View source for 2004–05 NHL lockout

{{short description|NHL labour dispute}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox civil conflict
| title            = 2004–05 NHL lockout
| subtitle         = 
| partof           = 
| image            = 
| caption          = 
| date             = September 16, 2004 – July 22, 2005 <br>({{Age in months, weeks and days |month1=09|day1=16|year1=2004|month2=7|day2=22|year2=2005}})
| place            = {{flag|United States}} <br>{{flag|Canada}}
| coordinates      = 
| causes           = 
* Expiration of the 1995 NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
* Failure to reach a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the [[2004–05 NHL season|2004–05 season]]
* 76% of the NHL clubs' revenues were spent on team salaries prior to the end of the 2003–04 season due to the lack of a salary cap
| goals            = 
*Salary cap
*Revenue sharing
*Luxury taxes
| methods          = 
| status           = 
| result           = 
* 2004–05 NHL season cancelled on February 16, 2005
* NHL and NHLPA reach an agreement to end the lockout on July 13
* New eight-year collective bargaining agreement signed on July 22
* NHL becomes last of the four major North American professional sports leagues to adopt a salary cap or luxury tax
* Team salary revenues reduced from 76% to 54%
* Rule changes instituted for regular season games starting in the [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06 season]], including the addition of a [[shootout (ice hockey)|shootout]]
* Bob Goodenow resigns as executive director
| side1            = [[National Hockey League Players Association]] (NHLPA)
| side2            = [[National Hockey League]] (NHL)
| side3            = 
| side4            = 
| leadfigures1     = [[Bob Goodenow]] (executive director)
| leadfigures2     = [[Gary Bettman]] (commissioner) <br> [[Bill Daly]] (lead negotiator)
| leadfigures3     = 
| leadfigures4     = 
| howmany1         = 
| howmany2         = 
| howmany3         = 
| howmany4         = 
| casualties1      = 
| casualties2      = 
| casualties3      = 
| casualties4      = 
| fatalities       =
| injuries         =
| arrests          =
| damage           =
| buildings        =
| detentions       =
| charged          =
| fined            =
| effect           =
| effect_label     =
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| notes            = 
| sidebox          = {{NHL Labour Relations}}
}}

The '''2004–05 NHL lockout''' was a [[Lockout (industry)|labor lockout]] that resulted in the cancellation of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) season, which would have been its [[2004–05 NHL season|88th season]] of play.<ref>{{cite news|title=Game over: NHL officially cancels season|last=Woods|first=Allan|newspaper=The National Post|date=February 17, 2005|page=A1}}</ref> 

The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a [[salary cap]] to limit expenditure on player salaries, which was opposed by the [[NHL Players Association]] (NHLPA), the players' [[labor union]], who proposed an alternative system of [[revenue sharing]].

Attempts at [[collective bargaining]] before the season began were unsuccessful. The lockout was initiated on September 16, 2004, one day after the expiration of the existing [[NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement|collective bargaining agreement]] (CBA), which itself had been the result of the [[1994–95 NHL lockout|1994–95 lockout]]. During the lockout, further attempts to negotiate a new CBA floundered, with neither side willing to back down, and this led to the entire season being canceled on February 16, 2005. The NHL and NHLPA negotiating teams finally reached an agreement on July 13, 2005, with the lockout officially ending nine days later on July 22, after ratification by the NHL team owners and NHLPA members. The resulting CBA included both a salary cap and revenue sharing.

The lockout had lasted 10 months and 6 days, covering 1,230 unplayed games. As a result, the [[Stanley Cup]] was not awarded for the first time since [[1918–19 NHL season|1919]].<ref>{{cite news|title=1921: No Champion|last=Bock|first=Hal|date=February 17, 2005|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|page=10}}</ref> Among the [[major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major professional sports leagues]] in North America, this was the first (and so far only) time a whole season was canceled because of a labor dispute, and the second time a [[postseason]] was canceled (after the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|1994–95 MLB strike]]).<ref>{{cite news|title=Cold Reality: NHL Cancels The Season|first=Thomas|last=Heath|first2=Tarik|last2=El-Bashir|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 17, 2005|page=A1|quote=The National Hockey League became the first major sports league in North America to lose an entire season because of a labor disagreement.}}</ref> Large numbers of NHL players elected to play in European leagues during the lockout.

