The 1996–97 OHL season was the 17th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Niagara Falls Thunder move to Erie becoming the Erie Otters. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Oshawa Generals won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's.
Relocation
Niagara Falls Thunder to Erie Otters The Niagara Falls Thunder relocated to Erie, and renamed their club to the Erie Otters, becoming the second team in the Ontario Hockey League to be based in the United States and the first OHL team in the state of Pennsylvania. The Thunder played in Niagara Falls from 1988 to 1996, reaching the post-season in seven of their eight seasons. Niagara Falls went to the J. Ross Robertson Cup one time in their eight seasons, in their first season in 1988-89, where they lost to the Peterborough Petes in the final round.
The Otters new home arena was the Erie Civic Center. The club would remain in the Central Division.
New Arena
Detroit Whalers After splitting the 1995-96 season between the Palace of Auburn Hills and Oak Park Ice Arena, the Detroit Whalers moved into their new home, the Compuware Sports Arena, based in Plymouth, Michigan.
Regular season
Final standings Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = earned first round bye
East Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 z-Ottawa 67's 66 49 11 6 104 320 177 2 x-Oshawa Generals 66 41 18 7 89 287 202 3 x-Peterborough Petes 66 39 25 2 80 251 238 4 x-Kingston Frontenacs 66 25 35 6 56 257 277 5 x-Belleville Bulls 66 22 37 7 51 235 278 6 North Bay Centennials 66 14 44 8 36 214 337
Central Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 z-Kitchener Rangers 66 34 22 10 78 274 235 2 x-Guelph Storm 66 35 25 6 76 300 251 3 x-Barrie Colts 66 33 23 10 76 272 236 4 x-Owen Sound Platers 66 27 37 2 56 258 318 5 x-Erie Otters 66 23 36 7 53 240 260 6 Sudbury Wolves 66 21 37 8 50 251 302
West Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 y-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 66 39 17 10 88 309 220 2 x-Sarnia Sting 66 35 24 7 77 286 251 3 x-Windsor Spitfires 66 29 29 8 66 303 285 4 x-Detroit Whalers 66 26 34 6 58 230 270 5 London Knights 66 13 51 2 28 215 365
Scoring leaders Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Marc Savard Oshawa Generals 64 43 87 130 94 Joe Thornton Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 59 41 81 122 123 Alyn McCauley Ottawa 67's 50 56 56 112 16 Richard Uniacke Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 66 44 66 110 36 Trevor Letowski Sarnia Sting 55 35 73 108 51 Todd Norman Guelph Storm 66 47 68 105 41 Joe Seroski Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 61 54 49 103 14 Jan Bulis Barrie Colts 64 42 61 103 42 Jonathan Sim Sarnia Sting 64 56 39 95 109 Matt Cooke Windsor Spitfires 65 45 50 95 146
Playoffs The 67's waived their right to a first-round bye, having lost in the second round the previous season after accepting a first-round bye.
Division quarter-finals
East Division
(1) Ottawa 67's vs. (5) Belleville Bulls
(3) Peterborough Petes vs. (4) Kingston Frontenacs
Central Division
(2) Guelph Storm vs. (5) Erie Otters
(3) Barrie Colts vs. (4) Owen Sound Platers
West Division
(1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (4) Detroit Whalers
(2) Sarnia Sting vs. (3) Windsor Spitfires
OHL quarter-finals
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (C3) Barrie Colts
(W1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (C2) Guelph Storm
(C1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (W2) Sarnia Sting
(E2) Oshawa Generals vs. (E3) Peterborough Petes
OHL semi-finals
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (C2) Guelph Storm
(C1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (E2) Oshawa Generals
J. Ross Robertson Cup
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (E2) Oshawa Generals
All-Star teams
First team Alyn McCauley, Centre, Ottawa 67's Daniel Cleary, Left Wing, Belleville Bulls Cameron Mann, Right Wing, Peterborough Petes Sean Blanchard, Defence, Ottawa 67's Andy Delmore, Defence, Sarnia Sting Zac Bierk, Goaltender, Peterborough Petes Brian Kilrea, Coach, Ottawa 67's
