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1996–97 Hartford Whalers season

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National Hockey League team season

1996–97 Hartford Whalers
Division5th Northeast
Conference10th Eastern
1996–97 record32–39–11
Home record23–15–3
Road record9–24–8
Goals for226
Goals against256
Team information
General managerJim Rutherford
CoachPaul Maurice
CaptainKevin Dineen
Alternate captainsGlen Wesley
Andrew Cassels
ArenaHartford Civic Center
Average attendance13,680 (87.5%)
Minor league affiliate(s)Springfield Falcons (AHL)
Richmond Renegades (ECHL)
Team leaders
GoalsGeoff Sanderson (36)
AssistsAndrew Cassels (44)
PointsGeoff Sanderson (67)
Penalty minutesStu Grimson (218)
Plus/minusSami Kapanen (+6)
WinsSean Burke (22)
Goals against averageSean Burke (2.69)
← 1995–961997–98 (Carolina) →

The 1996–97 Hartford Whalers season was the 25th season of the franchise and the 18th and final season in Hartford. The Whalers would move to Greensboro, North Carolina, the next season to become the Carolina Hurricanes.

Off-season

On June 22, the Whalers participated in the 1996 NHL entry draft held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Hartford did not have a selection in the first round, as the pick was traded to the Boston Bruins as part of the trade that brought Glen Wesley to the Whalers. In the second round, Hartford made their first selection of the draft, as they drafted Trevor Wasyluk from the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League with the 34th overall pick in the draft. Wasyluk scored 25 goals and 46 points in 69 games during the 1995-96 season. Other notable selections by the Whalers included Craig MacDonald in the fourth round, and Craig Adams in the ninth round.

The Whalers acquired Kevin Brown in a trade with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in exchange for Espen Knutsen on October 1. Brown played in seven games with the Los Angeles Kings during the 1995-96 season, scoring one goal. Brown spent the majority of the season with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the IHL, scoring 10 goals and 26 points in 45 games. He also played in eight games with the Prince Edward Island Senators of the AHL, scoring three goals and nine points after he was traded from the Kings to the Ottawa Senators during the season.

On October 2, Hartford claimed Kent Manderville off of waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. In 37 games with the Oilers during the 1995-96 where he scored three goals and eight points.

Regular season

On April 13, 1997, the Whalers played their last game in Hartford, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2–1. Fittingly, team captain Kevin Dineen scored the final goal in Whaler history.

The final words from SportsChannel New England with Play by play voice John Forslund at the end of the game were as follows:

"It's over folks, it's been a great ride. The Whalers will go out, winners".

Final standings

Northeast Division
No. CR GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 2 Buffalo Sabres 82 40 30 12 237 208 92
2 6 Pittsburgh Penguins 82 38 36 8 285 280 84
3 7 Ottawa Senators 82 31 36 15 226 234 77
4 8 Montreal Canadiens 82 31 36 15 249 276 77
5 10 Hartford Whalers 82 32 39 11 226 256 75
6 13 Boston Bruins 82 26 47 9 234 300 61
Eastern Conference
R Div GP W L T GF GA Pts
1 New Jersey Devils ATL 82 45 23 14 231 182 104
2 Buffalo Sabres NE 82 40 30 12 237 208 92
3 Philadelphia Flyers ATL 82 45 24 13 274 217 103
4 Florida Panthers ATL 82 35 28 19 221 201 89
5 New York Rangers ATL 82 38 34 10 258 231 86
6 Pittsburgh Penguins NE 82 38 36 8 285 280 84
7 Ottawa Senators NE 82 31 36 15 226 234 77
8 Montreal Canadiens NE 82 31 36 15 249 276 77
9 Washington Capitals ATL 82 33 40 9 214 231 75
10 Hartford Whalers NE 82 32 39 11 226 256 75
11 Tampa Bay Lightning ATL 82 32 40 10 217 247 74
12 New York Islanders ATL 82 29 41 12 240 250 70
13 Boston Bruins NE 82 26 47 9 234 300 61

Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast

bold – Qualified for playoffs


Schedule and results

1996–97 regular season
October: 5–2–2 (home: 4–0–1; road: 1–2–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Attendance Recap
1 W October 5, 1996 1–0 Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97) 1–0–0 15,635 Recap
2 W October 8, 1996 7–3 Pittsburgh Penguins (1996–97) 2–0–0 11,240 Recap
3 L October 12, 1996 0–6 @ Florida Panthers (1996–97) 2–1–0 14,703 Recap
4 W October 17, 1996 3–1 @ New York Islanders (1996–97) 3–1–0 8,019 Recap
5 W October 19, 1996 6–2 New Jersey Devils (1996–97) 4–1–0 14,476 Recap
6 W October 24, 1996 4–1 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1996–97) 5–1–0 12,328 Recap
7 L October 26, 1996 3–6 @ Buffalo Sabres (1996–97) 5–2–0 16,193 Recap
8 T October 30, 1996 2–2 OT New York Islanders (1996–97) 5–2–1 11,936 Recap
9 T October 31, 1996 4–4 OT @ Boston Bruins (1996–97) 5–2–2 13,284 Recap
November: 6–5–3 (home: 3–4–0; road: 3–1–3)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Attendance Recap
10 L November 2, 1996 2–3 Los Angeles Kings (1996–97) 5–3–2 13,425 Recap
11 L November 4, 1996 1–5 @ Detroit Red Wings (1996–97) 5–4–2 19,983 Recap
12 W November 6, 1996 5–1 Boston Bruins (1996–97) 6–4–2 13,026 Recap
13 L November 8, 1996 1–4 Detroit Red Wings (1996–97) 6–5–2 14,460 Recap
14 W November 9, 1996 4–3 OT Buffalo Sabres (1996–97) 7–5–2 13,352 Recap
15 W November 12, 1996 4–3 @ San Jose Sharks (1996–97) 8–5–2 17,742 Recap
16 W November 14, 1996 2–1 @ Phoenix Coyotes (1996–97) 9–5–2 14,968 Recap
17 T November 16, 1996 4–4 OT @ Colorado Avalanche (1996–97) 9–5–3 16,061 Recap
18 W November 20, 1996 3–1 Montreal Canadiens (1996–97) 10–5–3 13,033 Recap
19 L November 22, 1996 1–7 Pittsburgh Penguins (1996–97) 10–6–3 14,572 Recap
20 T November 23, 1996 3–3 OT @ Ottawa Senators (1996–97) 10–6–4 14,648 Recap
21 L November 27, 1996 2–6 Vancouver Canucks (1996–97) 10–7–4 14,289 Recap
22 T November 29, 1996 1–1 OT @ Florida Panthers (1996–97) 10–7–5 14,703 Recap
23 W November 30, 1996 6–3 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1996–97) 11–7–5 16,375 Recap
December: 6–6–1 (home: 5–2–0; road: 1–4–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Attendance Recap
24 T December 3, 1996 4–4 OT @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1996–97) 11–7–6 13,816 Recap
25 W December 5, 1996 4–2 @ Boston Bruins (1996–97) 12–7–6 14,955 Recap
26 W December 7, 1996 6–4 Buffalo Sabres (1996–97) 13–7–6 13,464 Recap
27 W December 11, 1996 5–2 Florida Panthers (1996–97) 14–7–6 11,884 Recap
28 L December 12, 1996 2–3 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1996–97) 14–8–6 19,124 Recap
29 L December 14, 1996 0–4 Philadelphia Flyers (1996–97) 14–9–6 14,590 Recap
30 L December 16, 1996 2–5 @ New York Rangers (1996–97) 14–10–6 18,200 Recap
31 W December 17, 1996 5–3 St. Louis Blues (1996–97) 15–10–6 12,922 Recap
32 L December 20, 1996 1–4 Dallas Stars (1996–97) 15–11–6 12,945 Recap
33 W December 21, 1996 6–5 OT Tampa Bay Lightning (1996–97) 16–11–6 12,082 Recap
34 L December 26, 1996 1–5 @ Buffalo Sabres (1996–97) 16–12–6 18,595 Recap
35 W December 28, 1996 3–2 Ottawa Senators (1996–97) 17–12–6 14,092 Recap
36 L December 29, 1996 3–4 @ Chicago Blackhawks (1996–97) 17–13–6 20,502 Recap
January: 3–10–1 (home: 2–3–1; road: 1–7–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Attendance Recap
37 L January 1, 1997 2–3 OT @ Washington Capitals (1996–97) 17–14–6 12,608 Recap
38 L January 2, 1997 4–5 OT Boston Bruins (1996–97) 17–15–6 14,403 Recap
39 T January 4, 1997 1–1 OT Washington Capitals (1996–97) 17–15–7 14,613 Recap