==Issues==
The NHL, led by [[NHL Commissioner|Commissioner]] [[Gary Bettman]], attempted to convince the players to accept a salary structure linking player salaries to league revenues, guaranteeing the clubs what the league called ''cost certainty''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Heika |first=Mike |title=Players reject NHL 'cost certainty' counteroffer |url=http://legacy.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041215/news_1s15nhl.html |website=Sign on San Diego |access-date=April 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413061115/http://legacy.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041215/news_1s15nhl.html |archive-date=April 13, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to an NHL-commissioned report prepared by former [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]] chairman [[Arthur Levitt]], prior to 2004–05, NHL clubs spent about 76 percent of their gross revenues on players' salaries&nbsp;– a figure far higher than those in other North American sports&nbsp;– and collectively lost US$273&nbsp;million during the [[2002–03 NHL season|2002–03 season]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2004/02/13/report-shows-nhl-in-financial-trouble/ced937ca-1cd1-4ba3-8c99-3e8da418fe4a/|title=Report Shows NHL In Financial Trouble|last=Heath|first=Thomas|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 13, 2004|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref>

On July 20, 2004, the league presented the NHLPA with six concepts to achieve cost certainty.<ref>{{cite news|title=NHL opens 6-pack of labour options|last=Naylor|first=David|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=July 22, 2004|page=S3}}</ref> These concepts are believed to have included a ''hard'', or inflexible, [[salary cap]] similar to the one used in the [[National Football League]], a ''soft'' salary cap with some capped exceptions similar to the one used in the [[National Basketball Association]], and a centralized salary negotiation system similar to that used in the [[Arena Football League]] and [[Major League Soccer]]: Bettman had earlier concluded that a [[Luxury tax (sports)|luxury tax]] similar to the one used in [[Major League Baseball]] would not have satisfied the league's cost certainty objectives.<ref>{{cite news |title=Commish: 'A luxury tax will not work' |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=1935455 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |date=December 1, 2004 |access-date=December 27, 2007}}</ref> While most sports commentators saw Bettman's plan as reasonable, some critics pointed out that a hard salary cap without any revenue sharing was an attempt to gain the support of the big market teams (such as [[Toronto Maple Leafs|Toronto]], [[Montreal Canadiens|Montreal]], [[Detroit Red Wings|Detroit]], the [[New York Rangers]], [[Vancouver Canucks|Vancouver]], and [[Philadelphia Flyers|Philadelphia]]) that did not support Bettman during the [[1994–95 NHL lockout|1994–95 lockout]].

The NHLPA, under executive director [[Bob Goodenow]], disputed the league's financial claims. According to the [[trade union|union]], "cost certainty" is little more than a [[euphemism]] for a salary cap, which it had vowed never to accept. The union rejected each of the six concepts presented by the NHL, claiming they all contained some form of salary cap. The NHLPA preferred to retain the existing "[[marketplace]]" system where players individually negotiate contracts with teams, and teams have complete control of how much they want to spend on players. Goodenow's mistrust of the league was supported by a November 2004 ''[[Forbes magazine|Forbes]]'' report that estimated the NHL's losses were less than half the amounts claimed by the league.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ice Capades |url=https://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2004/1129/124.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041114165039/http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2004/1129/124.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 14, 2004 |first=Michael K. |last=Ozanian |work=Forbes |date=November 29, 2004 |access-date=December 27, 2007}}</ref>

Several players also criticized the contracts that overpaid unproven players: one example was the 2002 [[Bobby Holík|Bobby Holik]] contract, in which the New York Rangers signed him to five years for $45&nbsp;million. After two years, his contract was bought out by the Rangers: according to [[Glen Sather]], the Rangers' president, "In the new world we live in, Bobby was just paid too much".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/sports/hockey/rangers-part-ways-with-holik.html?pagewanted=print |title=Rangers Part Ways With Holik |date=July 30, 2005 |newspaper=The New York Times }}</ref>

Although the NHL's numbers regarding financial losses were disputed, there was no question that several franchises were losing money: some had already declared bankruptcy, and others had held "fire sales" of franchise players, such as the [[Washington Capitals]]. Some small-market teams, such as the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] and the remaining small-market Canadian teams, were actually hoping ''for'' a lockout, since those teams would make more money by losing a season.<ref name="Value">{{cite web|url=http://www.davemanuel.com/nhl-franchise-values-before-and-after-the-2004-2005-lockout-135/|title=NHL Franchise Values Before and After the 2004-2005 Lockout|publisher=davemanuel.com|access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref> 

The league did not have large television revenues in the United States, so the NHL was reliant on attendance revenues far more than other leagues: after the lockout of the 2004–05 season, NHL teams made on average only $3 million from television revenues.<ref>{{cite book|last=Zimbalist|first=Andrew S.|title=The bottom line : observations and arguments on the sports business|url=https://archive.org/details/bottomlineobserv0000zimb|url-access=registration|year=2006|publisher=Temple University Press|location=Philadelphia|isbn=978-1-59213-512-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bottomlineobserv0000zimb/page/304 304]}}</ref> In addition, in May of the 2004–05 lockout, ESPN formally denied the option to show NHL games on the network due to low ratings in previous seasons.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Badenhausen|first=Kurt|title=Blood On The Ice|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/1128/155.html|access-date=October 10, 2012|journal=Forbes|date=November 28, 2005|first2=Michael K.|last2=Ozanian}}</ref> Many NHL teams had low attendance totals in seasons preceding the lockout.

