 252 198 104
3 Detroit Red Wings CEN 82 38 26 18 253 197 94
4 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim PAC 82 36 33 13 245 233 85
5 Phoenix Coyotes CEN 82 38 37 7 240 243 83
6 St. Louis Blues CEN 82 36 35 11 236 239 83
7 Edmonton Oilers PAC 82 36 37 9 252 247 81
8 Chicago Blackhawks CEN 82 34 35 13 223 210 81
9 Vancouver Canucks PAC 82 35 40 7 257 273 77
10 Calgary Flames PAC 82 32 41 9 214 239 73
11 Toronto Maple Leafs CEN 82 30 44 8 230 273 68
12 Los Angeles Kings PAC 82 28 43 11 214 268 67
13 San Jose Sharks PAC 82 27 47 8 211 278 62

Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific

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


Playoffs

The Oilers faced the Central Division winning Dallas Stars in the opening round of the playoffs. After splitting the first 2 games in Dallas, the Oilers returned home for game 3 for their first home playoff game since 1992 and found themselves losing 3–0 with about 4 minutes left in the 3rd period. Edmonton then struck for 3 goals to tie the game, and Kelly Buchberger provided the overtime heroics, as the Oilers won the game 4–3 and take a 2–1 series lead. Dallas tied the series up again in game 4, however, the Oilers shocked the Stars, winning 1–0 in double overtime in the 5th game in Dallas, and returning to Edmonton in a position to clinch the series. The Stars spoiled the Oilers' party, winning the 6th game 3–2, setting up a game 7 at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The game was a memorable one, as the score was tied up at 3 as the teams headed into overtime. Todd Marchant turned out to be the hero, scoring for the Oilers in the 1st overtime, as Edmonton completed the upset, defeating the Stars in 7 games.

In the 2nd round, Edmonton faced the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, who won the Pacific Division and had 26 more points than the Oilers during the season. The Avalanche won the opening 2 games easily in Denver, and while the Oilers rebounded to win the 3rd game, the Avs proved to be too much for Edmonton to handle, as they won the series in 5 games, ending the Oilers' season.

