The 1996/97 season of the Extraliga was the fourth regular staging of the top division of ice hockey in Slovakia . In the playoff final, the HC Dukla Trenčín prevailed against the TJ VSŽ Košice with 3-1 victories and thus won the second Slovak championship title in the club's history. The four best-placed teams in the second-rate first division , HKm Zvolen , HK VTJ Prešov , HK 36 Skalica and HC VTJ MEZ Michalovce then played the four teams together with the four teams that had occupied places seven to ten in the extra league who were allowed to play in the following team in the extra league. At the same time, the six best teams in the Extraliga main round played the four playoff participants among themselves.
Note: The teams received bonus points based on their main round placement: Trenčín (5), Košice (4), Bratislava (3), Poprad (2), Martin (1) and Liptovský Mikuláš (0)
Champion of the 1996/97 season was HC Dukla Trenčín, who won the best-of-five series against TJ VSŽ Košice with 3-1 wins and won the second Slovak championship title in the club's history.
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