# 1996–97 Nationale 1A season

The 1996–97 Nationale 1A season was the 76th season of the Nationale 1A, the top level of ice hockey in France. Eight teams participated in the league, and Albatros de Brest won their second league title. Club des Sports de Megève, Gap Hockey Club, and Image Club d'Epinal were relegated to the Nationale 1B.

## First round

| | Club | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1. | Hockey Club de Reims | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 143 | 47 | 40 |
| 2. | Albatros de Brest | 22 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 171 | 58 | 39 |
| 3. | Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 128 | 62 | 34 |
| 4. | Dragons de Rouen | 22 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 137 | 62 | 33 |
| 5. | HC Amiens Somme | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 118 | 62 | 28 |
| 6. | Ducs d'Angers | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 108 | 89 | 24 |
| 7. | Bordeaux Gironde Hockey 2000 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 111 | 101 | 21 |
| 8. | Lyon Hockey Club | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 75 | 120 | 15 |
| 9. | Gap Hockey Club | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 66 | 132 | 9 |
| 10. | Viry-Châtillon Essonne Hockey‎ | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 79 | 164 | 9 |
| 11. | Club des Sports de Megève | 22 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 57 | 147 | 9 |
| 12. | Image Club d'Épinal | 22 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 41 | 196 | 3 |

## Second round
### Final round

| | Club | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1. | Albatros de Brest | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 29 | 14 |
| 2. | HC Amiens Somme | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 35 | 13 |
| 3. | Flammes Bleues de Reims | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 32 | 11 |
| 4. | Dragons de Rouen | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 36 | 28 | 10 |
| 5. | Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 31 | 9 |
| 6. | Ducs d'Angers | 10 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 26 | 48 | 3 |

### Qualification round

| | Club | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 7. | Viry-Châtillon Essonne Hockey‎ | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 49 | 29 | 16 |
| 8. | Bordeaux Gironde Hockey 2000 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 69 | 31 | 14 |
| 9. | Lyon Hockey Club | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 51 | 40 | 12 |
| 10. | Gap Hockey Club | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 41 | 45 | 10 |
| 11. | Club des Sports de Megève | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 47 | 57 | 6 |
| 12. | Image Club d'Épinal | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 36 | 91 | 2 |

## Playoffs

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| Albatros de Brest | 3 | | |
| Bordeaux | 1 | | |
| Bordeaux | 1 | Albatros de Brest | 3 |
| | | Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble | 0 |
| Dragons de Rouen | 2 | Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble | 0 |
| Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble | 3 | | | | |
| Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble | 3 | | | Albatros de Brest | 3 |
| | | | | HC Amiens Somme | 0 |
| HC Amiens Somme | 3 | | | HC Amiens Somme | 0 |
| Viry-Châtillon Essonne Hockey‎ | 0 | | | | |
| Viry-Châtillon Essonne Hockey‎ | 0 | HC Amiens Somme | 3 | | |
| | | Hockey Club de Reims | 1 | Third place | Third place |
| Hockey Club de Reims | 3 | Hockey Club de Reims | 1 | Third place | Third place |
| Ducs d'Angers | 0 | | | | |
| Ducs d'Angers | 0 | | | Hockey Club de Reims | 0 |
| | | | | Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble | 3 |

## Relegation round

| | Club | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1. | Lyon Hockey Club | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 19 | 9 |
| 2. | Club des Sports de Megève | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 18 | 8 |
| 3. | Gap Hockey Club | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 21 | 7 |
| 4. | Image Club d'Épinal | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 56 | 0 |