==Negotiations==
{{refimprove|section|date=February 2018}}<!--3 paragraphs have no citations-->
Prior to the lockout, the NHLPA had proposed a system in late 2003 that included [[revenue sharing]], a [[Luxury tax (sports)|luxury tax]], a one-time 5% rollback in player salaries, and reforms to the league's entry level system. The league rejected this proposal point-blank, saying it essentially maintained the status quo in favor of the players. 

Shortly before the lockout commenced on 16 September 2004, the NHLPA offered another proposal to the league, one that was believed to be similar to their earlier proposal. The league rejected the union's new offer, claiming the new proposal was worse than the one they rejected in 2003. At this point, negotiations stalled until early December, when the NHLPA made a highly anticipated proposal based on a luxury tax, increasing the proposed one-time rollback in players' salaries to 24%. The NHL rejected this offer, and put forward a counter-proposal that the union flatly rejected.

In late January 2005 - near what the hockey media believed to be the point of no return for the 2004–05 season - discussions were held by the negotiators from both sides, with Bettman and Goodenow not being invited. 

The NHL was represented by Executive Vice President [[Bill Daly]], outside counsel Bob Batterman, and NHL Board of Governors Chairman [[Harley Hotchkiss]], who also co-owned the [[Calgary Flames]]. The NHLPA was represented by President [[Trevor Linden]], Senior Director [[Ted Saskin]], and associate counsel Ian Pulver. After four meetings, the sides remained deadlocked because of, according to Saskin, "significant philosophical differences." 

Shortly after this series of meetings, Daly presented Saskin a proposal that the league believed made a number of concessions to the players, but was still based on a salary cap linked to revenues. The players' association rejected that proposal, saying that it was "not the basis for an agreement."<ref>{{cite web | title = Union rejects latest league proposal | url = https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=113533&hubname= | publisher = TSN.ca | date = February 2, 2005 | access-date =December 27, 2007 }}</ref>

After these negotiations failed,  Bettman declared on February 9 that if the lockout was not resolved by that weekend, there would be no hope of saving the season. When talks broke off between the NHL and the NHLPA the next morning, there had been no progress in negotiations. 

On February 14, the union offered to accept a $52&nbsp;million salary cap under the condition that it was not linked to league revenues, to which the league proposed a counteroffer of a $40&nbsp;million cap plus $2.2&nbsp;million in benefits, which the players association rejected. The next day, Bettman sent Goodenow a letter with a final proposal of a $42.5&nbsp;million cap plus $2.2&nbsp;million in benefits, setting a deadline of 11:00 the next morning to accept or refuse the offer. The NHLPA presented a counter-offer involving a $49&nbsp;million cap, which the league rejected.<ref>{{Cite news | title = League, players look for quick fix | url = http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/sports/sports/article_410587.php | first = Dan | last = Wood | newspaper = [[The Orange County Register]] | date = February 16, 2005 | access-date =December 27, 2007 }}</ref>

With no resolution by the 11:00 deadline, Bettman announced the cancellation of the 2004–05 season on February 16, 2005, making the NHL the first major professional sports league in North America to cancel an entire season because of a labor dispute: the announcement was to have come on February 14, but it was delayed because of the death of the patriarch of the [[Sutter family|Sutter hockey family]] four days prior, whose funeral was held on February 15. Two days after the cancellation announcement, ''[[The Hockey News]]'' reported that a deal with a $45&nbsp;million cap had been reached "in principle" with the help of owners and former players [[Wayne Gretzky]] and [[Mario Lemieux]]; both camps immediately denied this report. An emergency 6½-hour meeting took place the next day, but no agreement was reached, formalising the season's cancellation.

Bolstered by the thought of losing  a second season to a labor dispute, the sides began meeting again in June, with many pundits believing the lockout would end on July 4, 2005. While that date eventually came and went, sources were reporting to media that marathon sessions were taking place. Indeed, the sides met again for ten consecutive days (July 4–13), and a deal was reached "in principle" (meaning the sides have agreed, but nothing is signed) on July 13.

According to reports, the July 12 session lasted through the night and until 6:00 on the morning of July 13, at which point the talks broke off for five hours, and resumed in time to complete the deal.

On July 21, the players association ratified the agreement with 87 percent of its members voting in favor; the 30 team owners unanimously approved it the next day, officially ending the 310-day lockout.

