Template:1996–97 Hockey East standings (men)
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||
| Boston University†* | 24 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 116 | 71 | 41 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 178 | 115 | |
| New Hampshire† | 24 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 130 | 76 | 39 | 28 | 11 | 0 | 204 | 129 | |
| Maine^ | 24 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 33 | 120 | 76 | 35 | 24 | 10 | 1 | 162 | 109 | |
| Providence | 24 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 25 | 101 | 88 | 36 | 15 | 20 | 1 | 141 | 137 | |
| Merrimack | 24 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 24 | 88 | 98 | 36 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 127 | 146 | |
| Boston College | 24 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 21 | 96 | 112 | 38 | 15 | 19 | 4 | 145 | 170 | |
| Massachusetts–Lowell | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 19 | 83 | 113 | 38 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 126 | 163 | |
| Massachusetts | 24 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 69 | 117 | 35 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 119 | 167 | |
| Northeastern | 24 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 66 | 118 | 36 | 8 | 25 | 3 | 103 | 160 | |
| Championship: Boston University † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion ^ Maine was ineligible for the post season due to NCAA investigations Final rankings: USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Coaches Poll Top 10 Poll | ||||||||||||||