1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes season
| 1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes | |
|---|---|
| Division | 3rd Central |
| Conference | 5th Western |
| 1996–97 record | 38–37–7 |
| Home record | 15–19–7 |
| Road record | 23–18–0 |
| Goals for | 240 |
| Goals against | 243 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager |
John Paddock (Oct-Dec) Bobby Smith (Dec-Apr) |
| Coach | Don Hay |
| Captain | Keith Tkachuk |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Keith Tkachuk (52) |
| Assists | Oleg Tverdovsky (45) |
| Points | Keith Tkachuk (86) |
| Penalties in minutes | Keith Tkachuk (228) |
The 1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes' season was the team's first season in the National Hockey League (NHL) since relocating from Winnipeg the season prior. The franchise's 25th season since its founding in 1972, and 18th season in the National Hockey League since 1979.
The Winnipeg Jets team was sold to Phoenix businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke, and in 1996, the club moved to Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes.
In the summer that the move took place, the franchise saw the exit of Jets stars like Teemu Selanne and Alexei Zhamnov, while the team added established superstar Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks. Roenick teamed up with power wingers Keith Tkachuk and to form a dynamic 1–2–3 offensive punch that led the Coyotes through their first years in Arizona. Also impressive were young players like Shane Doan (the last remaining original Jet still active in the NHL), Oleg Tverdovsky and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, whom the fans nicknamed the "Bulin Wall."
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.
Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific
bold – Qualified for playoffs; p – Won Presidents' Trophy
In their first year, the Coyotes managed to make the playoffs. However, they lost to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 4 games to 3 in round one.
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