High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 2005–06 NHL season was the 89th season of operation (88th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). This was the season after the 2004–05 season which had all of its scheduled games canceled due to a labor dispute with the NHL Players Association over the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the league and its players. 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.