The 1995–96 OHL season was the 16th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The league expanded as the Barrie Colts entered into the central division. The Detroit Junior Red Wings become the Detroit Whalers. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Peterborough Petes won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm.
On May 6, 1994, The Barrie Colts were approved as an expansion team in the Ontario Hockey League beginning in the 1995-96 season. The Colts began their inaugural season playing in the Barrie Arena, however, on December 31, 1995, the Colts moved into their new home, the Barrie Molson Centre. The Colts joined the Central Division.
At the conclusion of the 1994-95, the Detroit Junior Red Wings severed all ties with the National Hockey League Detroit Red Wings, as Peter Karmanos renamed the franchise the Detroit Whalers.
The Whalers moved out of Joe Louis Arena and into the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association and the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League. The Whalers would play 21 of their 33 home games in the regular season at the Palace of Auburn Hills while playing their remaining 12 home games at Oak Park Ice Arena. The Whalers played all of their home playoff games at the Oak Park Ice Arena.
The club remained in the West Division.
Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = earned first round bye
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 | 39 | 22 | 5 | 83 | 258 | 200 | ||
| 2 | 66 | 35 | 22 | 9 | 79 | 289 | 235 | ||
| 3 | 66 | 35 | 26 | 5 | 75 | 300 | 250 | ||
| 4 | 66 | 30 | 28 | 8 | 68 | 248 | 238 | ||
| 5 | 66 | 29 | 31 | 6 | 64 | 266 | 267 | ||
| 6 | 66 | 14 | 45 | 7 | 35 | 242 | 360 |
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 | 45 | 16 | 5 | 95 | 297 | 186 | ||
| 2 | 66 | 35 | 28 | 3 | 73 | 253 | 230 | ||
| 3 | 66 | 29 | 30 | 7 | 65 | 248 | 238 | ||
| 4 | 66 | 29 | 32 | 5 | 63 | 274 | 313 | ||
| 5 | 66 | 28 | 31 | 7 | 63 | 258 | 266 | ||
| 6 | 66 | 27 | 36 | 3 | 59 | 262 | 288 |
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 | 40 | 22 | 4 | 84 | 319 | 243 | ||
| 2 | 66 | 39 | 23 | 4 | 82 | 330 | 276 | ||
| 3 | 66 | 38 | 23 | 5 | 81 | 312 | 254 | ||
| 4 | 66 | 21 | 41 | 4 | 46 | 256 | 312 | ||
| 5 | 66 | 3 | 60 | 3 | 9 | 179 | 435 |
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 46 | 73 | 119 | 110 | ||
| 64 | 53 | 62 | 115 | 74 | ||
| 66 | 60 | 51 | 111 | 78 | ||
| Trevor Gallant | 63 | 47 | 58 | 105 | 36 | |
| Richard Uniacke | 66 | 48 | 54 | 102 | 38 | |
| 66 | 42 | 60 | 102 | 108 | ||
| 63 | 56 | 45 | 101 | 130 | ||
| 66 | 36 | 63 | 99 | 66 | ||
| Lee Jinman | 64 | 29 | 68 | 97 | 49 | |
| 63 | 40 | 53 | 93 | 74 | ||
On June 1, 1996, the OHL conducted the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in Kitchener, Ontario. The London Knights held the first overall pick in the draft and selected Rico Fata from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Fata was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.[2]
| Player | Nationality | OHL Team | Hometown | Minor Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rico Fata (C) |  Canada | London Knights | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | |
| 2 | Tyler Rennette (C) | Canada | North Bay Centennials | Powassan, Ontario | Waterloo Siskins | |
| 3 | Norm Milley (RW) | Canada | Sudbury Wolves | North York, Ontario | Toronto Red Wings | |
| 4 | Kip Brennan (D) | Canada | Windsor Spitfires | Toronto, Ontario | St. Michael's Buzzers | |
| 5 | Mike Henrich (RW) | Canada | Barrie Colts | Thornhill, Ontario | Wexford Midgets | |
| 6 | Wes Goldie (RW) | Canada | Owen Sound Platers | London, Ontario | St. Thomas Stars | |
| 7 | Kevin Grimes (D) | Canada | Kingston Frontenacs | Metcalfe, Ontario | Cumberland Grads | |
| 8 | Brett Gibson (C) | Canada | Erie Otters | Gananoque, Ontario | Kingston Voyageurs | |
| 9 | Bryan Allen (D) | Canada | Oshawa Generals | Glenburnie, Ontario | Ernestown Jets | |
| 10 | Wes Jarvis (D) | Canada | Kitchener Rangers | Ottawa, Ontario | Gloucester Rangers | |
| 11 | Justin Papineau (C) | Canada | Belleville Bulls | Ottawa, Ontario | Ottawa Jr. Senators | |
| 12 | Pat Kavanagh (RW) | Canada | Peterborough Petes | Richmond, Ontario | Kanata Valley Lasers | |
| 13 | Nick Robinson (D) | Canada | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Cavan, Ontario | Lindsay Muskies | |
| 14 | Abe Herbst (D) | Canada | Sarnia Sting | Harriston, Ontario | Listowel Cyclones | |
| 15 | Mark Bell (C) | Canada | Ottawa 67's | St. Paul's, Ontario | Stratford Cullitons | |
| 16 | Harold Druken (LW) | Canada | Detroit Whalers | St. John's, Newfoundland | Noble & Greenough Bulldogs | |
| 17 | Manny Malhotra (C) | Canada | Guelph Storm | Mississauga, Ontario | Mississauga Reps |