# 1996–97 Edmonton Oilers season

The 1996–97 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 18th season in the NHL. They were coming off a 30–44–8 record, earning 68 points in the 1995–96 season, which led them to failing to qualify for the post-season for the 4th time in a row.
The Oilers had their best season since 1991–92 as they won 36 games and earn 81 points, finishing third place in the Pacific Division and seventh in the Western Conference, earning their first playoff berth in five years. The main reason for the Oilers' turn-around was their solid goaltending and defensive hockey, only allowing 247 goals, 57 fewer than the previous season.

## Regular season

On November 26, 1996, the Oilers defeated their provincial rival Calgary Flames on the road by a score of 10-1. Ten different Oilers scored in the game. It was the first time that the Oilers had scored 10 goals in a regular-season game since December 4, 1988, when they defeated the New York Rangers at home by a score of 10-6.
Offensively, Doug Weight led the club once again this season in points, earning 82, and achieved a club high 61 assists. Ryan Smyth had a breakout season, scoring a team high 39 goals and led the team in power play goals with 20. Andrei Kovalenko, acquired in the off-season, scored 32 goals and 59 points, while Jason Arnott earned 57 points in 67 games. Rookie Mike Grier had 32 points in 79 games, and Mariusz Czerkawski finished third on the team in goals with 26. Boris Mironov anchored the defense, earning 32 points in only 55 games. Todd Marchant led the team in short-handed goals with 4. Team captain Kelly Buchberger provided the team toughness, earning a club high 159 penalty minutes.
In goal, Curtis Joseph got the majority of playing time, winning 32 games while posting a 2.93 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He set a team record with 6 shutouts. Bob Essensa, despite a strong GAA of 2.83, won only 4 games.
The Oilers had the most power-play opportunities during the regular season, with 406 opportunities in total.

### Season standings

Pacific Division :
| No. | CR | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | 1 | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 49 | 24 | 9 | 277 | 205 | 107 |
| 2 | 4 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | 82 | 36 | 33 | 13 | 243 | 231 | 85 |
| 3 | 7 | Edmonton Oilers | 82 | 36 | 37 | 9 | 252 | 247 | 81 |
| 4 | 9 | Vancouver Canucks | 82 | 35 | 40 | 7 | 257 | 273 | 77 |
| 5 | 10 | Calgary Flames | 82 | 32 | 41 | 9 | 214 | 239 | 73 |
| 6 | 12 | Los Angeles Kings | 82 | 28 | 43 | 11 | 214 | 268 | 67 |
| 7 | 13 | San Jose Sharks | 82 | 27 | 47 | 8 | 211 | 278 | 62 |
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.
Western Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | p – Colorado Avalanche | PAC | 82 | 49 | 24 | 9 | 277 | 205 | 107 |
| 2 | Dallas Stars | CEN | 82 | 48 | 26 | 8 | 252 | 198 | 104 |
| 3 | Detroit Red Wings | CEN | 82 | 38 | 26 | 18 | 253 | 197 | 94 |
| 4 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | PAC | 82 | 36 | 33 | 13 | 245 | 233 | 85 |
| 5 | Phoenix Coyotes | CEN | 82 | 38 | 37 | 7 | 240 | 243 | 83 |
| 6 | St. Louis Blues | CEN | 82 | 36 | 35 | 11 | 236 | 239 | 83 |
| 7 | Edmonton Oilers | PAC | 82 | 36 | 37 | 9 | 252 | 247 | 81 |
| 8 | Chicago Blackhawks | CEN | 82 | 34 | 35 | 13 | 223 | 210 | 81 |
| 9 | Vancouver Canucks | PAC | 82 | 35 | 40 | 7 | 257 | 273 | 77 |
| 10 | Calgary Flames | PAC | 82 | 32 | 41 | 9 | 214 | 239 | 73 |
| 11 | Toronto Maple Leafs | CEN | 82 | 30 | 44 | 8 | 230 | 273 | 68 |
| 12 | Los Angeles Kings | PAC | 82 | 28 | 43 | 11 | 214 | 268 | 67 |
| 13 | San Jose Sharks | PAC | 82 | 27 | 47 | 8 | 211 | 278 | 62 |
Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific
bold – Qualified for playoffs; p – Won Presidents' Trophy