The salary cap would be adjusted each year to guarantee players 54% of total NHL revenues, and there would also be a salary floor. Player contracts are also [[Pay or play contract|guaranteed]]. The players' share will increase if revenues rise to specific benchmarks, while revenue sharing will split a pool of money from the 10 highest-grossing teams among the bottom 15. There was a $39&nbsp;million cap in place for the first year of the CBA.<ref name="about">{{cite web |url=http://proicehockey.about.com/od/thelatestonthelockout/a/cba_agreement.htm |title=Highlights of the 2005 NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement &#124; Agreement Ends NHL Lockout – Highlights of the New NHL CBA |publisher=proicehockey.about.com |access-date=March 25, 2016 |archive-date=January 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115043720/http://proicehockey.about.com/od/thelatestonthelockout/a/cba_agreement.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Effects of the lockout==
[[File:Stanley Cup Season 2004-05.jpg|thumb|right|The words "2004–05 Season Not Played" engraved on the Stanley Cup, acknowledging the canceled 2004–05 season]]

A Canadian public opinion poll conducted by [[Ipsos-Reid]] near the start of the lockout found that 52 percent of those polled blamed NHL players for the lockout, whereas 21 percent blamed the owners of NHL teams. Also hurting the NHLPA was the fact that its players had very visibly high salaries, which removed much sympathy from lower-to-middle class fans, with the NHLPA's cause being further harmed by [[Jeremy Roenick]] and several NHLPA executives making controversial statements that showed their disdain for owners and fans alike.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=frei_terry&id=2096354 |title=Roenick's sound-bite puts NHL in the news |publisher=ESPN |author=Terry Frei |access-date=September 28, 2008}}</ref>

During the lockout, a movement arose to free the Stanley Cup from the NHL.<ref name="blogspot">{{cite web|url=http://johncairns.blogspot.com/2004/12/free-stanley.html |title=THE CAIRNS BLOG: FREE STANLEY|publisher=johncairns.blogspot.com|access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref> By the original deed of Lord Stanley, the cup was a challenge cup open to the best amateur hockey team in Canada. Only since 1926 has it been exclusively competed for by NHL teams, and with the 2004–05 NHL season being cancelled, the group felt that the NHL had forfeited its right to award the Cup for the year. On February 7, 2006, a settlement was reached in which the trophy could be awarded to non-NHL teams should the league not operate for a season, although the NHL by that point was playing again.

===Resolution===
{{Unreferencedsect|date=May 2024}}
The loss of the 2004–05 season meant that there were no results on which to base the order of the [[2005 NHL Entry Draft]]. The league settled on a lottery system in which all teams had a weighted chance at the first pick, expected to be [[Sidney Crosby]]. The lottery was tilted so teams with fewer playoff appearances over the last three seasons and fewer number one overall picks over the last four seasons had a better chance of landing higher picks. The complete order was determined by the lottery, and the draft was conducted in a "snake" style, meaning in even rounds, the draft order was reversed. This system was an attempt to compromise between those who felt all teams should have had an equal chance at the first pick and those who felt only the weaker teams should have been in the running.

To ease the transition to the salary cap, teams were allowed one week to [[Compliance buyout|buy out]] players at two-thirds the cost of their remaining contract, which would not count against the salary cap. Bought out players could not re-sign with the same team.

===Effect on NHL and NHLPA===
NHLPA Executive Director and General Counsel Bob Goodenow, seen by many as the biggest villain in the lockout because of his hardline stance against a salary cap, resigned from his position five days after the agreement was ratified amid criticism from many of his constituents. He was replaced by Ted Saskin, formerly senior director of business affairs and licensing for the NHLPA. Saskin was officially named executive director of the NHLPA on November 25, 2005, after the players' vote of confidence was confirmed by accounting firm [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/sports/hockey/saskins-problems-arent-over-yet/article1331349/|title=Saskin's problems aren't over yet|last=Duhatschek|first=Eric|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=November 28, 2005|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref>

NHL Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer [[Bill Daly]] was promoted to deputy commissioner after the lockout.

The lockout did help franchises better manage their finances and increase their value. Combined with finally receiving a stable national television rights deal in the United States with [[NBC]] and [[NBC Sports Network|Versus]] (which later became sister networks due to the [[Comcast NBC merger]]) and the launch of the [[NHL Network (United States)|NHL Network]], 26 of 30 NHL franchises saw an increase in value since before the lockout. Leading the way would be the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], a team cited even before the lockout to benefit from a lockout due to financial problems related to former team owner [[Howard Baldwin]] deferring player salaries in the 1990s (leading to the team's second bankruptcy in 1998) and former star player [[Mario Lemieux]] (who became the team's owner due to also being the team's largest creditor) dictating that the team cut costs in order to eliminate the debt from the Baldwin era. Since the lockout, the Penguins' value increased by a league-high 161.4%, due in no small part to the changing financial landscape of the NHL as well as winning the "[[Sidney Crosby]] sweepstakes" after the lockout ended and the construction of the [[Consol Energy Center]] to replace the aging [[Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)|Mellon Arena]]. The only teams that lost value from before the lockout were the [[Phoenix Coyotes]] (whose [[Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy|financial problems since the lockout have been well-documented]]), [[New York Islanders]], [[Dallas Stars]], and [[Colorado Avalanche]].<ref name="Value" />

