1996–97 Detroit Red Wings season

Off-season

On July 23, 1996, Detroit Red Wings President Bill Evo resigned his position after serving just ten months at the team's helm. The Nickname "Hockeytown" was coined to launch the start of a five-year marketing campaign.

Regular season

The "HOCKEYTOWN" logo, a Red Wings logo overlapped with the term "HOCKEYTOWN," was shown over center ice starting this season and was still there .

A season highlight was Sergei Fedorov's five-goal performance on December 26, 1996, in a game against the Washington Capitals. The Red Wings won 5–4 in overtime. Fedorov's fifth goal of the game came at 2:39 of the overtime period.

On February 8, 1997, coach Scotty Bowman achieved his 1000th victory as an NHL head coach against his previous team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On March 26, 1997, the Red Wings–Avalanche brawl continued to fuel the rivalry between the teams. Detroit won that game 6–5 in overtime.

Season standings

Playoffs

Main article: 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs

The Red Wings won the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, their first Stanley Cup since the 1954–55 NHL season.

Six days after winning the Stanley Cup, tragedy struck when defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov, defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov, and massage therapist Sergei Mnatsakanov were involved in a limousine accident. The driver, who later said he fell asleep, had a suspended license for previous drunk driving convictions.

Schedule and results

Regular season

|- | 1 || October 5 || Detroit || 1–3 || New Jersey || || Osgood || 18,622 || 0–1–0 || 0 || |- | 2 || October 9 || Edmonton || 0–2 || Detroit || || Osgood || 19,983 || 1–1–0 || 2 || |- | 3 || October 11 || Calgary || 2–1 || Detroit || || Osgood || 19,983 || 1–2–0 || 2 || |- | 4 || October 12 || Detroit || 6–1 || Buffalo || || Vernon || 18,595 || 2–2–0 || 4 || |- | 5 || October 15 || Detroit || 1–3 || Dallas || || Vernon || 15,983 || 2–3–0 || 4 || |- | 6 || October 17 || Detroit || 1–2 || Chicago || || Osgood || 18,261 || 2–4–0 || 4 || |- | 7 || October 19 || NY Islanders || 2–4 || Detroit || || Vernon || 19,983 || 3–4–0 || 6 || |- | 8 || October 21 || Los Angeles || 0–3 || Detroit || || Osgood || 19,849 || 4–4–0 || 8 || |- | 9 || October 23 || Dallas || 1–4 || Detroit || || Osgood || 19,983 || 5–4–0 || 10 || |- | 10 || October 25 || Chicago || 2–2 || Detroit || OT || Hodson || 19,983 || 5–4–1 || 11 || |- | 11 || October 26 || Detroit || 2–1 || Boston || || Osgood || 17,012 || 6–4–1 || 13 || |- | 12 || October 30 || Montreal || 3–5 || Detroit || || Osgood || 19,983 || 7–4–1 || 15 ||

| Legend:

Playoffs

|- | 1 || April 16 || St. Louis || 2–0 || Detroit || || Vernon || 0–1 || |- | 2 || April 18 || St. Louis || 1–2 || Detroit || || Vernon || 1–1 || |- | 3 || April 20 || Detroit || 3–2 || St. Louis || || Vernon || 2–1 || |- | 4 || April 22 || Detroit || 0–4 || St. Louis || || Vernon || 2–2 || |- | 5 || April 25 || St. Louis || 2–5 || Detroit || || Vernon || 3–2 || |- | 6 || April 27 || Detroit || 3–1 || St. Louis || || Vernon || 4–2 ||

| Legend:

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 Red Wings only.*
• • = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Red Wings only.*

Goaltending

Awards and records

Awards

Vladimir Konstantinov was the runner-up for the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

Milestones

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Signings

Waivers

Retirement

Draft picks

Detroit's picks at the 1996 NHL entry draft.

;Notes

1. The Red Wings acquired this pick as the result of a trade on April 4, 1995 that sent Mike Sillinger and Jason York to Anaheim in exchange for Stu Grimson, Mark Ferner and this pick.

• The Red Wings third-round pick went to the Boston Bruins as the result of a trade on August 17, 1995 that sent David Shaw to Tampa Bay in exchange for this pick (80th overall).