2005–06 NHL season
First post-lockout season with new rules and a shootout.
The 2005–06 NHL season was the league's 89th year of operation and 88th of actual play. It followed the 2004–05 season, which was entirely canceled due to a labor dispute between the NHL and the NHLPA over the Collective Bargaining Agreement. For the first time, all 30 teams played on the same day, which was the season opener on October 5, 2005.
A break in February allowed NHL players to participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Because of this break, there was no All-Star Game in 2006. The Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 21, 2006, and ended on June 19, with the Carolina Hurricanes defeating the Edmonton Oilers for their first Stanley Cup. After this, the Oilers missed the playoffs for ten straight seasons and 12 of the next 13, while the Hurricanes missed 11 of their next 12.
On July 13, 2005, the NHL and NHLPA announced a tentative new collective bargaining agreement, allowing hockey to resume. NHLPA members approved it on July 21 by a nearly 7-to-1 margin, and the NHL's Board of Governors unanimously approved it the next day.
A new NHL logo was introduced, with "NHL" printed in upward-reading letters to project a vibrant, optimistic image, and silver as the dominant color to honor the Stanley Cup. New Eastern and Western Conference logos were unveiled before the Olympic break, with red for the East and blue for the West.
The league returned with a heavily revised rulebook, leading many to compare statistics as "pre-lockout" and "post-lockout." These changes were based on the previous AHL season and aimed to create a more exciting game with more scoring. A new Competition Committee was formed, including player input. Shootouts were introduced for regular-season games tied after overtime, with three shots per team, then sudden death if still tied. Preseason games also held shootouts regardless of outcome. Playoff games continued with 20-minute sudden-death periods. The neutral zone was reduced by four feet. Blue and red lines returned to the traditional 12-inch width, abandoning the double-width lines used in the AHL. Teams icing the puck could not make a line change afterward. Linesmen gained more discretion to wave off icing calls on accidental failed passes. The "two-line offside pass" rule was abolished. Goalies were restricted from playing the puck outside a new trapezoidal area behind the goal line, with a two-minute delay-of-ga
- season_number
- 89th (88th of play)
- first_game_date
- October 5, 2005
- stanley_cup_champion
- Carolina Hurricanes
- stanley_cup_runner_up
- Edmonton Oilers
- top_rookie_scorers
- Alexander Ovechkin (106 points), Sidney Crosby (102 points)
- scoring_title_winner
- Joe Thornton
- total_goals_scored
- 7,443
Lore & Background
The 2005–06 season began after a new collective bargaining agreement was approved on July 22, 2005, by the NHL's Board of Governors and ratified by NHLPA members. The league introduced a revamped rulebook, including shootouts to decide tied regular-season games, a smaller neutral zone, and restrictions on goaltenders playing the puck. The season featured the much-hyped debuts of rookies Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, who both surpassed 100 points—only the second time two rookies achieved that in a season.
A mid-season break in February allowed NHL players to participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, which replaced the All-Star Game. The regular season was the highest-scoring in NHL history with 7,443 goals, though not the highest goals-per-game average. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals, winning their first championship. After the Finals, the Oilers missed the postseason ten consecutive times and 12 of their next 13 seasons, while the Hurricanes missed 11 of their next 12.
Reader's Guide
The 2005–06 NHL season is significant as the first season after a full-year lockout that canceled the 2004–05 season. It introduced a new collective bargaining agreement and a fundamentally changed rulebook aimed at increasing scoring and excitement. The adoption of the shootout, the elimination of the two-line offside pass, and restrictions on goaltender puck-handling altered the style of play permanently. The season also saw the debut of two future superstars, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, whose rivalry became a defining narrative of the league. The record for most shorthanded goals in a season was broken, and power-play opportunities increased dramatically. The season's legacy includes the first Stanley Cup for the Carolina Hurricanes and a period of playoff drought for both finalists. The new NHL and conference logos, along with arena name changes, reflected a rebranding effort. The season's high offensive output and rule changes set the stage for the modern NHL.
Did You Know?
- The 2005–06 season was the first time all 30 NHL teams played on the same day, October 5, 2005.
- The shootout was introduced for regular-season games; playoff games continued with sudden-death overtime periods.
- Joe Thornton was traded from the Boston Bruins to the San Jose Sharks on November 30, 2005, and went on to win the scoring title.
- A total of 318 shorthanded goals were scored, breaking the previous record of 312 set in 1992–93.
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