Second team Joe Thornton, Centre, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Dave Duerden, Left Wing, Peterborough Petes Alexandre Volchkov, Right Wing, Barrie Colts D.J. Smith, Defence, Windsor Spitfires Marty Wilford, Defence, Oshawa Generals Kory Cooper, Goaltender, Belleville Bulls Bill Stewart, Coach, Oshawa Generals
Third team Jan Bulis, Centre, Barrie Colts Dwayne Hay, Left Wing, Guelph Storm Joel Trottier, Right Wing, Ottawa 67's Nick Boynton, Defence, Ottawa 67's Chris Hajt, Defence, Guelph Storm Robert Esche, Goaltender, Detroit Whalers Peter DeBoer, Coach, Detroit Whalers
Awards J. Ross Robertson Cup: Oshawa GeneralsHamilton Spectator Trophy: Ottawa 67'sLeyden Trophy: Ottawa 67'sEmms Trophy: Kitchener RangersBumbacco Trophy: Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsRed Tilson Trophy: Alyn McCauley, Ottawa 67'sEddie Powers Memorial Trophy: Marc Savard, Oshawa Generals Matt Leyden Trophy: Brian Kilrea, Ottawa 67'sJim Mahon Memorial Trophy: Joe Seroski, Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsMax Kaminsky Trophy: Sean Blanchard, Ottawa 67'sOHL Goaltender of the Year: Zac Bierk, Peterborough PetesJack Ferguson Award: Charlie Stephens, Toronto St. Michael's MajorsDave Pinkney Trophy: Tim Keyes and Craig Hillier, Ottawa 67's OHL Executive of the Year: Ed Rowe, Peterborough PetesBill Long Award: Wren Blair, Kingston Frontenacs & Frank Bonello, Ontario Hockey LeagueEmms Family Award: Peter Sarno, Windsor SpitfiresF.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy: Shawn Degagne, Kitchener RangersOHL Humanitarian of the Year: Mike Martone, Peterborough PetesWilliam Hanley Trophy: Alyn McCauley, Ottawa 67's Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy: Zac Bierk, Peterborough PetesBobby Smith Trophy: Jake McCracken, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
1997 OHL Priority Selection On June 7, 1997, the OHL conducted the 1997 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. The expansion team Toronto St. Michael's Majors, who were set to begin play during the 1997-98 season, held the first overall pick in the draft, and selected Charlie Stephens from the Leamington Flyers. Stephens was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 1997 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
# Player Nationality OHL Team Hometown Minor Team 1 Charlie Stephens (C) Canada Toronto St. Michael's Majors London, Ontario Leamington Flyers 2 John Erskine (D) Canada London Knights Kingston, Ontario Quinte Hawks 3 Brett Angel (D) Canada North Bay Centennials Kingston, Ontario Kingston Voyageurs 4 Taylor Pyatt (LW) Canada Sudbury Wolves Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay Kings 5 Jonathan Cheechoo (RW) Canada Belleville Bulls Moose Factory, Ontario Kitchener Dutchmen 6 Tim Connolly (C) United States Erie Otters Syracuse, New York Syracuse Jr. Crunch 7 Jamie Young (LW) Canada Kingston Frontenacs Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay Kings 8 Dave Stephenson (D) Canada Owen Sound Platers Woodstock, Ontario Cambridge Winter Hawks 9 David Legwand (C) United States Plymouth Whalers Detroit, Michigan Compuware Ambassadors 10 Mike Rupp (C) United States Windsor Spitfires Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland Barons 11 Adam DeLeeuw (LW) Canada Barrie Colts Brampton, Ontario Brampton Capitals 12 Dusty Jamieson (LW) Canada Guelph Storm Forest, Ontario St. Thomas Stars 13 Robb Palahnuk (LW) Canada Sarnia Sting Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Elmira Sugar Kings 14 Barry Graham (D) Canada Kitchener Rangers Murillo, Ontario Thunder Bay Kings 15 Preston Mizzi (C) Canada Peterborough Petes Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Newmarket Hurricanes 16 Cory Pecker (RW) Canada Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Montreal, Quebec Lac St-Louis Lions 17 Brad Ralph (C) Canada Oshawa Generals Richmond Hill, Ontario Kanata Valley Lasers 18 Jonathan Zion (D) Canada Ottawa 67's Nepean, Ontario Nepean Raiders
See also List of OHA Junior A standings List of OHL seasons 1997 Memorial Cup 1997 NHL entry draft 1996 in sports 1997 in sports
References
HockeyDB