====Europe====
The majority of players who agreed to play in other professional hockey leagues were playing in Europe. During 2004–05 season, 388 NHL players played in European leagues. The most popular countries were [[Russia]], with 78 NHL players, [[Sweden]], with 75 NHL players, the [[Czech Republic]], with 51 NHL players, [[Finland]], with 45 NHL players and [[Switzerland]] with 43 NHL players. In many cases, players who had originally begun their careers in Europe returned to those same teams for the lockout.

[[Russian Superleague]] (now [[KHL]]) team [[AK Bars Kazan]] signed 11 NHL players, including [[Ilya Kovalchuk]], [[Aleksey Morozov]], and [[Vincent Lecavalier]] while [[Pavel Datsyuk]] played for [[HC Dynamo Moscow]], [[Patrik Eliáš|Patrik Elias]] played for Czech [[HC JME Znojemští Orli]] and Russian [[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]], and Czech superstar [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] played for [[HC Kladno]] and then [[Avangard Omsk]]. Morozov never returned to the NHL after 2004 (retiring from the KHL after the 2013–14 season), and Jagr would later play three additional seasons with Avangard.

Other Czech players returned to the [[Czech Republic]], including [[Milan Hejduk]] ([[HC Pardubice]]), [[Martin Straka]] ([[HC Plzeň]]), [[Aleš Hemský|Ales Hemsky]] ([[HC Pardubice]]) and [[Martin Ručinský|Martin Rucinsky]] ([[HC Litvínov]]).

Swiss [[National League A|Nationalliga A]] had its own NHL stars when Canadians [[Joe Thornton]] and [[Rick Nash]] signed with [[HC Davos]], [[Danny Briere]] and [[Dany Heatley]] signed with [[SC Bern]] of the Swiss league. This lockout was a major benefit for Swiss ice hockey.

Swedish superstar [[Peter Forsberg]] returned to his original club, [[Modo Hockey|Modo]] (although Forsberg had been planning on playing for Modo even if the season had been played). Also returning to Modo along with Forsberg were Canucks teammates [[Daniel Sedin]], [[Henrik Sedin]], and [[Markus Naslund]], all of whom were originally drafted from Modo, while still others joined other [[Swedish Hockey League|Elitserien]] sides. Some [[Swedish Hockey League|Elitserien]] games were also being broadcast by [[Rogers Sportsnet]] in Canada.

Finnish [[SM-liiga]] had its share of players during the lockout. Notable Finnish players included [[Saku Koivu]] ([[TPS (ice hockey)|TPS]], his first professional team), [[Olli Jokinen]] ([[HIFK (ice hockey)|HIFK]]), [[Jarkko Ruutu]] (HIFK) and [[Vesa Toskala]] ([[Ilves]]). [[Teemu Selänne|Teemu Selanne]] also made a contract with [[Jokerit]] where he began his professional career, but injuries prevented him from suiting up for the entire season. Foreign players included [[John Madden (ice hockey)|John Madden]] who played 2 games for HIFK, [[Sean Avery]], who had a brief stint with the [[Pelicans (ice hockey)|Pelicans]], [[Brian Campbell]] who played for [[Jokerit]] and [[Hal Gill]] who played for [[Lukko]]. SM-liiga featured three top goaltenders as [[Dwayne Roloson]] played for [[Lukko]], [[Tomáš Vokoun|Tomas Vokoun]] played for HIFK and [[Tim Thomas (ice hockey, born 1974)|Tim Thomas]] (who had had three previous stints in the SM-liiga) played for [[Jokerit]], leading his team to the championship finals and being awarded the [[Kultainen kypärä|league's most valuable player award]]. Finnish [[Mestis]] also featured NHL talent when [[Sami Kapanen]] and [[Kimmo Timonen]] played for [[KalPa]]. Timonen and Kapanen partially owned the team and the duo was joined by [[Adam Hall]] who also played for KalPa during the lockout.

[[Erik Cole]], [[Olaf Kölzig|Olaf Kolzig]], and [[Nathan Dempsey]] were among the notable players to go to Germany to play in the [[Deutsche Eishockey Liga]].