Schedule and results

Regular season

1996–97 regular season[5]
October: 7–5–0 (home: 4–2–0; road: 3–3–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
1 October 4 Buffalo Sabres 3 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 15,236 1–0–0 2 Recap
2 October 6 Vancouver Canucks 0 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 15,144 2–0–0 4 Recap
3 October 8 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 2 Toronto Maple Leafs Joseph 15,424 3–0–0 6 Recap
4 October 9 Edmonton Oilers 0 – 2 Detroit Red Wings Essensa 19,983 3–1–0 6 Recap
5 October 11 St. Louis Blues 3 – 1 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,145 3–2–0 6 Recap
6 October 14 Edmonton Oilers 6 – 3 Phoenix Coyotes Joseph 13,916 4–2–0 8 Recap
7 October 15 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 7 Colorado Avalanche Joseph 16,061 4–3–0 8 Recap
8 October 20 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 6 Calgary Flames Joseph 16,295 4–4–0 8 Recap
9 October 22 Pittsburgh Penguins 2 – 5 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,536 5–4–0 10 Recap
10 October 24 Edmonton Oilers 8 – 2 Los Angeles Kings Essensa 10,195 6–4–0 12 Recap
11 October 26 Colorado Avalanche 4 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 6–5–0 12 Recap
12 October 30 Phoenix Coyotes 1 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 14,678 7–5–0 14 Recap
November: 6–7–1 (home: 2–3–1; road: 4–4–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
13 November 1 Vancouver Canucks 5 – 4 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 16,177 7–6–0 14 Recap
14 November 3 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 4 Chicago Blackhawks Joseph 16,875 7–7–0 14 Recap
15 November 6 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 5 Pittsburgh Penguins Essensa 15,159 7–8–0 14 Recap
16 November 7 Edmonton Oilers 6 – 0 Boston Bruins Joseph 13,643 8–8–0 16 Recap
17 November 9 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 7 Toronto Maple Leafs Joseph 15,726 8–9–0 16 Recap
18 November 11 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 3 Montreal Canadiens OT Joseph 20,452 8–10–0 16 Recap
19 November 13 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 0 Ottawa Senators Joseph 15,312 9–10–0 18 Recap
20 November 17 Dallas Stars 7 – 3 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 14,574 9–11–0 18 Recap
21 November 19 Chicago Blackhawks 4 – 4 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 14,792 9–11–1 19 Recap
22 November 21 New York Rangers 2 – 3 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 10–11–1 21 Recap
23 November 23 Calgary Flames 2 – 3 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,829 11–11–1 23 Recap
24 November 26 Edmonton Oilers 10 – 1 Calgary Flames Joseph 17,146 12–11–1 25 Recap
25 November 27 Los Angeles Kings 5 – 1 Edmonton Oilers Essensa 14,039 12–12–1 25 Recap
26 November 29 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 2 San Jose Sharks Joseph 17,442 13–12–1 27 Recap
December: 4–7–3 (home: 3–4–1; road: 1–3–2)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
27 December 1 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 4 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Joseph 16,735 13–13–1 27 Recap
28 December 4 Edmonton Oilers 0 – 2 Colorado Avalanche Joseph 16,061 13–14–1 27 Recap
29 December 6 Ottawa Senators 2 – 5 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 15,060 14–14–1 29 Recap
30 December 8 St. Louis Blues 3 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 14,922 14–15–1 29 Recap
31 December 10 Edmonton Oilers 0 – 0 Detroit Red Wings OT Joseph 19,983 14–15–2 30 Recap
32 December 12 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 2 Tampa Bay Lightning OT Joseph 13,925 14–15–3 31 Recap
33 December 15 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 6 Florida Panthers Essensa 14,703 14–16–3 31 Recap
34 December 18 Colorado Avalanche 4 – 4 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 16,053 14–16–4 32 Recap
35 December 20 New Jersey Devils 3 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 14,692 14–17–4 32 Recap
36 December 22 Detroit Red Wings 6 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,724 14–18–4 32 Recap
37 December 23 Edmonton Oilers 7 – 0 Vancouver Canucks Essensa 17,854 15–18–4 34 Recap
38 December 27 Philadelphia Flyers 6 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 15–19–4 34 Recap
39 December 28 San Jose Sharks 3 – 5 Edmonton Oilers Essensa 16,670 16–19–4 36 Recap
40 December 30 Los Angeles Kings 1 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 15,954 17–19–4 38 Recap
January: 8–3–1 (home: 5–1–0; road: 3–2–1)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
41 January 3 Toronto Maple Leafs 3 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 18–19–4 40 Recap
42 January 7 Edmonton Oilers 5 – 2 St. Louis Blues Joseph 15,760 19–19–4 42 Recap
43 January 8 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 4 Chicago Blackhawks Essensa 17,500 19–20–4 42 Recap
44 January 11 San Jose Sharks 2 – 1 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 15,451 19–21–4 42 Recap
45 January 12 Hartford Whalers 1 – 2 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 14,301 20–21–4 44 Recap
46 January 15 Florida Panthers 0 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 15,673 21–21–4 46 Recap
47 January 21 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 4 New York Rangers OT Joseph 18,200 21–21–5 47 Recap
48 January 22 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 8 New York Islanders Joseph 10,438 21–22–5 47 Recap
49 January 24 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 1 Buffalo Sabres Joseph 16,775 22–22–5 49 Recap
50 January 26 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 1 Washington Capitals Joseph 14,623 23–22–5 51 Recap
51 January 29 San Jose Sharks 1 – 3 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 14,378 24–22–5 53 Recap
52 January 31 New York Islanders 0 – 1 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,211 25–22–5 55 Recap
February: 4–6–2 (home: 4–2–0; road: 0–4–2)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
53 February 5 Calgary Flames 2 – 5 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,770 26–22–5 57 Recap
54 February 8 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 2 – 1 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 16,743 26–23–5 57 Recap
55 February 9 Washington Capitals 1 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Essensa 15,361 27–23–5 59 Recap
56 February 12 Boston Bruins 3 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,238 28–23–5 61 Recap
57 February 13 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 3 Calgary Flames OT Essensa 18,882 28–24–5 61 Recap
58 February 15 Edmonton Oilers 2 – 2 Los Angeles Kings OT Joseph 12,027 28–24–6 62 Recap
59 February 17 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 5 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Joseph 17,174 28–25–6 62 Recap
60 February 19 Toronto Maple Leafs 5 – 6 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,487 29–25–6 64 Recap
61 February 21 Colorado Avalanche 4 – 3 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 17,099 29–26–6 64 Recap
62 February 23 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 6 Dallas Stars Joseph 15,786 29–27–6 64 Recap
63 February 26 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 3 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim OT Joseph 17,174 29–27–7 65 Recap
64 February 27 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 6 Los Angeles Kings Essensa 12,115 29–28–7 65 Recap
March: 6–7–0 (home: 2–3–0; road: 4–4–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
65 March 1 Montreal Canadiens 5 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 29–29–7 65 Recap
66 March 4 Los Angeles Kings 1 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 14,671 30–29–7 67 Recap
67 March 7 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 2 Dallas Stars Joseph 16,723 30–30–7 67 Recap
68 March 9 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 1 St. Louis Blues Joseph 17,982 31–30–7 69 Recap
69 March 11 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 6 New Jersey Devils Joseph 14,671 31–31–7 69 Recap
70 March 13 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 5 Philadelphia Flyers OT Joseph 19,635 31–32–7 69 Recap
71 March 15 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 2 Hartford Whalers Joseph 14,437 32–32–7 71 Recap
72 March 19 Tampa Bay Lightning 1 – 3 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 16,089 33–32–7 73 Recap
73 March 23 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 4 – 1 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 33–33–7 73 Recap
74 March 24 Edmonton Oilers 5 – 1 San Jose Sharks Joseph 17,159 34–33–7 75 Recap
75 March 28 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 4 San Jose Sharks Joseph 17,442 34–34–7 75 Recap
76 March 29 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 1 Phoenix Coyotes Joseph 16,210 35–34–7 77 Recap
77 March 31 Dallas Stars 3 – 1 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 35–35–7 77 Recap
April: 1–2–2 (home: 1–1–2; road: 0–1–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
78 April 3 Chicago Blackhawks 2 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 36–35–7 79 Recap
79 April 5 Vancouver Canucks 2 – 2 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 17,099 36–35–8 80 Recap
80 April 9 Detroit Red Wings 3 – 3 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 17,099 36–35–9 81 Recap
81 April 11 Phoenix Coyotes 6 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 36–36–9 81 Recap
82 April 12 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 5 Vancouver Canucks Essensa 18,422 36–37–9 81 Recap
Legend:

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

Playoffs

1997 Stanley Cup playoffs[5]
Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. (2) Dallas Stars – Oilers win 4–3
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap
1 April 16 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 5 Dallas Stars Joseph 16,418 0–1 Recap
2 April 18 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 0 Dallas Stars Joseph 16,924 1–1 Recap
3 April 20 Dallas Stars 3 – 4 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 17,099 2–1 Recap
4 April 22 Dallas Stars 4 – 3 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 2–2 Recap
5 April 25 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 0 Dallas Stars 2OT Joseph 16,924 3–2 Recap
6 April 27 Dallas Stars 3 – 2 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 3–3 Recap
7 April 29 Edmonton Oilers 4 – 3 Dallas Stars OT Joseph 16,924 4–3 Recap
Western Conference Semifinals vs. (1) Colorado Avalanche – Avalanche win 4–1
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap
1 May 2 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 5 Colorado Avalanche Joseph 16,061 0–1 Recap
2 May 4 Edmonton Oilers 1 – 4 Colorado Avalanche Joseph 16,061 0–2 Recap
3 May 7 Colorado Avalanche 3 – 4 Edmonton Oilers Joseph 17,099 1–2 Recap
4 May 9 Colorado Avalanche 3 – 2 Edmonton Oilers OT Joseph 17,099 1–3 Recap
5 May 11 Edmonton Oilers 3 – 4 Colorado Avalanche Joseph 16,061 1–4 Recap
Legend:

  Win   Loss

Player statistics

Scoring

  • Position abbreviations: C = Centre; D = Defence; 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 Oilers only.
  • ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
No. Player Pos Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts +/- PIM GP G A Pts +/- PIM
39 Doug Weight C 80 21 61 82 1 80 12 3 8 11 0 8
94 Ryan Smyth LW 82 39 22 61 −7 76 12 5 5 10 −4 12
51 Andrei Kovalenko RW 74 32 27 59 −5 81 12 4 3 7 1 6
7 Jason Arnott C 67 19 38 57 −21 92 12 3 6 9 −3 18
21 Mariusz Czerkawski LW 76 26 21 47 0 16 12 2 1 3 −2 10
16 Kelly Buchberger RW 81 8 30 38 4 159 12 5 2 7 −1 16
26 Todd Marchant LW 79 14 19 33 11 44 12 4 2 6 2 12
25 Mike Grier RW 79 15 17 32 7 45 12 3 1 4 −2 4
2 Boris Mironov D 55 6 26 32 2 85 12 2 8 10 −6 16
17 Rem Murray C 82 11 20 31 9 16 12 1 2 3 −1 4
37 Dean McAmmond LW 57 12 17 29 −15 28 — — — — — —
18[a] Miroslav Satan‡ LW 64 17 11 28 −4 22 — — — — — —
14 Mats Lindgren C 69 11 14 25 −7 12 12 0 4 4 −2 0
23[b] Dan McGillis D 73 6 16 22 2 52 12 0 5 5 8 24
24 Bryan Marchment D 71 3 13 16 13 132 3 0 0 0 −3 4
4 Kevin Lowe D 64 1 13 14 −1 50 1 0 0 0 −1 0
6 Jeff Norton‡ D 62 2 11 13 −7 42 — — — — — —
22 Luke Richardson D 82 1 11 12 9 91 12 0 2 2 −4 14
8 Michel Petit†‡ D 18 2 4 6 −13 20 — — — — — —
85 Petr Klima† RW 16 1 5 6 −1 6 6 0 0 0 0 4
5 Greg de Vries D 37 0 4 4 −2 52 12 0 1 1 4 8
20 David Oliver‡ RW 17 1 2 3 −8 4 — — — — — —
29 Louie DeBrusk LW 32 2 0 2 −6 94 6 0 0 0 0 4
31 Curtis Joseph G 72 0 2 2 20 12 0 0 0 2
9 Ralph Intranuovo† C 5 1 0 1 0 0 — — — — — —
10 Steve Kelly C 8 1 0 1 −1 6 6 0 0 0 1 2
55 Drew Bannister† D 1 0 1 1 −2 0 12 0 0 0 −4 30
34 Donald Dufresne D 22 0 1 1 −1 15 3 0 0 0 0 0
12 Jesse Belanger C 6 0 0 0 −3 0 — — — — — —
8 Sean Brown D 5 0 0 0 −1 4 — — — — — —
30 Bob Essensa G 19 0 0 0 4 — — — — — —
15 Joe Hulbig LW 6 0 0 0 −1 0 6 0 1 1 2 2
35 Craig Millar† D 1 0 0 0 0 2 — — — — — —
18[c] Barrie Moore† LW 4 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — — —
35 Bryan Muir D — — — — — — 5 0 0 0 −2 4

Goaltending

No. Player Regular season Playoffs
GP W L T SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI GP W L SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
31 Curtis Joseph 72 32 29 9 2144 200 2.93 .907 6 4100 12 5 7 405 36 2.81 .911 2 767
30 Bob Essensa 19 4 8 0 406 41 2.83 .899 1 868 — — — — — — — — —

