What is 1996–97 NHL season?
{{Infobox sports season | title = 1996–97 NHL season | league = [[National Hockey League]] | sport = [[Ice hockey]] | duration = October 4, 1996 – June 7, 1997 | draft = Draft | draft_link = 1996 NHL Draft | top_pick_link = List of first overall NHL draft picks | top_pick = [[Chris Phillips]] | picked_by = [[Ottawa Senators]] | season = Regular season | season_champ_name= [[Presidents' Trophy]] | season_champs = [[Colorado Avalanche]] | MVP = [[Dominik Hašek|Dominik Hasek]] ([[Buffalo Sabres|Sabres]]) | MVP_link = Hart Memorial Trophy | top_scorer = [[Mario Lemieux]] ([[Pittsburgh Penguins|Penguins]]) | top_scorer_link = Art Ross Trophy | playoffs = Playoffs | playoffs_link = 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs | finals = Stanley Cup | finals_link = 1997 Stanley Cup Finals | finals_champ = [[Detroit Red Wings]] | finals_runner-up = [[Philadelphia Flyers]] | playoffs_MVP = [[Mike Vernon (ice hockey)|Mike Vernon]] ([[Detroit Red Wings|Red Wings]]) | playoffs_MVP_link= Conn Smythe Trophy | nextseason_year = [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]] | prevseason_year = [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]] | seasonslistnames = [[List of NHL seasons|NHL]] |no_of_games=82 |no_of_teams=26 | TV = [[Hockey Night in Canada|CBC]], [[TSN Hockey|TSN]], [[La Soirée du hockey|SRC]] (Canada)<br>[[NHL on ESPN|ESPN]], [[NHL on Fox|Fox]] (United States) }} The '''1996–97 NHL season''' was the [[List of NHL seasons|80th]] [[regular season]] of the [[National Hockey League]]. The [[List of Stanley Cup champions|Stanley Cup winners]] were the [[Detroit Red Wings]]. They swept the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in four games. The Red Wings had not won the [[Stanley Cup]] for 42 years. ==Regular season== The [[Boston Bruins]] recorded the league's worst record, missing the playoffs for the first time in thirty seasons and ending the longest number of years in a row in the playoffs ever recorded in the