Fair share of [[Slovakia|Slovak]] NHL players returned to their home country to play for various [[Tipsport Liga (hockey)|Slovak Extraliga]] sides during the lockout, including [[Pavol Demitra]], [[Marián Hossa]], [[Marián Gáborík]] (all in [[HK Dukla Trenčín]]), [[Miroslav Šatan]] and [[Ľubomír Višňovský]] (both in [[HC Slovan Bratislava]]), [[Michal Handzuš]], [[Richard Zedník]] and [[Vladimír Országh]] (all in [[HKM Zvolen|HKm Zvolen]]), [[Ladislav Nagy]] and [[Martin Štrbák]] (both in [[HC Košice]]), and [[Žigmund Pálffy]] (in [[HK 36 Skalica]]).

[[Latvian hockey league|Latvian league]] club [[HK Riga 2000]], which played also in the [[Belarusian Extraleague]], signed several NHL players. Two of them were Latvians [[Karlis Skrastins]] and [[Sergei Zholtok]] and the third was American [[Darby Hendrickson]], who was a close friend of Zholtok. After Zholtok died due to a heart condition, Hendrickson left the club, so that only Skrastins finished the season with the club.

A number of NHL players also went to Great Britain. In the [[Elite Ice Hockey League]], [[Coventry Blaze]] signed [[Wade Belak]], [[Cardiff Devils]] signed [[Rob Davison]], [[London Racers]] signed [[Eric Cairns]] and [[Scott Nichol]], and [[Nottingham Panthers]] signed [[Nick Boynton]], [[Ian Moran]], [[Steve McKenna]]. McKenna also used that season to play for the [[Adelaide Avalanche]] in the [[Australian Ice Hockey League]]. In the [[British National League (1996–2005)|British National League]], [[Guildford Flames]] signed [[Jamie McLennan]] and [[David Oliver (ice hockey)|David Oliver]], [[Bracknell Bees]] signed [[Brendan Witt]] while [[Newcastle Vipers]] signed [[Chris McAllister]]. In 2008, McCallister signed for the Vipers for a second time.

Another notable move came from [[Karl Dykhuis]]. He signed with the Amsterdam Bulldogs in the Netherlands.

[[Chris Mason (ice hockey)|Chris Mason]] (Nashville), [[Scott Hartnell]] (Nashville) and [[Travis Brigley]] (Colorado) became Norwegian champions with [[Vålerenga Ishockey]]. In addition, Mark Bell, who at the time was playing for Chicago Blackhawks, played for the Norwegian [[GET-ligaen]] club [[Trondheim Black Panthers]].

Several NHL players signed in the Italian league [[Serie A (ice hockey)|Serie A]], including [[Éric Bélanger|Eric Belanger]] to the [[Bolzano-Bozen Foxes]], [[Craig Adams (ice hockey)|Craig Adams]] to the [[Milano Vipers]], [[Matt Cullen]] to [[SG Cortina]] and [[Fernando Pisani]] to the [[SCL Tigers]], among others. [[Calgary Flames]] players [[Steve Montador]] and [[Steven Reinprecht]] won the French [[Ligue Magnus]] with [[Scorpions de Mulhouse (1997-2005)|HC Mulhouse]].

[[Rob Niedermayer]] and [[Jason Strudwick]] played in the [[OB I bajnokság|Hungarian league]] with [[Ferencvárosi TC (ice hockey)|Ferencvárosi TC]].

Most of the NHL players playing for European clubs had contract clauses allowing them to leave for the NHL once the lockout ended.

====North America====
There were two attempts to form alternative professional leagues in North America during the lockout, but both failed. A revival of the '''[[World Hockey Association (proposed)|World Hockey Association]]''' had been planned since 2002 and was to start play shortly after the lockout was expected to begin. Despite having former [[World Hockey Association|WHA]] star [[Bobby Hull]] as commissioner, the league never got off the ground. A lack of stable financing undermined plans to sign both locked-out players and top prospects such as [[Sidney Crosby]].

Another league, the '''Original Stars Hockey League''' (OSHL), was established in Canada and expected to play four-on-four games between six teams (ostensibly representing the [[Original Six]] cities) in various Canadian cities until the lockout was settled. More than 100 players purportedly signed up to play in the OSHL. The league debuted on September 17, 2004 in [[Barrie, Ontario]], Canada. In the inaugural game, "Toronto" defeated "Detroit" 16–13. The next and last game was played in [[Brampton, Ontario]] with "Boston" defeating "Montreal" 14–11. Jerseys worn by players were based on Original Six (Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, New York, Toronto), but all had the words "OSHL" in white, three stars patches on the shoulders instead of team logos or cities. However, escalating salary demands by players quickly bankrupted the league. Shortly after its first two games, OSHL president Randy Gumbley announced that the league had received firm commitments from only twenty players, and the league soon folded.

NHL players looking for a place to play clearly preferred stable, established European clubs to upstart leagues that were derisively dubbed as "[[wiktionary:fly-by-night|fly-by-night]]" operations by their critics. A small number of players played for established [[minor league]] teams near their families and homes, while others chose to repay the league which gave them a start by returning.

