After four straight years out of the playoffs, the 1996-97 season not only marked a return to the post-season by the Edmonton Oilers, it provided fans moments that endure to this day. An impossible save by Curtis Joseph. Todd Marchant blazing around a stumbling Grant Ledyard. Oiler GM Glen Sather pumping his fist in the press box at Reunion Arena.
Suffice to say, the Game 7 overtime win over the rightfully heavily favored Dallas Stars, who’d finished 23 points ahead of them in Western Conference standings, was as dramatic a return to the playoff party as Oiler fans could hope for. It also marked the season the underdog Oilers would claim the state of Texas as a second home – the first of six straight times they’d face the Stars in the playoffs. 
RECORD: 36-37-9 (81 points) 3rd in Pacific Division

GD 252-247 plus-5 SH% 10.0 SV% .905

NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS

1997-04-10
Terran Sandwith signed as free agent (formerly with Philadelphia).
1997-03-18
Drew Bannister traded by Tampa Bay with 6th round pick in 1997 (Peter Sarno) for Jeff Norton.
1997-03-18
Craig Millar traded by Buffalo with Barrie Moore for Miroslav Satan.
1997-03-18
Jeff Norton traded to Tampa Bay for Drew Bannister and 6th round pick in 1997 (Peter Sarno).
1997-02-26
Petr Klima signed as free agent (formerly with Pittsburgh).
1997-02-21
David Oliver claimed on waivers by NY Rangers.
1997-01-17
Michel Petit claimed on waivers by Philadelphia.
1996-10-25
Ralph Intranuovo claimed on waivers from Toronto.
1996-10-24
Michel Petit signed as free agent (formerly with Tampa Bay).
1996-10-02
Kent Manderville claimed on waivers by Hartford.
1996-09-30
Ralph Intranuovo claimed on waivers by Toronto.
1996-09-28
Kevin Lowe signed as free agent (formerly with NY Rangers).
1996-09-16
Jesse Belanger signed as free agent (formerly with Vancouver).
1996-09-06
Andrei Kovalenko traded to Montreal for Scott Thornton.
1996-07-31
David Roberts signed as free agent by Vancouver.
1996-06-22
Boyd Devereaux drafted 6th overall.
1996-06-22
Chris Hajt drafted 32nd overall.
1996-06-22
Fernando Pisani drafted 195th overall.
1996-06-22
Tom Poti drafted 59th overall.
1996-06-22
Tyler Wright traded to Pittsburgh for 7th round pick in 1996 (Brandon Lafrance).
1996-06-14
Bob Essensa traded by Detroit for future considerations.

LEADING SCORERS

Player
GP
G
A
PTS
+/-
PIM
S%
Doug Weight
80
21
61
82
1
80
8.9
Ryan Smyth
82
39
22
61
-7
76
14.7
Andrei Kovalenko
74
32
27
59
-5
81
19.6
Jason Arnott
67
19
38
57
-21
92
7.7
Mariusz Czerkawski
76
26
21
47
0
16
14.3
Kelly Buchberger
81
8
30
38
4
159
10.3
Todd Marchant
79
14
19
33
11
44
6.9
Mike Grier
79
15
17
32
7
45
16.9
Boris Mironov
55
6
26
32
2
85
4.1
Rem Murray
82
11
20
31
9
16
12.9

SEASON RECAP

Until the unlikely run to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup final, and possibly seeing NHL VP Bill Daly draw the golden lottery ticket that gave the Oilers the right to select Connor McDavid, April 29, 1997, when Marchant raced around Ledyard and snapped the puck past Andy Moog, stood as the post-1990 high point for younger Oiler fans.
In returning to the playoffs with 36 wins and 81 points, the Oilers enjoyed their best season since 1991-92. Doug Weight had already emerged as a star. Ryan Smyth had a breakout year with 39 goals, a total that would stand as his career high. And there was Cujo, whose magic in the goal crease always had his teammates, and fans, believing the Oilers had a chance to win.
But beat Ken Hitchcock and the Stars, blessed with forwards like Mike Modano, Pat Verbeek and Joe Nieuwendyk, not to mention a punishing and airtight defense, over the course of seven games in the first round? Hands up, everybody who saw that coming. Not me.

LOOKING BACK

While Weight and Smyth were taking care of business in the offensive end of the rink, the Oilers’ improvement in the standings, and what eventually allowed them to knock off the Stars, was the ability to keep the puck out of their own net. With Cujo making 72 appearances behind a better defensive group, the Oilers cut their goals against from the previous season by 57.
Joseph blanked the Stars twice in the first five games of the series – 4-0 and 1-0. When Dallas edged the Oilers 4-3 in Game 6 at Rexall Place, the series went back to the Lone Star State for Game 7. First, Joseph put his exclamation mark on the upset with a stunning stop on Nieuwendyk. Then, Marchant took a pass from Weight, kicked in the afterburners and beat Moog to send the Oilers to the next round. Stunner.
The Oilers didn’t have much left in the tank going into the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, and it showed. The Avalanche, a 107-point team during the regular season, breezed through in five games. What mattered most to fans was the Oilers were back in the playoffs and they, at long last, had something to cheer about again. 

Listen to Robin Brownlee Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Jason Gregor Show on TSN 1260.

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