The twenty-two teams of the MacKenzie, MacKinnon, Phillips, and Ruddock Divisions competed in a 50-game schedule.
The top 4 teams of each division make the playoffs.
The winner of the OPJHL playoffs, the Newmarket 87's, won the 1996 Buckland Cup as OHA Champions and the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions, but failed to win the 1996 Royal Bank Cup.
[1] Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title Division Semi-final Division Final Semi-final Final The 1996 Dudley Hewitt Cup was hosted by the Cobourg Cougars of Cobourg, Ontario.
Round Robin Semi-final Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes