2004–05 New Jersey Devils season
Encyclopedia
The 2004–05 New Jersey Devils
season was the team's 23rd
season
in the National Hockey League
since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. However, the 2004–05 NHL lockout prevented the season's games from occurring.
sat on the negotiating committee for the league, although he had little to say early on in the proceedings. However, he was invited to a January meeting by the players' union in an attempt to breach sides; Lamoriello was invited because of the respect for the manner in which he ran the Devils organization. That meeting was ultimately unfruitful, although it did lead to further talks between the players and the owners. As late as February 2005, Lamoriello showed hope the season could be salvaged.
He later added:
Lamoriello praised the final decision, saying it put everyone on "level footing" and created more parity in the league.
Meanwhile, during the stoppage Devils' center Scott Gomez
went home to Anchorage, Alaska
to play for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL
. He went on to lead the league in scoring, netting 86 points in only 68 games, en route to winning the league's Most Valuable Player
award.
class="wikitable">
Player lost
New team
RW Turner Stevenson
Philadelphia Flyers
in Raleigh, North Carolina
.
, the Devils' American Hockey League
affiliate, finished in last place in their division during the 2004–05 AHL season
, and failed to make the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Veteran Dean McAmmond
led the team in scoring with 61 points, while right on his heels was hot rookie Zach Parise
with 58. Meanwhile goaltenders Scott Clemmensen
and Ari Ahonen
split the load evenly, although Ahonen had more wins in fewer games played. Parise and Clemmensen would go on to make the Devils' squad full-time the following season
.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
season was the team's 23rd
New Jersey Devils seasons
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The team is a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The Devils arrived in New Jersey in 1982 after transferring from Denver, Colorado, where they had been...
season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. However, the 2004–05 NHL lockout prevented the season's games from occurring.
NHL lockout
Devils general manager Lou LamorielloLou Lamoriello
Louis "Lou" Lamoriello is the CEO, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
sat on the negotiating committee for the league, although he had little to say early on in the proceedings. However, he was invited to a January meeting by the players' union in an attempt to breach sides; Lamoriello was invited because of the respect for the manner in which he ran the Devils organization. That meeting was ultimately unfruitful, although it did lead to further talks between the players and the owners. As late as February 2005, Lamoriello showed hope the season could be salvaged.
He later added:
Lamoriello praised the final decision, saying it put everyone on "level footing" and created more parity in the league.
Meanwhile, during the stoppage Devils' center Scott Gomez
Scott Gomez
Scott Carlos Gomez is an American ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
went home to Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
to play for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. He went on to lead the league in scoring, netting 86 points in only 68 games, en route to winning the league's Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award.
Transactions
The Devils completed the following transactions before the lockout suspended all activity:Trades
| June 26, 2004 | To New Jersey Devils 1st round pick in 2004 2004 NHL Entry Draft The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed... |
To Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... 1st round pick in 2004 2004 NHL Entry Draft The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed... 3rd round pick in 2004 |
Free agents
| class="wikitable"> | |
| Player signed | Former team |
| LW Darren Langdon Darren Langdon Darren Langdon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He was undrafted but signed his first pro contract in 1993 with the New York Rangers... |
Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
| D Ray Schultz Ray Schultz Ray "Sugar" Schultz is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 45 games for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League; recording four assists and 155 penalty minutes. Schultz was an eighth-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.-... |
Nashville Predators Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
| D Richard Matvichuk Richard Matvichuk Richard Matvichuk is a former NHL defenceman. He played 14 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars, and the New Jersey Devils.Although he was born in Edmonton, Richard was raised in the nearby city of Fort Saskatchewan... |
Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
| LW Krzysztof Oliwa Krzysztof Oliwa Krzysztof Artur Oliwa is a Polish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:... |
Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... |
| D Bobby Allen Bobby Allen Robert Paul Allen is an American professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:... |
Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
| C Pascal Rheaume Pascal Rhéaume Pascal Rhéaume is an ice hockey player. He is the younger brother of Manon Rhéaume, the first woman to appear in an NHL preseason game. He has previously played for the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Atlanta Thrashers, Chicago Blackhawks and Phoenix Coyotes. He won a Stanley... |
St. Louis Blues |
| D Steven Spencer Steven Spencer Steven Spencer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Defenseman. The last team he played for to date was the South Carolina Stingrays in 2006. He was drafted in the last round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, 266th overall. His youth team was the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey... |
N/A |
Turner Stevenson
Turner Stevenson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2003...
