| 1996–97 Grand Rapids Griffins | |
|---|---|
| League | 10th International Hockey League |
| Division | 5th Northeast |
| Conference | 6th Eastern |
| 1996–97 record | 40–30–12 |
| Home record | 21–13–7 |
| Road record | 19–17–5 |
| Goals for | 244 |
| Goals against | 246 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Bob McNamara |
| Coach | Dave Allison |
| Assistant coach | Curtis Hunt |
| Captain | Don McSween |
| Arena | Van Andel Arena |
| Average attendance | 10,811 (99.8%) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Michel Picard (46) |
| Assists | Michel Picard (55) Jeff Nelson (55) |
| Points | Michel Picard (101) |
| Penalty minutes | Matt Ruchty (364) |
| Wins | Pokey Reddick (30) |
| Goals against average | Pokey Reddick (2.48) |
The 1996–97 Grand Rapids Griffins season was the franchise's inaugural season in the International Hockey League (IHL). Their regular season began on October 5, 1996, against the Indianapolis Ice and concluded on April 13, 1997, against the Michigan K-Wings. The Penguins looked to improve upon their progress in the 2006–07 season after being eliminated in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Ottawa Senators. During the season, the Penguins wore gold patches with "250" on them, honoring the city of Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary in 2008.
Evgeni Malkin scored 106 points in the regular season, helping to offset the gap left while Sidney Crosby was injured. Goaltender Ty Conklin replaced Marc-Andre Fleury, who was also injured, to win 18 games. The team surpassed their record for total attendance, selling out all 41 home games for the first time in franchise history. The Penguins also participated in the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, which set the NHL single-game attendance record.
During the regular season, the Penguins finished second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Montreal Canadiens. With a 12–2 record in the playoffs, the team eliminated the Senators, the New York Rangers and the Flyers, on their way to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, the franchise's first in 16 years. The team was defeated in the Stanley Cup Final by the Detroit Red Wings in six games.