The [[Motor City Mechanics]] of the [[United Hockey League|UHL]] got a major boost during their first year in existence when the lockout officially started. The team signed [[Detroit Red Wings]] players [[Chris Chelios]], [[Derian Hatcher]], and [[Kris Draper]]. This happened because Derian Hatcher knew the team was playing at [[Great Lakes Sports City Superior Arena]] where he often played growing up. Because of visa problems Kris Draper never played a game for the Mechanics. Later on they also signed [[Bryan Smolinski]] and [[Sean Avery]] and were able to roll four NHL players on their opponents. All of the players had some experience or connection to the area.

The [[ECHL]] gained some players. [[Scott Gomez]] played for his hometown team, the [[Alaska Aces (ECHL)|Alaska Aces]] and won the ECHL's Most Valuable Player award, while [[Curtis Brown (hockey player)|Curtis Brown]], whose wife is a native of Southern California, played for the [[San Diego Gulls (1995-2006)|San Diego Gulls]], and [[Bates Battaglia]] joined his younger brother Anthony on the [[Mississippi Sea Wolves]] roster. A pair of [[Nashville Predators]] teammates, [[Shane Hnidy]] and [[Jeremy Stevenson]], both of whom had early careers in the ECHL, returned to the league and found themselves playing against each other in the first round of the Kelly Cup playoffs, as Hnidy's [[Florida Everblades]] faced Stevenson's [[South Carolina Stingrays]] in the American Conference quarterfinals.

Some prospects who may have never had a serious look were given chances they thought they never would have. Undrafted journeyman [[Chris Minard]] had been signed with Alaska for his third season in the ECHL when the lockout allowed [[Davis Payne]] to assign him on the same line as Gomez at the Aces. Gomez saw a gem that led to the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game, and a top ECHL player that season; the pairing led to Gomez giving Minard a shot after the lockout ended, and he played his way into the AHL, and eventually signing a two-way contract with the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], receiving in 2007–08 his first call-up to the NHL. Minard said about the experience, "That's when I learned a lot about being a goal-scorer, playing with a guy like that who can pass the puck. It was a pretty cool experience."<ref>{{cite news|title=Rookie Minard took long, strange trip into the NHL |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08076/865589-61.stm |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122083548/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08076/865589-61.stm |archive-date=November 22, 2008 |url-status=live |access-date=May 23, 2009 |first=Shelly |last=Anderson |date=March 16, 2008 |df=mdy }}</ref>

In addition, many younger players who would be impact players on their NHL rosters stayed down in the [[American Hockey League]] for [[2004-05 AHL season|a full season]] – most notably [[Jason Spezza]], who won the league scoring title and MVP awards – changing the aspect of that league's entire season. A record crowd of 20,103 fans packed the [[Wachovia Center]] in Philadelphia for Game Four of the [[Calder Cup]] finals between the [[Philadelphia Phantoms]] and Rosemont's [[Chicago Wolves]]. The Wolves, [[Rochester Americans]], [[Manitoba Moose]], [[Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)|Hamilton Bulldogs]], and [[Bridgeport Sound Tigers]] each saw attendance figures increase over ten percent from 2003 to 2004 in the AHL, with the Moose average attendance soaring 24.09 percent from the previous year. In the ECHL, the [[Gwinnett Gladiators]], San Diego Gulls, [[Bakersfield Condors (1998–2015)|Bakersfield Condors]], and [[Charlotte Checkers (ECHL)|Charlotte Checkers]] also saw similar gains, with the [[Atlanta Thrashers]]-affiliated Gladiators receiving a gain of over 20 percent in attendance from the previous year.

However, the lockout negatively affected many minor-league players, where the influx of NHL players forced many to play in lower-level leagues for less money or out of jobs altogether.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lssulakers.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/021805aaa.html |title=Former Lakers discuss the effects of the NHL lockout on minor leaguers :: Krueckl and Turgeon say there are pros and cons of having NHL'ers in the UHL |publisher=Lssulakers.cstv.com |access-date=September 28, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/27/sports/hockey/27hockey.html |title=The New York Times > Sports > Hockey > Steve and the Mechanics: Over the Top in the Minors |work=The New York Times |date=February 27, 2005 |access-date=September 28, 2008 | first=Joe | last=Lapointe}}</ref>

In addition, other minor hockey leagues benefited from the lack of competition from the major professional league. The [[Ontario Hockey League]] was a particular beneficiary, with teams such as the [[London Knights]] and [[Saginaw Spirit]] garnering considerable attention. The lack of the [[Stanley Cup]] playoffs also created increased interest in the [[2005 Memorial Cup]] tournament with record TV ratings. [[Governor General of Canada]] [[Adrienne Clarkson]] mused publicly about the possibility of awarding the Stanley Cup to the best women's hockey team that year, but this idea was so unpopular that instead the [[Clarkson Cup]] was created. The 2005 [[Allan Cup]] in [[Lloydminster]] also attracted elevated national media interest.

