Detroit Red Wings
1996-97 Season Recap

Teams Detroit Red Wings 1996-97 Season Recap

After 2 straight President's Trophies the Red Wings finish in 2nd place in the Central Division with a 38-26-18 record. In the first round the Wings would beat the St. Louis Blues in 6 games. The Red Wings would pick up a full head of steam in the 2nd round sweeping the Anaheim Mighty Ducks as Mike Vernon established himself as the hot goalie. In a reversal of last year's Conference Finals the Red Wings take the first 2 games from the Avalanche in Colorado and would go on to win the series in 6 games. In the finals the Red Wings took command early beating the Flyers in the first 2 games in Philadelphia. As the series shifted back to Hockeytown USA the Wings went in for the kill completing the sweep to win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. Goalie Mike Vernon who out played Chris Osgood early to end the rotating goalie tandem was rewarded with Conn Smythe award for Playoff MVP. However the celebration would be short lived as star defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov are critically injured in a one-vehicle limousine accident following a team party. The limo driver was stoned on pot when he crashed the limo, but he would never face serious charges. Konstantinov would remain in a coma for months when he emerged he was left severely brain damaged, as was Mnatsakanov.

1997 Red Wings

1996-97 Detroit Red WingsRed Wings

Won Stanley Cup Finals
1997 NHL Champions

38-26 (.573)

2nd place in NHL Western Conference Central Division

Head Coach

Scotty Bowman

General Manager

Jim Devellano
Scotty Bowman

Team Owner

Mike Ilitch

Arena

Joe Louis Arena

Attendance

819,107 total
19,978 per game

1997 Draft Picks

Round Pick Player

2 49 Yuri Butsayev L

3 76 Petr Sykora C

4 102 Quintin Laing L

5 129 John Wikstrom D

6 157 B.J. Young R

View All Red Wings Draft Picks

Recap

Won Stanley Cup Finals 1997 NHL Champions

1997 Draft Picks

Related Content

Won Stanley Cup Finals
1997 NHL Champions