## Playoffs

The Oilers faced the Central Division winning Dallas Stars in the opening round of the playoffs. After splitting the first 2 games in Dallas, the Oilers returned home for game 3 for their first home playoff game since 1992 and found themselves losing 3–0 with about 4 minutes left in the 3rd period. Edmonton then struck for 3 goals to tie the game, and Kelly Buchberger provided the overtime heroics, as the Oilers won the game 4–3 and take a 2–1 series lead. Dallas tied the series up again in game 4, however, the Oilers shocked the Stars, winning 1–0 in double overtime in the 5th game in Dallas, and returning to Edmonton in a position to clinch the series. The Stars spoiled the Oilers' party, winning the 6th game 3–2, setting up a game 7 at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The game was a memorable one, as the score was tied up at 3 as the teams headed into overtime. Todd Marchant turned out to be the hero, scoring for the Oilers in the 1st overtime, as Edmonton completed the upset, defeating the Stars in 7 games.
In the 2nd round, Edmonton faced the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, who won the Pacific Division and had 26 more points than the Oilers during the season. The Avalanche won the opening 2 games easily in Denver, and while the Oilers rebounded to win the 3rd game, the Avs proved to be too much for Edmonton to handle, as they won the series in 5 games, ending the Oilers' season.

## Schedule and results
### Regular season

1996–97 regular season :
October: 7–5–0 (home: 4–2–0; road: 3–3–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
1October 4Buffalo Sabres3 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph15,2361–0–02Recap
2October 6Vancouver Canucks0 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph15,1442–0–04Recap
3October 8Edmonton Oilers4 – 2Toronto Maple LeafsJoseph15,4243–0–06Recap
4October 9Edmonton Oilers0 – 2Detroit Red WingsEssensa19,9833–1–06Recap
5October 11St. Louis Blues3 – 1Edmonton OilersJoseph16,1453–2–06Recap
6October 14Edmonton Oilers6 – 3Phoenix CoyotesJoseph13,9164–2–08Recap
7October 15Edmonton Oilers2 – 7Colorado AvalancheJoseph16,0614–3–08Recap
8October 20Edmonton Oilers3 – 6Calgary FlamesJoseph16,2954–4–08Recap
9October 22Pittsburgh Penguins2 – 5Edmonton OilersJoseph16,5365–4–010Recap
10October 24Edmonton Oilers8 – 2Los Angeles KingsEssensa10,1956–4–012Recap
11October 26Colorado Avalanche4 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph17,0996–5–012Recap
12October 30Phoenix Coyotes1 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph14,6787–5–014Recap :
November: 6–7–1 (home: 2–3–1; road: 4–4–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
13November 1Vancouver Canucks5 – 4Edmonton OilersOTJoseph16,1777–6–014Recap
14November 3Edmonton Oilers2 – 4Chicago BlackhawksJoseph16,8757–7–014Recap
15November 6Edmonton Oilers2 – 5Pittsburgh PenguinsEssensa15,1597–8–014Recap
16November 7Edmonton Oilers6 – 0Boston BruinsJoseph13,6438–8–016Recap
17November 9Edmonton Oilers3 – 7Toronto Maple LeafsJoseph15,7268–9–016Recap
18November 11Edmonton Oilers2 – 3Montreal CanadiensOTJoseph20,4528–10–016Recap
19November 13Edmonton Oilers4 – 0Ottawa SenatorsJoseph15,3129–10–018Recap
20November 17Dallas Stars7 – 3Edmonton OilersJoseph14,5749–11–018Recap
21November 19Chicago Blackhawks4 – 4Edmonton OilersOTJoseph14,7929–11–119Recap
22November 21New York Rangers2 – 3Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09910–11–121Recap
23November 23Calgary Flames2 – 3Edmonton OilersJoseph16,82911–11–123Recap
24November 26Edmonton Oilers10 – 1Calgary FlamesJoseph17,14612–11–125Recap
25November 27Los Angeles Kings5 – 1Edmonton OilersEssensa14,03912–12–125Recap
26November 29Edmonton Oilers4 – 2San Jose SharksJoseph17,44213–12–127Recap :
December: 4–7–3 (home: 3–4–1; road: 1–3–2)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
27December 1Edmonton Oilers2 – 4Mighty Ducks of AnaheimJoseph16,73513–13–127Recap
28December 4Edmonton Oilers0 – 2Colorado AvalancheJoseph16,06113–14–127Recap
29December 6Ottawa Senators2 – 5Edmonton OilersJoseph15,06014–14–129Recap
30December 8St. Louis Blues3 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph14,92214–15–129Recap
31December 10Edmonton Oilers0 – 0Detroit Red WingsOTJoseph19,98314–15–230Recap
32December 12Edmonton Oilers2 – 2Tampa Bay LightningOTJoseph13,92514–15–331Recap
33December 15Edmonton Oilers3 – 6Florida PanthersEssensa14,70314–16–331Recap
