1997 Stanley Cup playoffs
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 16–June 7, 1997 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Detroit Red Wings |
| Runner-up | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Semifinalists | |
|
← 1996
1998 →
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The 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League (NHL), began on April 16, 1997, following the completion of the 1996–97 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for conference quarter-finals, semi-finals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup.
The Playoffs ended on June 7, with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in a four-game sweep to win their eighth Stanley Cup championship in their history, and their first in 42 years. Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff's Most Valuable Player.
The following teams qualified for the playoffs:
Martin Brodeur became the fourth goaltender in league history to score a goal in Game one. This marked the second time in NHL history that a goaltender had scored a goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the fifth time overall.
This was the first playoff series between these two teams. This series marked the first appearance of a team representing Ottawa in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 67 years. The most recent team to represent Ottawa prior to this was the original Ottawa Senators who lost in the Quarterfinal round in 1930.
This was the first and to date only playoff series between these two teams. This was the first time that the cities of Anaheim and Phoenix were represented in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This was the tenth playoff series between these two teams, with Philadelphia having won five of the nine previous series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals which Philadelphia won in four games. The Rangers made their third conference final appearance and first since defeating New Jersey in seven games in 1994. Philadelphia made their fifth conference final appearance and first since losing to New Jersey in five games in 1995.
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