In the [[Western Hockey League]], the [[Calgary Hitmen]] were the most watched team in North America, averaging 10,062 fans per game. Their season total of 362,227 shattered the WHL and [[Canadian Hockey League|CHL]] records<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120717152252/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/03/19/966358-sun.html Kisio on the hot seat]}}, ''Calgary Sun'', March 19, 2005</ref> and represented a 33% increase over [[2003–04 WHL season|2003–04]].<ref name=whl>[http://www.whl.ca/records/?id=42 whl.ca team records], Accessed October 15, 2006, {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813203124/http://whl.ca/records/?id=42 |date=August 13, 2007 }}</ref> The [[Vancouver Giants]] also experienced a massive increase, finishing second in the WHL with 302,403 fans going through the turnstiles.<ref name=whl />

====International hockey====
The lockout had a substantial effect on international tournaments run by the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]]. The most notable effect was observed in the [[2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships]] in [[Grand Forks, North Dakota]], and [[Thief River Falls, Minnesota]]. With the NHL inactive, the top eligible U-20 players were not playing in that league and thus were available to their countries for the tournament. The country that benefitted most as a result was Canada. The Canadians not only ended a seven-year [[gold medal]] drought at this competition, they outscored their opponents 41–7 and defeated [[Russia]] 6–1 in the final game. Many analysts believe that the Canadian team was the most dominating ever in this tournament, aided in no small part by players such as [[Patrice Bergeron]] who could have expected to have commitments in the NHL.

At the time that the 2004–05 season was canceled, it was not immediately clear how the lockout would affect the 2005 [[World Ice Hockey Championships]]. Normally, NHL players from teams that failed to qualify for the [[Stanley Cup playoffs]] participate in this tournament. Since no playoffs were being held, theoretically all NHL players could participate. In reality, however, many NHL players declined to participate, and national teams were naturally reluctant to select players who lacked game conditioning. For all of the teams (including the North American ones), the bulk of the national teams' rosters consisted of players who were playing in Europe.

===Effects outside hockey===
{{Unreferencedsect|date=May 2024}}
Canadian sports fans also turned to the [[Canadian Football League]], and the CFL recorded significant increases in attendance and television ratings during the final weeks of the [[2004 CFL season]] compared to [[2003 CFL season|2003]], ultimately setting a new record for total [[playoff]] attendance. The league was able to hold onto at least some of these gains in [[2005 CFL season|2005]]. The [[National Lacrosse League]] also saw a modest boost in attendance. Also in the United States, the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) also saw some big gains in attendance in markets which have both NHL and NBA teams; this is in part because the NHL and NBA season run in a similar time frame within the year and often play in the same venue. The [[National Football League]] (NFL) and [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) also saw some minor gains in attendance in 2004–05. [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS) began to become profitable in 2004, which many believed to have been caused by the NHL lockout. To date, the MLS has operated with profit since 2004. 

The [[Philips Arena]] requested the [[Southeastern Conference]] to move the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament out of their venue because of logistics, because the 55th NHL All-Star Game was scheduled for late January, while the SEC tournament was scheduled five weeks later. The resulting move led to the [[BI-LO Center]], an [[ECHL]] arena 140 miles to the east in [[Greenville, South Carolina]], hosting the tournament, drawing the ire of the [[NAACP]], who wanted the SEC to ban the venue from hosting tournaments because of its location. Philips Arena was granted the NHL All-Star Game in [[2007-08 NHL season|2008]] as compensation.

==References==
{{Portal|Organized labour}}
* {{cite book |title=Lost Season |last=Podnieks |first=Andrew |year=2005 |publisher=Fenn Publishing Company Ltd. |location=Bolton, Ontario |isbn=978-1-55168-298-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/lostseason0000podn }}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==

===Official sites run by the parties involved===
* {{cite web |url=http://www.nhlcbanews.com/ |title=NHL CBA News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050715081254/http://www.nhlcbanews.com/ |archive-date=July 15, 2005}}
* [http://www.nhlpa.com/ NHLPA website]

===News coverage===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050219011516/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/cba/ CBC coverage of dispute]

{{2004–05 NHL season by team}}
{{USA pro sports labor relations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2004-05 NHL lockout}}
[[Category:2004–05 NHL season|lockout]]
[[Category:2004 labor disputes and strikes]]
[[Category:2005 labor disputes and strikes]]
[[Category:Labour disputes in Canada]]
[[Category:Sports labor disputes in the United States]]
[[Category:National Hockey League labor relations|2004-05 NHL lockout]]
[[Category:Ice hockey controversies]]