| 2004–05 AHL season | |
| League: | American Hockey League |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| Season: | Regular season |
| Season Champ Name: | Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy |
| Season Champs: | Rochester Americans |
| Second Place: | Manchester Monarchs |
| Mvp: | Jason Spezza |
| Mvp Link: | Les Cunningham Award |
| Top Scorer: | Jason Spezza |
| Top Scorer Link: | John B. Sollenberger Trophy |
| Playoffs: | Playoffs |
| Playoffs Link: | 2005 Calder Cup playoffs |
| No Of Teams: | 28 |
| Finals: | Calder Cup |
| Finals Champ: | Philadelphia Phantoms |
| Finals Runner-Up: | Chicago Wolves |
| Playoffs Mvp: | Antero Niittymaki |
| Playoffs Mvp Link: | Jack A. Butterfield Trophy |
| Seasonslistnames: | AHL |
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. The Philadelphia Phantoms won the Calder Cup, defeating the Chicago Wolves in the finals.
This season featured a wealth of talent in the AHL, as the National Hockey League was in the midst of a lockout which would cause that league's 2004–05 season to be canceled on February 16, 2005. Many players who otherwise may have been called up to be members of NHL teams for the season spent the full season in the AHL instead. The lockout also provided opportunity for several NHL arenas — including those in Anaheim, Buffalo, Nashville, San Jose and Tampa — to host AHL games during the season. The Edmonton Road Runners, meanwhile, played the entire season in Rexall Place, normally the home of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers.
In addition, the shootout (previously used in the 1986–87 season) was reintroduced to the league, to decide a winner in games which remained tied following the overtime period. The team winning a shootout was credited with a win, and the losing team with an overtime loss. http://www.theahl.com/theahl/history/
The AHL also announced a series of experimental rule changes, most notably a restricted area for goaltenders. Playing the puck outside the restricted area results in an automatic two-minute delay of game penalty.
| Atlantic Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Manchester Monarchs (LAK) | 80 | 51 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 110 | 258 | 176 | |
| x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) | 80 | 50 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 106 | 206 | 160 | |
| x–Lowell Lock Monsters (CGY/CAR) | 80 | 47 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 100 | 242 | 190 | |
| x–Providence Bruins (BOS) | 80 | 40 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 90 | 211 | 202 | |
| e–Worcester Ice Cats (STL) | 80 | 39 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 85 | 212 | 223 | |
| e–Portland Pirates (WSH) | 80 | 34 | 34 | 6 | 6 | 80 | 175 | 242 | |
| e–Springfield Falcons (TBL) | 80 | 24 | 47 | 3 | 6 | 57 | 161 | 255 |
| East Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Binghamton Senators (OTT) | 80 | 47 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 106 | 276 | 217 | |
| x–Philadelphia Phantoms (PHI) | 80 | 48 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 103 | 235 | 185 | |
| x–Norfolk Admirals (CHI) | 80 | 43 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 93 | 200 | 188 | |
| x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) | 80 | 39 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 92 | 227 | 219 | |
| e–Hershey Bears (COL) | 80 | 39 | 37 | 2 | 2 | 82 | 207 | 226 | |
| e–Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) | 80 | 37 | 38 | 1 | 4 | 79 | 192 | 222 | |
| e–Albany River Rats (NJD) | 80 | 29 | 38 | 6 | 7 | 71 | 198 | 248 |
| North Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 80 | 51 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 112 | 243 | 208 | |
| x–St. John's Maple Leafs (TOR) | 80 | 46 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 98 | 244 | 232 | |
| x–Manitoba Moose (VAN) | 80 | 44 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 98 | 243 | 210 | |
| x–Hamilton Bulldogs (DAL/MTL) | 80 | 38 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 89 | 225 | 210 | |
| e–Syracuse Crunch (CBJ) | 80 | 36 | 33 | 4 | 7 | 83 | 215 | 230 | |
| e–Edmonton Road Runners (EDM) | 80 | 32 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 79 | 201 | 223 | |
| e–Cleveland Barons (SJS) | 80 | 35 | 37 | 6 | 2 | 78 | 200 | 226 |
| West Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Chicago Wolves (ATL) | 80 | 49 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 105 | 245 | 211 | |