40 L January 6, 1997 4–5 @ Montreal Canadiens (1996–97) 17–16–7 20,292 Recap
41 L January 9, 1997 2–3 @ Calgary Flames (1996–97) 17–17–7 17,121 Recap
42 L January 10, 1997 3–5 @ Vancouver Canucks (1996–97) 17–18–7 17,378 Recap
43 L January 12, 1997 1–2 OT @ Edmonton Oilers (1996–97) 17–19–7 14,301 Recap
44 L January 15, 1997 0–3 Pittsburgh Penguins (1996–97) 17–20–7 14,502 Recap
45 W January 20, 1997 3–1 Toronto Maple Leafs (1996–97) 18–20–7 13,002 Recap
46 W January 22, 1997 2–1 OT Florida Panthers (1996–97) 19–20–7 12,627 Recap
47 L January 24, 1997 2–5 New York Islanders (1996–97) 19–21–7 14,619 Recap
48 W January 25, 1997 5–1 @ Buffalo Sabres (1996–97) 20–21–7 18,595 Recap
49 L January 30, 1997 3–5 @ Los Angeles Kings (1996–97) 20–22–7 11,036 Recap
50 L January 31, 1997 3–6 @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1996–97) 20–23–7 17,174 Recap
February: 4–6–2 (home: 3–2–1; road: 1–4–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Attendance Recap
51 L February 5, 1997 2–5 @ New York Rangers (1996–97) 20–24–7 18,200 Recap
52 W February 6, 1997 5–3 @ Boston Bruins (1996–97) 21–24–7 15,213 Recap
53 L February 8, 1997 2–3 OT @ Montreal Canadiens (1996–97) 21–25–7 21,273 Recap
54 L February 12, 1997 2–3 New Jersey Devils (1996–97) 21–26–7 12,710 Recap
55 L February 13, 1997 0–4 @ New Jersey Devils (1996–97) 21–27–7 14,138 Recap
56 W February 15, 1997 2–1 Ottawa Senators (1996–97) 22–27–7 13,767 Recap
57 L February 16, 1997 2–4 @ Ottawa Senators (1996–97) 22–28–7 18,338 Recap
58 T February 19, 1997 2–2 OT @ Philadelphia Flyers (1996–97) 22–28–8 19,484 Recap
59 W February 21, 1997 7–2 New York Rangers (1996–97) 23–28–8 14,660 Recap
60 W February 22, 1997 2–0 Washington Capitals (1996–97) 24–28–8 14,311 Recap
61 T February 26, 1997 2–2 OT Chicago Blackhawks (1996–97) 24–28–9 13,121 Recap
62 L February 28, 1997 2–3 San Jose Sharks (1996–97) 24–29–9 13,547 Recap
March: 5–7–1 (home: 4–3–0; road: 1–4–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Attendance Recap
63 L March 2, 1997 2–5 Philadelphia Flyers (1996–97) 24–30–9 14,660 Recap
64 W March 5, 1997 2–0 Calgary Flames (1996–97) 25–30–9 12,140 Recap
65 W March 7, 1997 2–0 Montreal Canadiens (1996–97) 26–30–9 14,341 Recap
66 T March 8, 1997 1–1 OT @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1996–97) 26–30–10 15,726 Recap
67 W March 12, 1997 6–3 Boston Bruins (1996–97) 27–30–10 13,155 Recap
68 L March 13, 1997 0–6 @ New Jersey Devils (1996–97) 27–31–10 16,244 Recap
69 L March 15, 1997 2–4 Edmonton Oilers (1996–97) 27–32–10 14,437 Recap
70 L March 16, 1997 3–5 @ Washington Capitals (1996–97) 27–33–10 18,130 Recap
71 L March 20, 1997 1–4 @ St. Louis Blues (1996–97) 27–34–10 17,959 Recap
72 L March 21, 1997 0–2 @ Dallas Stars (1996–97) 27–35–10 16,522 Recap
73 L March 25, 1997 0–4 Colorado Avalanche (1996–97) 27–36–10 14,191 Recap
74 W March 27, 1997 5–2 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (1996–97) 28–36–10 19,984 Recap
75 W March 29, 1997 2–1 New York Rangers (1996–97) 29–36–10 14,660 Recap
April: 3–3–1 (home: 2–1–0; road: 1–2–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Attendance Recap
76 L April 2, 1997 1–4 Montreal Canadiens (1996–97) 29–37–10 14,177 Recap
77 T April 3, 1997 5–5 OT @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1996–97) 29–37–11 17,284 Recap
78 W April 5, 1997 4–1 @ Montreal Canadiens (1996–97) 30–37–11 21,273 Recap
79 W April 7, 1997 4–2 Buffalo Sabres (1996–97) 31–37–11 14,660 Recap
80 L April 9, 1997 4–5 @ Ottawa Senators (1996–97) 31–38–11 18,500 Recap
81 L April 11, 1997 4–6 @ New York Islanders (1996–97) 31–39–11 15,382 Recap
82 W April 13, 1997 2–1 Tampa Bay Lightning (1996–97) 32–39–11 14,660 Recap
Legend:

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

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 Whalers only.
  • ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Whalers only.
No. Player Pos Regular season
GP G A Pts +/- PIM
8 Geoff Sanderson LW 82 36 31 67 −9 29
21 Andrew Cassels C 81 22 44 66 −16 46
55 Keith Primeau† C 75 26 25 51 −3 161
11 Kevin Dineen RW 78 19 29 48 −6 141
16 Nelson Emerson RW 66 9 29 38 −21 34
12 Steven Rice RW 78 21 14 35 −11 59
20 Glen Wesley D 68 6 26 32 0 40
92 Jeff O'Neill RW 72 14 16 30 −24 40
24 Sami Kapanen RW 45 13 12 25 6 2
18 Robert Kron LW 68 10 12 22 −18 10
28 Paul Ranheim LW 67 10 11 21 −13 18
7 Curtis Leschyshyn† D 64 4 13 17 −19 30
3 Steve Chiasson† D 18 3 11 14 −10 7
6 Adam Burt D 71 2 11 13 −13 79
44 Kent Manderville C 44 6 5 11 3 18
4 Gerald Diduck‡ D 56 1 10 11 −9 40
77 Paul Coffey†‡ D 20 3 5 8 0 18
14 Kevin Haller† D 35 2 6 8 −11 48
36 Glen Featherstone‡ D 41 2 5 7 0 87
10 Andrei Nikolishin‡ C 12 2 5 7 −2 2
5 Alexander Godynyuk D 55 1 6 7 −10 41
27 Derek King† LW 12 3 3 6 0 2
22 Mark Janssens‡ C 54 2 4 6 −10 90
23 Marek Malik D 47 1 5 6 5 50
32 Stu Grimson† LW 75 2 2 4 −7 218
46 Kevin Brown RW 11 0 4 4 −6 6
17 Hnat Domenichelli‡ LW 13 2 1 3 −4 7
39 Kelly Chase‡ RW 28 1 2 3 2 122
17 Chris Murray† RW 8 1 1 2 1 10
1 Sean Burke G 51 0 2 2 14
37 Jeff Daniels LW 10 0 2 2 2 0
41 Nolan Pratt D 9 0 2 2 0 6
7 Brian Glynn D 1 1 0 1 2 2
94 Brendan Shanahan‡ LW 2 1 0 1 1 0
26 Steve Martins C 2 0 1 1 0 0
29 Jason Muzzatti G 31 0 1 1 18
27 Jeff Brown D 1 0 0 0 0 0
47 Jean-Sebastien Giguere G 8 0 0 0 0
25 Jason McBain D 6 0 0 0 −4 0

Goaltending

No. Player Regular season
GP W L T SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
1 Sean Burke 51 22 22 6 1560 134 2.69 .914 4 2985
29 Jason Muzzatti 31 9 13 5 815 91 3.43 .888 0 1591
47 Jean-Sebastien Giguere 8 1 4 0 201 24 3.65 .881 0 394

Awards and records

Awards

Type Award/honor Recipient Ref
League
(in-season) 		NHL All-Star Game selection Geoff Sanderson
Team Award of Excellence Kevin Dineen
Booster Club MVP Award Sean Burke
Frank Keys Memorial Award Kent Manderville
Mark Kravitz Award Sean Burke
Most Valuable Defenseman Glen Wesley
Three Star Award of Excellence Sean Burke
Top Gun Award Geoff Sanderson
True Grit Award Kevin Dineen

Milestones

Milestone Player Date Ref
First game Hnat Domenichelli October 5, 1996
Nolan Pratt
Jean-Sebastien Giguere December 12, 1996

Transactions

The Whalers were involved in the following transactions during the 1996–97 season.

