1996 Stanley Cup playoffs

The playoffs ended on June 10, 1996, with the Colorado Avalanche sweeping the Florida Panthers to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in both teams' first Finals appearance.

The New Jersey Devils became the first defending champion to fail to qualify for the playoffs since the Montreal Canadiens in 1970.

The two conference winners then advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, where home ice advantage was awarded to the team that had the better regular season record.

This was the first time that the Tampa Bay area was represented in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This was the third consecutive and fifth overall playoff meeting between these two teams; with Pittsburgh winning three of the four previous series.

This was the fourteenth playoff meeting between these two teams; with Montreal winning seven of the thirteen previous series.

This was the final playoff series for the original Winnipeg Jets as they relocated to Phoenix, Arizona after the season.

This series marked the first appearance of a team representing Colorado in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 18 years.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams; with St. Louis winning two of the three previous series.

This was Florida's first Conference Final appearance in their third season since entering the league as an expansion team in 1993.

In game five, the Penguins shut-out the Panthers 3–0, with Tom Barrasso stopping all 28 Florida shots he faced.

The Panthers regained the lead on Tom Fitzgerald's bizarre 58-foot slapshot at 6:18 and got an insurance goal from Johan Garpenlov at 17:23.

This was the last playoff series victory for the Panthers until 2022 when they beat the Washington Capitals in six games, and was their last appearance in the Conference Finals until 2023.

They last went to the Conference Final in 1985, which they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games when the team was known as the Quebec Nordiques.

The Avalanche won Game 2, 3–0, with Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy stopping all 35 shots faced.

Inspired by Vladimir Konstantinov's big body check on Avalanche forward Claude Lemieux, the Red Wings went on to win 5–2.

The hit sent Draper to the hospital with a broken jaw and a shattered cheek and orbital bone, which required surgery and stitches.

Since the formation of the NHL in 1917 this was the only time to date that both teams competing in the Stanley Cup Finals made their first appearance.

The Avalanche swept the Panthers to win their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.