Awards and records

Awards

Type Award/honour Recipient Ref
League
(in-season) 		NHL All-Star Game selection Jason Arnott [6]
Team Community Service Award Jason Arnott [7]
Defenceman of the Year Bryan Marchment [7]
Molson Cup Curtis Joseph [7]
Most Popular Player Curtis Joseph [7]
Top Defensive Forward Kelly Buchberger [7]
Top First Year Oiler Mike Grier [7]
Unsung Hero Doug Weight [7]
Zane Feldman Trophy Curtis Joseph [7]

Records

  • 3: Tied NHL record for most short-handed goals in a playoffs by Todd Marchant on May 11, 1997.

Milestones

Regular Season
Player Milestone Reached
Mike Grier 1st NHL Game October 4, 1996
Dan McGillis 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
Rem Murray 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point
Kelly Buchberger 1,400th NHL PIM October 8, 1996
Rem Murray 1st NHL Assist
Ryan Smyth 1st NHL Hat-trick
Luke Richardson 1,100th NHL PIM October 11, 1996
Louie DeBrusk 200th NHL Game October 20, 1996
Mike Grier 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
Doug Weight 300th NHL Point
Rem Murray 1st NHL Hat-trick October 24, 1996
Mike Grier 1st NHL Goal October 26, 1996
Doug Weight 300th NHL PIM November 1, 1996
Mats Lindgren 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point		 November 3, 1996
Andrei Kovalenko 100th NHL Assist November 6, 1996
Mats Lindgren 1st NHL Assist
Jason Arnott 200th NHL Game November 7, 1996
Mariusz Czerkawski 1st NHL Hat-trick
1st NHL Natural hat-trick
Jason Arnott 100th NHL Assist November 9, 1996
Bryan Marchment 1,200th NHL PIM
Curtis Joseph 20th NHL Assist November 13, 1996
Boris Mironov 200th NHL Game
Kelly Buchberger 600th NHL Game November 17, 1996
Andrei Kovalenko 200th NHL Point November 23, 1996
Dan McGillis 1st NHL Goal November 26, 1996
Bob Essensa 300th NHL Game November 27, 1996
Kevin Lowe 1,200th NHL Game December 1, 1996
Michel Petit 1,700th NHL PIM December 4, 1996
Andrei Kovalenko 200th NHL PIM December 12, 1996
Andrei Kovalenko 100th NHL Goal December 18, 1996
Boris Mironov 300th NHL PIM December 23, 1996
Andrei Kovalenko 300th NHL Game December 30, 1996
Miroslav Satan 100th NHL Game January 7, 1997
Jason Arnott 200th NHL Point January 15, 1997
Curtis Joseph 10th NHL Shutout
Ryan Smyth 100th NHL Game January 24, 1997
Jeff Norton 500th NHL Game
Mariusz Czerkawski 100th NHL Point February 9, 1997
Jeff Norton 400th NHL PIM
Doug Weight 400th NHL Game
Bryan Marchment 400th NHL Game February 13, 1997
Mariusz Czerkawski 2nd NHL Hat-trick February 19, 1997
Boris Mironov 100th NHL Point
Sean Brown 1st NHL Game February 21, 1997
Kelly Buchberger 1,500th NHL PIM
Ryan Smyth 100th NHL PIM March 1, 1997
Joe Hulbig 1st NHL Game March 4, 1997
Luke Richardson 700th NHL Game March 9, 1997
Jeff Norton 300th NHL Point March 11, 1997
Kelly Buchberger 200th NHL Point March 19, 1997
Craig Millar 1st NHL Game
Todd Marchant 200th NHL Game March 23, 1997
Steve Kelly 1st NHL Game March 24, 1997
Luke Richardson 100th NHL Point March 28, 1997
Steve Kelly 1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point		 March 29, 1997
Jason Arnott 400th NHL PIM April 4, 1997
Doug Weight 100th NHL Goal April 5, 1997
Playoffs
Player Milestone Reached
Jason Arnott 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point		 April 16, 1997
Mats Lindgren
Dan McGillis
Boris Mironov
Rem Murray
Drew Bannister 1st NHL Game
Greg de Vries
Louie DeBrusk
Mike Grier
Ryan Smyth
Todd Marchant 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point
Bryan Marchment 50th NHL PIM
Mike Grier 1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Point		 April 18, 1997
Boris Mironov 1st NHL Goal
Ryan Smyth 1st NHL Goal
1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
Todd Marchant 1st NHL Assist April 20, 1997
Jason Arnott 1st NHL Goal April 22, 1997
Bryan Muir 1st NHL Game
Mike Grier 1st NHL Assist April 29, 1997
Joe Hulbig 1st NHL Game
1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point
Rem Murray 1st NHL Goal
Steve Kelly 1st NHL Game
Greg de Vries 1st NHL Assist
1st NHL Point		 May 7, 1997

Transactions

Trades

June 14, 1996 To Detroit Red Wings
Future considerations 		To Edmonton Oilers
Bob Essensa
June 22, 1996 To Pittsburgh Penguins
Tyler Wright 		To Edmonton Oilers
7th round pick in 1996
September 6, 1996 To Montreal Canadiens
Scott Thornton 		To Edmonton Oilers
Andrei Kovalenko
March 18, 1997 To Buffalo Sabres
Miroslav Satan 		To Edmonton Oilers
Barrie Moore
Craig Millar
March 18, 1997 To Tampa Bay Lightning
Jeff Norton 		To Edmonton Oilers
Drew Bannister
6th round pick in 1997

Free agents

Player Former Team
D Terran Sandwith Kansas City Blades (IHL)
D Bryan Muir New Hampshire Wildcats (NCAA)
F Jeff Daw UMass Lowell River Hawks (NCAA)
F Jesse Belanger Vancouver Canucks
D Kevin Lowe New York Rangers
D Michel Petit Tampa Bay Lightning
F Petr Klima Pittsburgh Penguins
Player New Team
F David Roberts Vancouver Canucks
F Kent Manderville Hartford Whalers

Waivers

Date Player Team
September 30, 1996 (1996-09-30) Ralph Intranuovo to Toronto Maple Leafs
October 25, 1996 (1996-10-25) Ralph Intranuovo from Toronto Maple Leafs
January 17, 1997 (1997-01-17) Michel Petit to Philadelphia Flyers
February 21, 1997 (1997-02-21) David Oliver to New York Rangers

Draft picks

Edmonton's draft picks at the 1996 NHL entry draft.[8]

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
1 6 Boyd Devereaux  Canada Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
1 19 Matthieu Descoteaux  Canada Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
2 32 Chris Hajt  Canada Guelph Storm (OHL)
3 59 Tom Poti  United States Cushing Academy (USHS)
5 114 Brian Urick  United States Notre Dame Fighting Irish (NCAA)
6 141 Bryan Randall  Canada Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
7 168 David Bernier  Canada St-Hyacinthe Lasers (QMJHL)
7 170 Brandon Lafrance  Canada Ohio State Buckeyes (NCAA)
8 195 Fernando Pisani  Canada St. Albert Saints (AJHL)
9 221 John Hultberg  United States Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)

Notes

  1. ^ Satan wore number 32 in his first six games.
  2. ^ McGillis wore number 18 in his first seven games.
  3. ^ Moore wore number 20 in his first three games.

References

  • "Edmonton Oilers 1996-97 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  • "1996-97 Edmonton Oilers Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  • National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007
  1. ^ "Edmonton Oilers at Calgary Flames Box Score — November 26, 1996".
  2. ^ "New York Rangers at Edmonton Oilers Box Score — December 4, 1988".
  3. ^ "1996-97 NHL Summary".
  4. ^ "1996-1997 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
  5. ^ a b "1996-97 Edmonton Oilers Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  6. ^ "1997 NHL All-Star Game Rosters". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h 2014–15 Edmonton Oilers Media Guide, p.173
  8. ^ "1996 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved July 27, 2023.