34December 18Colorado Avalanche4 – 4Edmonton OilersOTJoseph16,05314–16–432Recap
35December 20New Jersey Devils3 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph14,69214–17–432Recap
36December 22Detroit Red Wings6 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph16,72414–18–432Recap
37December 23Edmonton Oilers7 – 0Vancouver CanucksEssensa17,85415–18–434Recap
38December 27Philadelphia Flyers6 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09915–19–434Recap
39December 28San Jose Sharks3 – 5Edmonton OilersEssensa16,67016–19–436Recap
40December 30Los Angeles Kings1 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph15,95417–19–438Recap :
January: 8–3–1 (home: 5–1–0; road: 3–2–1)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
41January 3Toronto Maple Leafs3 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09918–19–440Recap
42January 7Edmonton Oilers5 – 2St. Louis BluesJoseph15,76019–19–442Recap
43January 8Edmonton Oilers1 – 4Chicago BlackhawksEssensa17,50019–20–442Recap
44January 11San Jose Sharks2 – 1Edmonton OilersJoseph15,45119–21–442Recap
45January 12Hartford Whalers1 – 2Edmonton OilersOTJoseph14,30120–21–444Recap
46January 15Florida Panthers0 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph15,67321–21–446Recap
47January 21Edmonton Oilers4 – 4New York RangersOTJoseph18,20021–21–547Recap
48January 22Edmonton Oilers1 – 8New York IslandersJoseph10,43821–22–547Recap
49January 24Edmonton Oilers3 – 1Buffalo SabresJoseph16,77522–22–549Recap
50January 26Edmonton Oilers3 – 1Washington CapitalsJoseph14,62323–22–551Recap
51January 29San Jose Sharks1 – 3Edmonton OilersJoseph14,37824–22–553Recap
52January 31New York Islanders0 – 1Edmonton OilersJoseph16,21125–22–555Recap :
February: 4–6–2 (home: 4–2–0; road: 0–4–2)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
53February 5Calgary Flames2 – 5Edmonton OilersJoseph16,77026–22–557Recap
54February 8Mighty Ducks of Anaheim2 – 1Edmonton OilersOTJoseph16,74326–23–557Recap
55February 9Washington Capitals1 – 4Edmonton OilersEssensa15,36127–23–559Recap
56February 12Boston Bruins3 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph16,23828–23–561Recap
57February 13Edmonton Oilers2 – 3Calgary FlamesOTEssensa18,88228–24–561Recap
58February 15Edmonton Oilers2 – 2Los Angeles KingsOTJoseph12,02728–24–662Recap
59February 17Edmonton Oilers1 – 5Mighty Ducks of AnaheimJoseph17,17428–25–662Recap
60February 19Toronto Maple Leafs5 – 6Edmonton OilersJoseph16,48729–25–664Recap
61February 21Colorado Avalanche4 – 3Edmonton OilersOTJoseph17,09929–26–664Recap
62February 23Edmonton Oilers1 – 6Dallas StarsJoseph15,78629–27–664Recap
63February 26Edmonton Oilers3 – 3Mighty Ducks of AnaheimOTJoseph17,17429–27–765Recap
64February 27Edmonton Oilers3 – 6Los Angeles KingsEssensa12,11529–28–765Recap :
March: 6–7–0 (home: 2–3–0; road: 4–4–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
65March 1Montreal Canadiens5 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09929–29–765Recap
66March 4Los Angeles Kings1 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph14,67130–29–767Recap
67March 7Edmonton Oilers1 – 2Dallas StarsJoseph16,72330–30–767Recap
68March 9Edmonton Oilers4 – 1St. Louis BluesJoseph17,98231–30–769Recap
69March 11Edmonton Oilers1 – 6New Jersey DevilsJoseph14,67131–31–769Recap
70March 13Edmonton Oilers4 – 5Philadelphia FlyersOTJoseph19,63531–32–769Recap
71March 15Edmonton Oilers4 – 2Hartford WhalersJoseph14,43732–32–771Recap
72March 19Tampa Bay Lightning1 – 3Edmonton OilersJoseph16,08933–32–773Recap
73March 23Mighty Ducks of Anaheim4 – 1Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09933–33–773Recap
74March 24Edmonton Oilers5 – 1San Jose SharksJoseph17,15934–33–775Recap
75March 28Edmonton Oilers3 – 4San Jose SharksJoseph17,44234–34–775Recap
76March 29Edmonton Oilers3 – 1Phoenix CoyotesJoseph16,21035–34–777Recap
77March 31Dallas Stars3 – 1Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09935–35–777Recap :
April: 1–2–2 (home: 1–1–2; road: 0–1–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
78April 3Chicago Blackhawks2 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09936–35–779Recap
79April 5Vancouver Canucks2 – 2Edmonton OilersOTJoseph17,09936–35–880Recap
80April 9Detroit Red Wings3 – 3Edmonton OilersOTJoseph17,09936–35–981Recap
81April 11Phoenix Coyotes6 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph17,09936–36–981Recap
82April 12Edmonton Oilers4 – 5Vancouver CanucksEssensa18,42236–37–981Recap :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point) :