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
Draft picks
The Devils' draft picks at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
| Rd # | Pick # | Player | Nat | Pos | Team (League) | Notes | |||
| 1 | 20 | Travis Zajac Travis Zajac Travis Zajac is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . He was selected 20th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.... |
 Canada |
C | Salmon Arm Silverbacks Salmon Arm Silverbacks The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League.-2010/2011 Player Roster:1 Kris Moore4 Dustin Cave5 Jayson Reardon... (BCHL British Columbia Hockey League The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior... ) |
||||
| 2 | 57 | No second-round pick | |||||||
| 3 | 88 | No third-round pick | |||||||
| 4 | 121 | No fourth-round pick | |||||||
| 5 | 155 | Alexander Mikhailishin |  Russia |
D | Spartak St. Petersburg (Vysshaya Liga) | ||||
| 6 | 185 | Josh Disher | Canada |
G | Erie Otters Erie Otters The Erie Otters are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League . Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, they have played their home games at the Louis J. Tullio Arena since 1996... (OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... ) |
||||
| 7 | 216 | Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond Pierre-Luc "PL3" Létourneau-Leblond is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger in the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League... |
Canada |
RW | Baie-Comeau Drakkar Baie-Comeau Drakkar The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at Centre Henry-Leonard in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. Their franchise was granted for the 1997–98 season.-History:... (QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... ) |
||||
| 7 | 217 | Tyler Eckford | Canada |
D | Surrey Eagles Surrey Eagles The Surrey Eagles are a Junior "A" Ice Hockey team based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Coastal Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League . They play their home games at South Surrey Arena.-New Westminster:... (BCHL) |
||||
| 8 | 250 | Nathan Perkovich Nathan Perkovich Nathan Perkovich is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Albany Devils in the American Hockey League... |
 United States |
RW | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Cedar Rapids RoughRiders The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the East Division of the United States Hockey League . Before moving to Cedar Rapids in 1999, the team was based in Mason City, where they were known as the North Iowa Huskies.... (USHL United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger... ) |
||||
| 9 | 282 | Valeri Klimov | Russia |
D | Spartak St. Petersburg (Vysshaya Liga) | ||||
Farm teams
The Albany River RatsAlbany River Rats
The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :...
, the Devils' American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, finished in last place in their division during the 2004–05 AHL season
2004–05 AHL season
The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season...
, and failed to make the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Veteran Dean McAmmond
Dean McAmmond
Dean McAmmond is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. McAmmond has played in the National Hockey League since 1991 for several teams and is currently a free agent.-Pre-NHL career:...
led the team in scoring with 61 points, while right on his heels was hot rookie Zach Parise
Zach Parise
Zachary Justin Parise is an American professional ice hockey left winger of French-Canadian origin and captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . Parise's father, J. P...
with 58. Meanwhile goaltenders Scott Clemmensen
Scott Clemmensen
Scott Lee Clemmensen is an American professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Ari Ahonen
Ari Ahonen
Ari Pekka Ahonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League...
split the load evenly, although Ahonen had more wins in fewer games played. Parise and Clemmensen would go on to make the Devils' squad full-time the following season
2005–06 New Jersey Devils season
The 2005–06 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 24th in the National Hockey League since the franchise moved to New Jersey. It was the team's first season back after the NHL canceled the previous season, due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The Devils rallied from a poor first half of the season to...
.