High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 2004–05 NHL season was the National Hockey League`s 88th season of operation. Almost the entire 1,230-game schedule, that was to begin in October, was officially canceled on February 16, 2005 due to an unresolved lockout that began on September 16, 2004. The loss of the 2004–05 season`s games made the NHL the first North American professional sports league to lose an entire season of games because of a labor dispute. It was the first time since 1919 when a Spanish flu pandemic canceled the playoffs. This canceled season was later acknowledged with the words "2004–05 Season Not Played" engraved on the Cup.