### Playoffs

1997 Stanley Cup playoffs :
Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. (2) Dallas Stars – Oilers win 4–3
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1April 16Edmonton Oilers3 – 5Dallas StarsJoseph16,4180–1Recap
2April 18Edmonton Oilers4 – 0Dallas StarsJoseph16,9241–1Recap
3April 20Dallas Stars3 – 4Edmonton OilersOTJoseph17,0992–1Recap
4April 22Dallas Stars4 – 3Edmonton OilersJoseph17,0992–2Recap
5April 25Edmonton Oilers1 – 0Dallas Stars2OTJoseph16,9243–2Recap
6April 27Dallas Stars3 – 2Edmonton OilersJoseph17,0993–3Recap
7April 29Edmonton Oilers4 – 3Dallas StarsOTJoseph16,9244–3Recap :
Western Conference Semifinals vs. (1) Colorado Avalanche – Avalanche win 4–1
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1May 2Edmonton Oilers1 – 5Colorado AvalancheJoseph16,0610–1Recap
2May 4Edmonton Oilers1 – 4Colorado AvalancheJoseph16,0610–2Recap
3May 7Colorado Avalanche3 – 4Edmonton OilersJoseph17,0991–2Recap
4May 9Colorado Avalanche3 – 2Edmonton OilersOTJoseph17,0991–3Recap
5May 11Edmonton Oilers3 – 4Colorado AvalancheJoseph16,0611–4Recap :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss :

