The 2004–05 Florida Panthers season was cancelled due to the lockout of the players of the National Hockey League.
Off-season General manager Rick Dudley was fired on May 24, 2004. Two days later Dudley was replaced by the head coach he had fired months earlier, Mike Keenan, while Jacques Martin was named the team’s new head coach.
Schedule The Panthers preseason and regular season schedules were announced on July 12 and July 14, 2004, respectively.
| 1 || September 26 || @ Nashville Predators |- | 2 || September 27 || Carolina Hurricanes |- | 3 || September 29 || @ Ottawa Senators |- | 4 || October 1 || @ Carolina Hurricanes |- | 5 || October 3 || @ Tampa Bay Lightning |- | 6 || October 8 || Tampa Bay Lightning
| 1 || October 14 || Philadelphia Flyers |- | 2 || October 16 || @ Tampa Bay Lightning |- | 3 || October 19 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs |- | 4 || October 21 || @ Boston Bruins |- | 5 || October 23 || Pittsburgh Penguins |- | 6 || October 27 || Atlanta Thrashers |- | 7 || October 29 || Nashville Predators |- | 8 || October 31 || Washington Capitals |- | 9 || November 3 || Montreal Canadiens |- | 10 || November 5 || @ New York Rangers |- | 11 || November 6 || @ New York Islanders |- | 12 || November 9 || @ Ottawa Senators |- | 13 || November 12 || Calgary Flames |- | 14 || November 14 || Los Angeles Kings |- | 15 || November 17 || @ Anaheim Mighty Ducks |- | 16 || November 18 || @ Los Angeles Kings |- | 17 || November 20 || @ San Jose Sharks |- | 18 || November 24 || New Jersey Devils |- | 19 || November 26 || Vancouver Canucks |- | 20 || November 28 || @ Washington Capitals |- | 21 || November 29 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins |- | 22 || December 1 || St. Louis Blues |- | 23 || December 4 || @ Tampa Bay Lightning |- | 24 || December 8 || Montreal Canadiens |- | 25 || December 11 || @ Phoenix Coyotes |- | 26 || December 13 || @ Colorado Avalanche |- | 27 || December 15 || Buffalo Sabres |- | 28 || December 17 || Carolina Hurricanes |- | 29 || December 19 || @ Buffalo Sabres |- | 30 || December 21 || @ Philadelphia Flyers |- | 31 || December 23 || @ New York Rangers |- | 32 || December 26 || @ Carolina Hurricanes |- | 33 || December 27 || New Jersey Devils |- | 34 || December 29 || Boston Bruins |- | 35 || December 31 || New York Rangers |- | 36 || January 4 || @ New York Islanders |- | 37 || January 6 || @ Ottawa Senators |- | 38 || January 8 || @ Montreal Canadiens |- | 39 || January 12 || Washington Capitals |- | 40 || January 15 || Tampa Bay Lightning |- | 41 || January 17 || Atlanta Thrashers |- | 42 || January 19 || Buffalo Sabres |- | 43 || January 21 || Boston Bruins |- | 44 || January 22 || @ Washington Capitals |- | 45 || January 24 || @ Boston Bruins |- | 46 || January 26 || Toronto Maple Leafs |- | 47 || January 28 || Pittsburgh Penguins |- | 48 || January 29 || Carolina Hurricanes |- | 49 || February 2 || Chicago Blackhawks |- | 50 || February 4 || @ Atlanta Thrashers |- | 51 || February 5 || Anaheim Mighty Ducks |- | 52 || February 8 || @ New Jersey Devils |- | 53 || February 9 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins |- | 54 || February 16 || Ottawa Senators |- | 55 || February 19 || New York Islanders |- | 56 || February 20 || Detroit Red Wings |- | 57 || February 22 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs |- | 58 || February 24 || @ Montreal Canadiens |- | 59 || February 26 || @ Columbus Blue Jackets |- | 60 || February 27 || @ Minnesota Wild |- | 61 || March 2 || Toronto Maple Leafs |- | 62 || March 4 || @ Atlanta Thrashers |- | 