Trades

October 1, 1996 To Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Espen Knutsen 		To Hartford Whalers
Kevin Brown
October 9, 1996 To Detroit Red Wings
Brendan Shanahan
Brian Glynn 		To Hartford Whalers
Paul Coffey
Keith Primeau
1st round pick in 1997 - Nikos Tselios
November 9, 1996 To Washington Capitals
Andrei Nikolishin 		To Hartford Whalers
Curtis Leschyshyn
December 15, 1996 To Philadelphia Flyers
Paul Coffey
3rd round pick in 1997 - Kris Mallette 		To Hartford Whalers
Kevin Haller
1st round pick in 1997 - Scott Hannan
7th round pick in 1997 - Andrew Merrick
March 5, 1997 To Calgary Flames
Hnat Domenichelli
Glen Featherstone
2nd round pick in 1997 - Dmitri Kokorev
3rd round pick in 1998 - Paul Manning 		To Hartford Whalers
Steve Chiasson
3rd round pick in 1997 - Francis Lessard
March 18, 1997 To Toronto Maple Leafs
Kelly Chase 		To Hartford Whalers
8th round pick in 1998 - Jaroslav Svoboda
March 18, 1997 To Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Mark Janssens 		To Hartford Whalers
Bates Battaglia
4th round pick in 1998 - Josef Vasicek
March 18, 1997 To New York Islanders
5th round pick in 1997 - Adam Edinger 		To Hartford Whalers
Derek King
March 18, 1997 To Phoenix Coyotes
Gerald Diduck 		To Hartford Whalers
Chris Murray

Waivers

October 2, 1996 From Edmonton Oilers
Kent Manderville
October 12, 1996 From Detroit Red Wings
Stu Grimson

Free agents

Player New Team
Scott Daniels Philadelphia Flyers
Brad McCrimmon Phoenix Coyotes
David Williams Boston Bruins
Kevin Smyth Orlando Solar Bears (IHL)
John Stevens Philadelphia Flyers

Draft picks

Hartford's picks at the 1996 NHL entry draft held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
2 34 Trevor Wasyluk Left wing  Canada Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
3 61 Andrei Petrunin Right wing  Russia CSKA Moscow (Russia)
4 88 Craig MacDonald Center  Canada Harvard University (ECAC)
4 104 Steve Wasylko Center  Canada Detroit Whalers (OHL)
5 116 Mark McMahon Defense  Canada Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
6 143 Aaron Baker Goaltender  Canada Tri-City Americans (WHL)
7 171 Greg Kuznik Defense  Canada Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
8 197 Kevin Marsh Left wing  Canada Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
9 223 Craig Adams Right wing  Canada Harvard University (ECAC)
9 231 Askhat Rakhmatullin Left wing  Russia Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia)

Departure from Hartford

In 1994, Compuware founder Peter Karmanos purchased the Whalers. Karmanos pledged to keep the Whalers in Hartford for four years. Frustrated with lackluster attendance and corporate support, he announced in 1996 that if the Whalers were unable to sell at least 11,000 season tickets for the 1996–97 season, he would likely move the team. Furthermore, ownership only made season tickets available in full-season (41-game) packages, eliminating the popular five- and ten-game "mini plans," in a strategy largely designed to spur purchases from wealthier corporations and individuals. Sales were underwhelming at the beginning of the campaign, and at the end of the 1995–96 season it was still unknown whether the Whalers would stay in Connecticut or move. However, thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign, and the creative efforts of many fans (who pooled together resources to purchase some of the full-season packages collectively) the Whalers announced that they would stay in Connecticut for the 1996–97 season.

In early 1996, negotiations between the Whalers and Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland to build a new $147.5 million arena seemed to be going well. However, negotiations fell apart when Rowland and the State refused Karmanos' demand to reimburse the Whalers for up to $45 million in losses during the three years the new arena was to be built. As a result, the team announced on March 26, 1997, that they would leave Hartford, one of the few times that a team announced it would leave its current city without having already selected a new city. Many suspected that Governor John G. Rowland did not want to keep the Whalers, as he harbored hopes of instead landing an NFL franchise. Ideally, Rowland wanted to use the state's resources to build a new stadium to lure the New England Patriots to Connecticut and did not have serious intentions of building an NHL arena for the Whalers.

References

  1. "Hartford Whalers Yearly Attendance Graph". hockeydb.com.
  2. "1996-1997 Conference Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". NHL.
  3. "1996-97 Hartford Whalers Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  4. "1997 NHL All-Star Game Rosters". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "Whalers Team Awards". www.whalershockey.com. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  6. "1996-97 NHL Debuts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  7. "1996 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  8. How's It Goin', Pete? Part 4
  9. "The Recorder". Archived from the original on May 15, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
  10. The Patriots Nix Hartford, Stay in Foxboro - Background Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
Hartford Whalers seasons
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1996–97 NHL season
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