## Player statistics
### Scoring

* Position abbreviations: C = Centre; D = Defence; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
* † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
* ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
| No. | Player | Pos | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 39 | Doug Weight | C | 80 | 21 | 61 | 82 | 1 | 80 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
| 94 | Ryan Smyth | LW | 82 | 39 | 22 | 61 | −7 | 76 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 10 | −4 | 12 |
| 51 | Andrei Kovalenko | RW | 74 | 32 | 27 | 59 | −5 | 81 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Jason Arnott | C | 67 | 19 | 38 | 57 | −21 | 92 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 18 |
| 21 | Mariusz Czerkawski | LW | 76 | 26 | 21 | 47 | 0 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 10 |
| 16 | Kelly Buchberger | RW | 81 | 8 | 30 | 38 | 4 | 159 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 7 | −1 | 16 |
| 26 | Todd Marchant | LW | 79 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 11 | 44 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| 25 | Mike Grier | RW | 79 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 7 | 45 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | −2 | 4 |
| 2 | Boris Mironov | D | 55 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 2 | 85 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −6 | 16 |
| 17 | Rem Murray | C | 82 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| 37 | Dean McAmmond | LW | 57 | 12 | 17 | 29 | −15 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Miroslav Satan‡ | LW | 64 | 17 | 11 | 28 | −4 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Mats Lindgren | C | 69 | 11 | 14 | 25 | −7 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | −2 | 0 |
| 23 | Dan McGillis | D | 73 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 2 | 52 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 24 |
| 24 | Bryan Marchment | D | 71 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 132 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 4 |
| 4 | Kevin Lowe | D | 64 | 1 | 13 | 14 | −1 | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 |
| 6 | Jeff Norton‡ | D | 62 | 2 | 11 | 13 | −7 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Luke Richardson | D | 82 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 91 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −4 | 14 |
| 8 | Michel Petit†‡ | D | 18 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −13 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 85 | Petr Klima† | RW | 16 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Greg de Vries | D | 37 | 0 | 4 | 4 | −2 | 52 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 20 | David Oliver‡ | RW | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −8 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | Louie DeBrusk | LW | 32 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −6 | 94 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 31 | Curtis Joseph | G | 72 | 0 | 2 | 2 | | 20 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 2 |
| 9 | Ralph Intranuovo† | C | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Steve Kelly | C | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 55 | Drew Bannister† | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −4 | 30 |
| 34 | Donald Dufresne | D | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Jesse Belanger | C | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Sean Brown | D | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Bob Essensa | G | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Joe Hulbig | LW | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 35 | Craig Millar† | D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Barrie Moore† | LW | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | Bryan Muir | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 4 |

### Goaltending

| No. | Player | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | GP | W | L | T | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI |
| 31 | Curtis Joseph | 72 | 32 | 29 | 9 | 2144 | 200 | 2.93 | .907 | 6 | 4100 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 405 | 36 | 2.81 | .911 | 2 | 767 |
| 30 | Bob Essensa | 19 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 406 | 41 | 2.83 | .899 | 1 | 868 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## Awards and records
### Awards

| Type | Award/honour | Recipient |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | Jason Arnott |
| Team | Community Service Award | Jason Arnott |
| Team | Defenceman of the Year | Bryan Marchment |
| Team | Molson Cup | Curtis Joseph |
| Team | Most Popular Player | Curtis Joseph |
| Team | Top Defensive Forward | Kelly Buchberger |
| Team | Top First Year Oiler | Mike Grier |
| Team | Unsung Hero | Doug Weight |
| Team | Zane Feldman Trophy | Curtis Joseph |

### Records

* 3: Tied NHL record for most short-handed goals in a playoffs by Todd Marchant on May 11, 1997.

