The 1996–97 NHL season saw the Detroit Red Wings finally end their 42-year championship drought. Led by the "Russian Five" and captain Steve Yzerman, Detroit swept the Philadelphia Flyers in the Finals. This was the final year for Mario Lemieux before his first retirement, and he went out on top as the scoring leader. Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek achieved a rare feat, winning both the Vezina and the Hart Trophy as league MVP. Tragically, the season’s joy was tempered by a limousine crash six days after the Cup win that seriously injured Vladimir Konstantinov.
Anaheim's Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya finish second and third in points, after Lemieux, but are not in the Top 25 best-paid NHLers that season.
| vs previous season | ||||||
| Rank | Player | NHL Salary ($US) | In today's $ | +/- ($) | +/- (%) | |
| 1 | Mario Lemieux | $11,321,000 | $21,862,486 | $6,749,571 | 148% | |
| 2 | Mark Messier | $6,000,000 | $11,586,866 | |||
| 3 | Wayne Gretzky | $5,047,500 | $9,747,451 | -$1,497,863 | -23% | |
| 4 | Pavel Bure | $5,000,000 | $9,655,722 | $500,000 | 11% | |
| 5 | Pat LaFontaine | $4,600,000 | $8,883,264 | $300,000 | 7% | |
| 6 | Steve Yzerman | $4,492,349 | $8,675,375 | $788,546 | 21% | |
| 7 | Patrick Roy | $4,455,944 | $8,605,071 | $1,525,947 | 52% | |
| 8 | Brett Hull | $4,400,000 | $8,497,035 | $600,000 | 16% | |
| 9 | Dominik Hasek | $4,200,000 | $8,110,807 | $1,474,701 | 54% | |
| 9 | Sergei Fedorov | $4,200,000 | $8,110,807 | $37,967 | 1% | |
| 11 | Eric Lindros | $4,182,000 | $8,076,046 | |||
| 12 | Jaromir Jagr | $4,050,000 | $7,821,135 | $800,000 | 25% | |
| 13 | Scott Stevens | $3,750,000 | $7,241,792 | $550,000 | 17% | |
| 14 | Brendan Shanahan | $3,600,000 | $6,952,120 | $125,000 | 4% | |
| 14 | Mike Richter | $3,600,000 | $6,952,120 | $600,000 | 20% | |
| 16 | Al MacInnis | $3,500,000 | $6,759,005 | $300,000 | 9% | |
| 16 | Alexander Mogilny | $3,500,000 | $6,759,005 | -$250,000 | -7% | |
| 18 | Jeremy Roenick | $3,200,000 | $6,179,662 | $1,800,000 | 129% | |
| 19 | Joe Sakic | $3,100,000 | $5,986,548 | $200,000 | 7% | |
| 20 | Brian Leetch | $3,087,500 | $5,962,408 | $475,000 | 18% | |
| 21 | Rob Blake | $3,075,000 | $5,938,269 | $750,000 | 32% | |
| 22 | Alexei Zhamnov | $3,000,000 | $5,793,433 | $2,088,750 | 229% | |
| 22 | Pat Verbeek | $3,000,000 | $5,793,433 | $1,250,000 | 71% | |
| 22 | Pierre Turgeon | $3,000,000 | $5,793,433 | -$400,000 | -12% | |
| 25 | Kevin Stevens | $2,997,614 | $5,788,826 | $60,000 | 2% | |