1996–97 New York Rangers season

The 1996–97 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 71st season. The highlight of the season was that it was Wayne Gretzky's first season in New York.

The Rangers qualified for the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers. This marked the last playoff appearance for the Rangers until the 2005–06 season.

Regular season
The Rangers had the fewest power-play opportunities during the regular season (287), but the best power-play percentage (21.95%).

Regular season

 * Legend:
 * Legend:

Playoffs

 * Legend:
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Scoring

 * Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; 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 Rangers only.
 * ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Rangers only.

Draft picks
New York's picks at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft in St. Louis, Missouri at the Kiel Center.