63 || March 5 || Tampa Bay Lightning |- | 64 || March 7 || Ottawa Senators |- | 65 || March 9 || Edmonton Oilers |- | 66 || March 11 || Washington Capitals |- | 67 || March 12 || @ Carolina Hurricanes |- | 68 || March 15 || Philadelphia Flyers |- | 69 || March 18 || @ Washington Capitals |- | 70 || March 19 || Tampa Bay Lightning |- | 71 || March 21 || Atlanta Thrashers |- | 72 || March 23 || @ Dallas Stars |- | 73 || March 24 || @ Nashville Predators |- | 74 || March 26 || @ Tampa Bay Lightning |- | 75 || March 28 || @ Atlanta Thrashers |- | 76 || March 30 || New York Rangers |- | 77 || April 1 || New York Islanders |- | 78 || April 3 || @ Buffalo Sabres |- | 79 || April 5 || @ Philadelphia Flyers |- | 80 || April 6 || @ New Jersey Devils |- | 81 || April 8 || Carolina Hurricanes |- | 82 || April 10 || @ Carolina Hurricanes
Transactions The Panthers were involved in the following transactions from June 8, 2004, the day after the deciding game of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, through February 16, 2005, the day the season was officially cancelled.
Trades Date Details Ref To Florida Panthers To New York Rangers To Florida Panthers To San Jose Sharks
Players acquired Date Player Former team Term Via Ref Jamie McLennan New York Rangers 2-year Free agency Eric Cairns New York Islanders Free agency Alexander Karpovtsev New York Islanders 2-year Free agency Sean Hill Carolina Hurricanes 2-year Free agency Joel Kwiatkowski Washington Capitals 1-year Free agency Burke Henry Chicago Blackhawks 1-year Free agency Serge Payer Ottawa Senators 1-year Free agency Patrick DesRochers Carolina Hurricanes 1-year Free agency
Players lost Date Player New team Via Ref Donald Audette Contract expiration (III) Eric Messier Contract expiration (UFA) Lyle Odelein Contract expiration (III) Steve Shields Contract expiration (III) Byron Ritchie Calgary Flames Free agency (UFA) Lee Goren Vancouver Canucks Free agency (VI) Denis Shvidki Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (RSL) Free agency (II) Andreas Lilja Nashville Predators Free agency (UFA) Pavel Trnka HC Plzen (ELH) Free agency (UFA) Matt Cullen Carolina Hurricanes Free agency (UFA) Paul Elliott Laredo Bucks (CHL) Free agency (UFA) Kent Huskins Manitoba Moose (AHL) Free agency (VI) Sean O'Connor San Diego Gulls (ECHL) Free agency (UFA) Simon Lajeunesse Fresno Falcons (ECHL) Free agency (UFA) David Morisset Houston Aeros (AHL) Free agency (UFA) Mikael Samuelsson Geneve-Servette HC (NLA) Free agency (UFA) , retrieved April 18, 2022 Kristian Kudroc Hammerby IF (Allsvenskan) Free agency (UFA)
Signings Date Player Term Contract type Ref Niklas Hagman 1-year Re-signing Josh Olson 1-year Re-signing Eric Beaudoin 1-year Re-signing Darcy Hordichuk 1-year Re-signing Ryan Jardine 1-year Re-signing Mike Van Ryn 1-year Re-signing Vaclav Nedorost 1-year Re-signing Juraj Kolnik 1-year Re-signing Christian Berglund 1-year Re-signing Kamil Kreps Entry-level Anthony Stewart Entry-level
Draft picks Florida's picks at the 2004 NHL entry draft, which was held at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 26–27, 2004.
Round Pick Player Position Nationality Team (league)17Rostislav OleszLeft wingHC Vitkovice (Czech)237David ShantzGoaltenderMississauga IceDogs (OHL)253David BoothLeft wingMichigan State Spartans (CCHA)4105Evan SchaferDefensePrince Albert Raiders (WHL)5152Bret NasbyDefenseOshawa Generals (OHL)9267Spencer DillonDefenseSalmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)9283Luke BeaversonDefenseGreen Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Notes
References