| x–Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) | 80 | 47 | 24 | 5 | 4 | 103 | 247 | 207 | |
| x–Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (ANA) | 80 | 44 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 93 | 206 | 191 | |
| x–Houston Aeros (MIN) | 80 | 40 | 28 | 6 | 6 | 92 | 212 | 195 | |
| e–Grand Rapids Griffins (DET) | 80 | 41 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 86 | 200 | 200 | |
| e–San Antonio Rampage (FLA) | 80 | 27 | 45 | 5 | 3 | 62 | 156 | 232 | |
| e–Utah Grizzlies (PHX) | 80 | 23 | 50 | 5 | 2 | 53 | 156 | 265 |
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 32 | 85 | 117 | 50 | |||
| 79 | 46 | 63 | 109 | 60 | |||
| 80 | 28 | 60 | 88 | 152 | |||
| 80 | 38 | 49 | 87 | 20 | |||
| 80 | 29 | 57 | 86 | 93 | |||
| 80 | 16 | 66 | 82 | 53 | |||
| 79 | 21 | 58 | 79 | 50 | |||
| 79 | 37 | 42 | 79 | 83 | |||
| 80 | 39 | 39 | 78 | 75 | |||
| 77 | 26 | 51 | 77 | 88 |
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average
| Player | Team | GP | Mins | W | L | SL | GA | SO | GAA | Sv% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 1900 | 19 | 11 | 1 | 56 | 7 | 1.77 | 0.935 | |||
| 53 | 2937 | 31 | 16 | 2 | 90 | 6 | 1.84 | 0.934 | |||
| 32 | 1867 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 1.93 | 0.933 | |||
| 50 | 2829 | 27 | 17 | 3 | 94 | 6 | 1.99 | 0.937 | |||
| 42 | 2388 | 21 | 16 | 3 | 80 | 4 | 2.01 | 0.930 |
See main article: 2005 Calder Cup playoffs.
The 18th AHL All-Star Classic was played on February 14, 2005, at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. Team PlanetUSA defeated team Canada 5-4 in a shootout win. In the skills competition held the night before, team PlanetUSA defeated team Canada 17-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20090819073132/http://www.theahl.com/allstar/events/
| Calder Cup Playoff champions: | Philadelphia Phantoms | |
| Richard F. Canning Trophy Eastern Conference playoff champions: | Philadelphia Phantoms | |
| Robert W. Clarke Trophy Western Conference playoff champions: | Chicago Wolves | |
| Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy Regular season champions, League: | Rochester Americans | |
| Frank Mathers Trophy Regular Season champions, Eastern Conference: | Manchester Monarchs | |
| Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy Regular Season champions, Western Conference: | Rochester Americans | |
| Emile Francis Trophy Regular Season champions, Atlantic Division: | Manchester Monarchs | |
| F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy Regular Season champions, East Division: | Binghamton Senators | |
| Sam Pollock Trophy Regular Season champions, North Division: | Rochester Americans | |
| John D. Chick Trophy Regular Season champions, West Division: | Chicago Wolves |
| Les Cunningham Award Most valuable player: | Jason Spezza - Binghamton Senators | |
| John B. Sollenberger Trophy Top point scorer: | Jason Spezza - Binghamton Senators | |
| Willie Marshall Award Top goal scorer: | Mike Cammalleri - Manchester Monarchs | |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Rookie of the year: | Rene Bourque - Norfolk Admirals | |
| Eddie Shore Award Defenceman of the year: | Niklas Kronwall - Grand Rapids Griffins | |
| Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Best Goaltender: | Ryan Miller - Rochester Americans | |
| Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Lowest goals against average: | Jason LaBarbera - Hartford Wolf Pack Steve Valiquette - Hartford Wolf Pack | |
| Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award Coach of the year: | Randy Cunneyworth - Rochester Americans | |
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award Sportsmanship / Perseverance: | Chris Taylor - Rochester Americans | |
| Yanick Dupre Memorial Award Community Service Award: | Duncan Milroy - Hamilton Bulldogs | |
| Jack A. Butterfield Trophy MVP of the playoffs: | Antero Niittymaki - Philadelphia Phantoms |
| James C. Hendy Memorial Award Most outstanding executive: | Mark Chipman, Manitoba Moose | |
| Thomas Ebright Memorial Award Career contributions: | Glenn Stanford | |
| James H. Ellery Memorial Awards Outstanding media coverage: | Jonathan Bombulie, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (newspaper) Derek Wills, Hamilton (radio) Brendan O'Reilly, Binghamton (television) | |
| Ken McKenzie Award Outstanding marketing executive: | Brian Lewis, Hamilton Bulldogs | |
| Michael Condon Memorial Award Outstanding service, on-ice official: | Matt Dunne |