1996 RHI season

Infobox sports season
title =1996 RHI season
league =Roller Hockey International
sport =Roller hockey
duration =May, 1996-September, 1996
season =Regular season
season_champ =Anaheim Bullfrogs
MVP =flagicon|CAN Hugo Belanger (Long Island)
MVP_link =Roller Hockey International Most Valuable Player Award
top_scorer =flagicon|CAN Hugo Belanger (Long Island)
top_scorer_link =Roller Hockey International League Leading Scorer Award
playoffs =Playoffs
playoffs_link =1996 Murphy Cup Playoffs
conf1 =Eastern
conf1_link =Eastern Conference (RHI)
conf1_champ =Orlando Jackals
conf1_runner-up =St. Louis Vipers
conf2 =Western
conf2_link =Western Conference (RHI)
conf2_champ =Anaheim Bullfrogs
conf2_runner-up =Vancouver Voodoo
finals =Finals
finals_link =1996 Murphy Cup Playoffs
finals_champ =Orlando Jackals
finals_runner-up =Anaheim Bullfrogs
playoffs_MVP =flagicon|CAN Daniel Shank (Orlando)
playoffs_MVP_link=Roller Hockey International Playoff Most Valuable Player AwardThe 1996 RHI season was the 4th regular season of the Roller Hockey International (RHI). The 1996 Murphy Cup Playoffs was played in September, 1996, with the Orlando Jackals defeating the Anaheim Bullfrogs to win their first Murphy Cup.

Events

The RHI All-Star Game returned for its final year when the Anaheim Bullfrogs hosted the 3rd Roller Hockey International All-Star Game at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on July 8, 1996. Anaheim hosted the All-Star Game for the first time. The West defeated the East by a score of 14-12, with Tony Szabo of the Long Island Jawz being named MVP of the game for the second consecutive year.

"Expansion and contraction:"
*Buffalo Stampede folded after their second season.
*Chicago Cheetahs folded after their second season.
*Detroit Motor City Mustangs folded after their first season.
*Minnesota Blue Ox folded after their first season.
*Denver, Colorado was awarded a franchise called Denver Daredevils.
*Uniondale, New York was awarded a franchise called Long Island Jawz.

"Team changes"
*Orlando Rollergators were purchased and renamed the Orlando Jackals.
*Phoenix Cobras were purchased and moved to Glens Falls, New York, however the Phoenix Cobras players went into a supplemental draft and the Empire State Cobras picked up the recently folded Buffalo Stampede roster.
*With the folding of the Minnesota Blue Ox franchise, the Minnesota Arctic Blast rejoined the league after a one year hiatus.

Regular season

Final standings

"Red-shaded team had the best overall record and home-floor advantage throughout the playoffs."

"Orange-shaded team clinched the other conference."

"Yellow-shaded teams clinched the other two divisions."

"Green-shaded teams clinched the remaining ten playoff berths."

Numbers in parentheses indicate ranking in conference. The four division winners, plus the next team in each division standings, earn playoff berths at the end of the season.

"Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points"

Eastern Conference

Murphy Cup playoffs

8TeamBracket
RD1=Division Finals
RD2=Conference Finals
RD3=Murphy Cup Finals
group1=Eastern Conference
group2=Western Conference
RD1-seed1=1
RD1-team1=Empire State Cobras
RD1-score1=1
RD1-seed2=2
RD1-team2=Orlando Jackals
RD1-score2=2
RD1-seed3=1
RD1-team3=Minnesota Arctic Blast
RD1-score3=1
RD1-seed4=2
RD1-team4=St. Louis Vipers
RD1-score4=2
RD1-seed5=1
RD1-team5=Vancouver Voodoo
RD1-score5=2
RD1-seed6=2
RD1-team6=Oakland Skates
RD1-score6=1
RD1-seed7=1
RD1-team7=Anaheim Bullfrogs
RD1-score7=2
RD1-seed8=2
RD1-team8=Los Angeles Blades
RD1-score8=0
RD2-seed1=A2
RD2-team1=Orlando Jackals
RD2-score1=2
RD2-seed2=C2
RD2-team2=St. Louis Vipers
RD2-score2=2
RD2-seed3=N1
RD2-team3=Vancouver Voodoo
RD2-score3=1
RD2-seed4=P1
RD2-team4=Anaheim Bullfrogs
RD2-score4=2
RD3-seed1=A2
RD3-team1=Orlando Jackals
RD3-score1=2
RD3-seed2=P1
RD3-team2=Anaheim Bullfrogs
RD3-score2=1

In the first round, the winner of each division is matched against the second seed in the division. In the second round, the two division finals winners in each conference are match against each other with those two winners matched against each other in the Murphy Cup Finals. Each series is a best-of-three. The team with the better record in points in each series is awarded home floor advantage, which gives them all games played at their home arena.

Finals

Anaheim Bullfrogs vs. Orlando Jackals