1996–97 Nationalliga B season

The 1996-97 Nationalliga B season was the 50th season of the league as the second-level of Swiss ice hockey. SC Herisau won the championship and was promoted to the Nationalliga A.

First round

Pl.	Team	GP	W	T	L	Goals	Pts.
1.	Grasshopper Club Zürich	22	17	0	5	114:060	34
2.	HC Thurgau	22	16	2	4	109:055	34
3.	SC Herisau	22	13	0	9	089:070	26
4.	SC Langnau	22	11	3	8	098:071	25
5.	EHC Chur	22	11	3	8	108:095	25
6.	HC Martigny	22	11	3	8	091:094	25
7.	HC Lausanne	22	10	3	9	101:100	23
8.	EHC Biel	22	9	4	9	097:093	22
9.	Genève-Servette HC	22	8	1	13	082:100	17
10.	EHC Olten	22	6	2	14	064:114	14
11.	HC Luzern	22	4	3	15	049:091	11
12.	HC Ajoie	22	4	0	18	055:114	8

Final round

Pl.	Team	GP	W	T	L	Goals	Pts.
1.	HC Thurgau	20	11	2	7	84:059	41
2.	Grasshopper Club Zürich	20	10	3	7	76:056	40
3.	SC Langnau	20	12	2	6	87:067	39
4.	SC Herisau	20	7	3	10	67:085	30
5.	HC Lausanne	20	7	3	10	72:090	29
6.	HC Martigny	20	6	1	13	88:117	26

Qualification round

Pl.	Team	GP	W	T	L	Goals	Pts.
1.	EHC Chur	20	12	2	6	84:72	39
2.	EHC Biel	20	13	1	6	82:56	38
3.	EHC Olten	20	9	3	8	82:72	28
4.	Genève-Servette HC	20	7	5	8	81:78	28
5.	HC Luzern	20	7	3	10	59:72	23
6.	HC Ajoie	20	4	2	14	55:93	14

Playoffs

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	HC Thurgau	3
	EHC Biel	2
					SC Herisau	3
					HC Thurgau	0
	Grasshopper Club Zürich	3
	EHC Chur	0
									SC Herisau	3
									Grasshopper Club Zürich	1
	SC Langnau	3
	HC Martigny	1
					Grasshopper Club Zürich	3
					SC Langnau	1
	SC Herisau	3
	HC Lausanne	1

Relegation

First round

• Genève-Servette HC – HC Ajoie 3:2 (3:7, 5:3, 0:5 Forfeit, 5:2, 4:3)
• EHC Olten – HC Luzern 3:1 (3:2, 1:5, 2:1, 4:2)

Second round

• HC Luzern – HC Ajoie 3:1 (1:6, 1:0, 8:2, 3:0)

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