### Milestones

Regular Season :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Game | October 4, 1996 |
| Dan McGillis | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | October 4, 1996 |
| Rem Murray | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Point | October 4, 1996 |
| Kelly Buchberger | 1,400th NHL PIM | October 8, 1996 |
| Rem Murray | 1st NHL Assist | October 8, 1996 |
| Ryan Smyth | 1st NHL Hat-trick | October 8, 1996 |
| Luke Richardson | 1,100th NHL PIM | October 11, 1996 |
| Louie DeBrusk | 200th NHL Game | October 20, 1996 |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | October 20, 1996 |
| Doug Weight | 300th NHL Point | October 20, 1996 |
| Rem Murray | 1st NHL Hat-trick | October 24, 1996 |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Goal | October 26, 1996 |
| Doug Weight | 300th NHL PIM | November 1, 1996 |
| Mats Lindgren | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Point | November 3, 1996 |
| Andrei Kovalenko | 100th NHL Assist | November 6, 1996 |
| Mats Lindgren | 1st NHL Assist | November 6, 1996 |
| Jason Arnott | 200th NHL Game | November 7, 1996 |
| Mariusz Czerkawski | 1st NHL Hat-trick 1st NHL Natural hat-trick | November 7, 1996 |
| Jason Arnott | 100th NHL Assist | November 9, 1996 |
| Bryan Marchment | 1,200th NHL PIM | November 9, 1996 |
| Curtis Joseph | 20th NHL Assist | November 13, 1996 |
| Boris Mironov | 200th NHL Game | November 13, 1996 |
| Kelly Buchberger | 600th NHL Game | November 17, 1996 |
| Andrei Kovalenko | 200th NHL Point | November 23, 1996 |
| Dan McGillis | 1st NHL Goal | November 26, 1996 |
| Bob Essensa | 300th NHL Game | November 27, 1996 |
| Kevin Lowe | 1,200th NHL Game | December 1, 1996 |
| Michel Petit | 1,700th NHL PIM | December 4, 1996 |
| Andrei Kovalenko | 200th NHL PIM | December 12, 1996 |
| Andrei Kovalenko | 100th NHL Goal | December 18, 1996 |
| Boris Mironov | 300th NHL PIM | December 23, 1996 |
| Andrei Kovalenko | 300th NHL Game | December 30, 1996 |
| Miroslav Satan | 100th NHL Game | January 7, 1997 |
| Jason Arnott | 200th NHL Point | January 15, 1997 |
| Curtis Joseph | 10th NHL Shutout | January 15, 1997 |
| Ryan Smyth | 100th NHL Game | January 24, 1997 |
| Jeff Norton | 500th NHL Game | January 24, 1997 |
| Mariusz Czerkawski | 100th NHL Point | February 9, 1997 |
| Jeff Norton | 400th NHL PIM | February 9, 1997 |
| Doug Weight | 400th NHL Game | February 9, 1997 |
| Bryan Marchment | 400th NHL Game | February 13, 1997 |
| Mariusz Czerkawski | 2nd NHL Hat-trick | February 19, 1997 |
| Boris Mironov | 100th NHL Point | February 19, 1997 |
| Sean Brown | 1st NHL Game | February 21, 1997 |
| Kelly Buchberger | 1,500th NHL PIM | February 21, 1997 |
| Ryan Smyth | 100th NHL PIM | March 1, 1997 |
| Joe Hulbig | 1st NHL Game | March 4, 1997 |
| Luke Richardson | 700th NHL Game | March 9, 1997 |
| Jeff Norton | 300th NHL Point | March 11, 1997 |
| Kelly Buchberger | 200th NHL Point | March 19, 1997 |
| Craig Millar | 1st NHL Game | March 19, 1997 |
| Todd Marchant | 200th NHL Game | March 23, 1997 |
| Steve Kelly | 1st NHL Game | March 24, 1997 |
| Luke Richardson | 100th NHL Point | March 28, 1997 |
| Steve Kelly | 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Point | March 29, 1997 |
| Jason Arnott | 400th NHL PIM | April 4, 1997 |
| Doug Weight | 100th NHL Goal | April 5, 1997 |
Playoffs :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Jason Arnott | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 16, 1997 |
| Mats Lindgren | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 16, 1997 |
| Dan McGillis | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 16, 1997 |
| Boris Mironov | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 16, 1997 |
| Rem Murray | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 16, 1997 |
| Drew Bannister | 1st NHL Game | April 16, 1997 |
| Greg de Vries | 1st NHL Game | April 16, 1997 |
| Louie DeBrusk | 1st NHL Game | April 16, 1997 |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Game | April 16, 1997 |
| Ryan Smyth | 1st NHL Game | April 16, 1997 |
| Todd Marchant | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Point | April 16, 1997 |
| Bryan Marchment | 50th NHL PIM | April 16, 1997 |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Point | April 18, 1997 |
| Boris Mironov | 1st NHL Goal | April 18, 1997 |
| Ryan Smyth | 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 18, 1997 |
| Todd Marchant | 1st NHL Assist | April 20, 1997 |
| Jason Arnott | 1st NHL Goal | April 22, 1997 |
| Bryan Muir | 1st NHL Game | April 22, 1997 |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Assist | April 29, 1997 |
| Joe Hulbig | 1st NHL Game 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 29, 1997 |
| Rem Murray | 1st NHL Goal | April 29, 1997 |
| Steve Kelly | 1st NHL Game | April 29, 1997 |
| Greg de Vries | 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | May 7, 1997 |

