1996–97 SM-liiga season
The 1996/97 season was the 22nd season of the SM- liiga. For the fourth time since the founding of the SM- liiga and a total for the fifth time Jokerit Helsinki Finnish ice hockey champion.
- 2.1 mode
- 2.2 tournament tree
- 2.3 quarterfinals
- 2.4 Semi-finals
- 2.5 Third Place
- 2.6 final
- 2.7 Finnish Champion
- 2.8 Best Scorer
- 3.1 1st Round
- 3.2 Round 2
Regular Season
Mode
Each team had four times against every other team in the league and six additional play against local teams nearby. Each game consisted of three thirds á 20 minutes. In the event that after the regular time no winner was found, the game was considered a draw.
A victory in the regular season brought a team 2 points. A draw was rewarded with a point. For a defeat, there were no points.
Final Table
Abbreviations: Sp = Matches, W = Wins, D = Draws, L = Defeats, ET = Goals Scored, GT = Goals against, GD = Goal Difference, P = Points
Best Scorer
Abbreviations: T = Goals, A = Assists P = Points
Play-offs
Mode
Places 1-8 were automatically qualified for the play-offs. For each next round, the teams that had won the most in the quarter and semi-finals against their opponents by five games qualified. The winners of those ties made it to the finals while the losers in the small final for third place played. In the final five games were also played. Who won the most games, was the winner of the season. In the round for 3rd place, only one game was played. The respective opponents were put together so that the highest placed team plays against the worst, the second best, second-worst against, and so on. A game lasted, as in the high season, a total of 60 minutes. After the regular time extensions were of 20 minutes duration was played until a winner is found by a decisive goal.
Tournament tree
Quarterfinals
Semifinal
Third Place
Final
Finnish Champion
Goalkeeper Marko Rantanen, Ari Sulander
Defender: Antti Hulkkonen, Waltteri Immonen, Ismo Kuoppala, Antti - Jussi Niemi, Pasi Sormunen, Mika Strömberg, Daniel Tjärnqvist, Marko Tuulola
Attacker: Mika Asikainen, Niko Halttunen, Otakar Janecký, Mikko Konttila, Tero Lehterä, Juha Lind, Jari Lindroos, Jani -Matti Loikala, Pasi Saarela, Timo Saarikoski, Keijo Säilynoja, Eero Somervuori, Antti Törmänen, Petri Varis
Head Coach: Curt Lundmark
Best Scorer
Abbreviations: T = Goals, A = Assists P = Points
SM- liiga - qualification
In order not to descend to the last place team had the SM- liiga (in this case KalPa Kuopio ) against three candidates rise from the second Finnish Ice Hockey League ( 1st Division) prove. The rise candidates were the three best teams in the play-offs ( Haukat Järvenpää, Karhut and Kärpät Oulu). There were two qualifying rounds, where in the second round, the winners of the first competed against each other. Who won the second round, was allowed to stay in the SM- liiga and ascend into this.
First round
2nd round
Awards
Swell
- Championnat de hockey sur glace de Finlande 1996/1997
1927/28 1928/29 • 1930/31 1931/32 1932/33 1933/34 1934/35 1935/36 1936/37 1937/38 1938/39 • 1940/41 • 1942/43 1943/44 1944/45 1945 / 46 1946/47 1947/48 1948/49 1949/50 1950/51 1951/52 1952/53 1953/54 1954/55 1955/56 1956/57 1957/58 1958/59 1959/60 1960/61 1961/62 1962 / 63 1963/64 1964/65 1965/66 1966/67 1967/68 1968/69 1969/70 1970/71 1971/72 1972/73 1973/74 1974/75
1975/76 1976/77 1977/78 1978/79 1979/80 1980/81 1981/82 1982/83 1983/84 1984/85 1985/86 1986/87 1987/88 1988/89 1989/90 1990/91 1991 / 92 1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/ 00 2000/ 01 2001 /02 2002/ 03 2003/ 04 2004/ 05 2005/ 06 2006 /07 2007/ 08 2008 / 09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
2013/14 2014/15
Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto • Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame • Finnish Hockey Cup
- SM- liiga season
- Hockey 1996
- Hockey 1997