NHL Draft Rewind to 2005 the last time t

Note: This article was originally published on March 26, 2020.

When it comes to work stoppages in profe sional sports, every sports league in the world bows down and kneels before the altar of the NHL. After never having a single season interrupted in the first 74 years of existence, the worlds premier hockey league shut down four times between 1992 and 2013 because of labor disputes, including the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season.

Of course, the current suspension of play in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has nothing to do with a breakdown in employer-employee relations. The NHL made the right call in ceasing operations until the time is right. But it once again begs the question for hockey fans, Why does this always happen to us?

Whatever Sam Shields Jersey decision is made regarding the regular season, the one thing we as fans can count on is the NHL draft, which was slated for the last weekend in June in Montreal but has since been postponed. Theleague may never resume play, but history tells us it is more than willing to drive on with the draft, even if it means breaking away from tradition and standard operating procedure.

Just like 2005.

2020 NHL DRAFT: When is it? | Team-by-team draft picks

It was during late July of that summer one that followed the canceled 2004-05 campaign when owners and the players a sociation, led by Bob Goodenow, finally came to an agreement to end the most infamous work stoppage in the history of the sport, with one of the key tasks that required immediate attention being the entry draft. The lockout ended officially on the morning of July 22, and it was only a few hours later when the NHL held an official pre s conference to outline the way forward for the draft lottery and the draft itself.

Based on feedback and recommendations from clubs, and per the guidelines outlined in the NHLs new Collective Josh Reynolds Jersey Bargaining Agreement, the revamped draft lottery was to happen immediately. In fact, both the lottery and league commi sioner Gary Bettmans official announcement took place simultaneously in different areas of the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. There simply wasnt a moment to spare.

It was during Bettmans pre ser where he outlined the specifics for the draft , which would take place in Ottawa on July 30 but was limited in scope, scale and coverage compared to previous events. The biggest difference, however, was that summer of 2005 was more than just a watershed moment because of the end of the lockout. It also marked the long-awaited chance for NHL clubs to draft Sidney Crosby, who at the time was considered the most coveted draft prospect since Eric Lindros in 1991.

To nobodys surprise, Crosby was the first player off the board, followed by winger Bobby Ryan to the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Jack Johnson to the Carolina Hurricanes. Other Nolan Cromwell Jersey notables from that 2005 cla s include all-star goalies Carey Price (fifth overall) and Tuukka Rask (21st overall); two-time Stanley Cup winner Anze Kopitar (11th overall), plus center Paul Stastny (44th overall). What is surprising is that the top three defensemen from that draft Marc-Edouard Vlasic (35th overall), Kris Letang (62nd overall) and Keith Yandle (105th overall) were chosen outside the first round.

Thanks to a new CBA, the number of rounds in 2005 were reduced from nine to seven; a standard that exists to this day. The 230 players selected in 2005 also included 18 compensatory picks, and both totals represent the most in a draft year since the 2005-06 CBA was signed. It was also one of the last drafts to have all seven rounds in one day. The league tried it again in 2007 before switching to the current format of Round 1 on Friday and Rounds 2-7 the day after.

As for the Penguins, the pre-draft boasts from prognosticators that lionized Crosby as the savior of a desperate franchise were validated almost immediately. And although Crosbys impre sive102-point rookie season wasnt enough to prevent another losing Sammy Watkins Jersey campaign in Pittsburgh in 2006, the buzz he generated was felt throughout the league and in North America as a whole.

By 2007, Crosby was a scoring champion and league MVP while leading the Penguins to the playoffs. The following season, the Penguins were in the Stanley Cup Final, and in August of 2008, they broke ground for a new arena. Since entering the league, Crosby has captained the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships and 13 consecutive playoff appearances while winning two Hart Trophies; two Ro s Trophies; and consecutive Conn Smythe Trophies in 2016 and 2017.