## Transactions
### Trades

| June 14, 1996 | To Detroit Red WingsFuture considerations | To Edmonton OilersBob Essensa |
| June 22, 1996 | To Pittsburgh PenguinsTyler Wright | To Edmonton Oilers7th round pick in 1996 |
| September 6, 1996 | To Montreal CanadiensScott Thornton | To Edmonton OilersAndrei Kovalenko |
| March 18, 1997 | To Buffalo SabresMiroslav Satan | To Edmonton OilersBarrie Moore Craig Millar |
| March 18, 1997 | To Tampa Bay LightningJeff Norton | To Edmonton OilersDrew Bannister 6th round pick in 1997 |

### Free agents

| Player | Former Team |
| D Terran Sandwith | Kansas City Blades (IHL) |
| D Bryan Muir | New Hampshire Wildcats (NCAA) |
| F Jeff Daw | UMass Lowell River Hawks (NCAA) |
| F Jesse Belanger | Vancouver Canucks |
| D Kevin Lowe | New York Rangers |
| D Michel Petit | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| F Petr Klima | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Player | New Team |
| F David Roberts | Vancouver Canucks |
| F Kent Manderville | Hartford Whalers |

### Waivers

| Date | Player | Team |
| September 30, 1996 (1996-09-30) | Ralph Intranuovo | to Toronto Maple Leafs |
| October 25, 1996 (1996-10-25) | Ralph Intranuovo | from Toronto Maple Leafs |
| January 17, 1997 (1997-01-17) | Michel Petit | to Philadelphia Flyers |
| February 21, 1997 (1997-02-21) | David Oliver | to New York Rangers |

## Draft picks

Edmonton's draft picks at the 1996 NHL entry draft.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
| 1 | 6 | Boyd Devereaux | Canada | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) |
| 1 | 19 | Matthieu Descoteaux | Canada | Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) |
| 2 | 32 | Chris Hajt | Canada | Guelph Storm (OHL) |
| 3 | 59 | Tom Poti | United States | Cushing Academy (USHS) |
| 5 | 114 | Brian Urick | United States | Notre Dame Fighting Irish (NCAA) |
| 6 | 141 | Bryan Randall | Canada | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) |
| 7 | 168 | David Bernier | Canada | St-Hyacinthe Lasers (QMJHL) |
| 7 | 170 | Brandon Lafrance | Canada | Ohio State Buckeyes (NCAA) |
| 8 | 195 | Fernando Pisani | Canada | St. Albert Saints (AJHL) |
| 9 | 221 | John Hultberg | United States | Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) |