2005–06 NHL season
The 2005–06 NHL season was the 89th season of operation (88th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). This season succeeded the 2004–05 season which had all of its scheduled games canceled due to a labor dispute with the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) over the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the League and its players. The season featured the first time that all 30 of its member teams played games on the same day, which happened the first day of the season, October 5, 2005.
| 2005–06 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 5, 2005 – June 19, 2006 |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| TV partner(s) | CBC, TSN, RDS (Canada) OLN, NBC (United States) |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Sidney Crosby |
| Picked by | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Regular season | |
| Presidents' Trophy | Detroit Red Wings |
| Season MVP | Joe Thornton (Bruins, Sharks) |
| Top scorer | Joe Thornton (Bruins, Sharks) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Cam Ward (Hurricanes) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Runners-up | Edmonton Oilers |
A mid-season break in February occurred to allow participation of NHL players in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Because of the Winter Olympics break, there was no NHL All-Star Game for 2006.
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 21, 2006, and concluded on June 19, with the Carolina Hurricanes defeating the Edmonton Oilers to win their first Stanley Cup, after which the Oilers would miss the postseason ten consecutive times and 12 of their next 13, while the Hurricanes would miss 11 of their next 12.