1996–97 Hartford Whalers season


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.
Key dates prior to the start of the 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

Schedule and results

Playoffs

Player statistics

Regular season

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIM+/-PPGSHGGWG
LW8236316729-91214
C8122446646-16802
C75262551161-3632
RW78192948141-6805
RW669293834-21212
RW7821143559-11502
D6862632400310
RW7214163040-24212
RW4513122526302
LW6810122210-18204
LW6710112118-13031
D644131730-19111
D18311147-10300
D712111379-13000
C446511183001
D561101140-9001
D20358180101
D3526848-11000
D41257870000
C122572-2000
D5516741-10001
LW1233620100
C5424690-10000
D47156505001
LW75224218-7000
RW110446-6000
LW132137-4100
RW281231222000
RW8112101000
G51022140000
LW1002202000
D902260000
D110122000
LW210101010
C201100000
G31011180000
D100000000
G800000000
D60000-4000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLTGAGAASOSASVSV%
298551222261342.69415601426.914
1591319135913.430815724.888
3948140243.650201177.881
Team:4970823239112493.01425762327.903

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus-minus PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals;
MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA=Shots Against; SV=Shots saved; SV% = Save Percentage;

Awards and records

Records

Milestones

Transactions

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

Trades

Waivers

Free agents

Draft picks

Hartford's picks at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Round#PlayerPositionNationalityCollege/Junior/Club Team
234Trevor WasylukLeft wingMedicine Hat Tigers
361Andrei PetruninRight wingCSKA Moscow
488Craig MacDonaldCenterHarvard University
4104Steve WasylkoCenterDetroit Whalers
5116Mark McMahonDefenseKitchener Rangers
6143Aaron BakerGoaltenderTri-City Americans
7171Greg KuznikDefenseSeattle Thunderbirds
8197Kevin MarshLeft wingCalgary Hitmen
9223Craig AdamsRight wingHarvard University
9231Askhat RakhmatullinLeft wingSalavat Yulaev Ufa

Farm teams

American Hockey League

ECHL

Roster

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 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 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.