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. 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 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.
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.

Team changes

The Toronto Roadrunners moved to Edmonton, Alberta, becoming the Edmonton Road Runners.

Final standings

indicates team clinched division and a playoff spotindicates team clinched a playoff spot

''indicates team was eliminated from playoff contention''

Eastern Conference

East Division
y–Binghamton Senators	80	47	21	7	5	106	276	217
x–Philadelphia Phantoms	80	48	25	4	3	103	235	185
x–Norfolk Admirals	80	43	30	6	1	93	200	188
x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	80	39	27	7	7	92	227	219
e–Hershey Bears	80	39	37	2	2	82	207	226
e–Bridgeport Sound Tigers	80	37	38	1	4	79	192	222
e–Albany River Rats	80	29	38	6	7	71	198	248

Western Conference

West Division
y–Chicago Wolves	80	49	24	2	5	105	245	211
x–Milwaukee Admirals	80	47	24	5	4	103	247	207
x–Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	80	44	31	4	1	93	206	191
x–Houston Aeros	80	40	28	6	6	92	212	195
e–Grand Rapids Griffins	80	41	35	2	2	86	200	200
e–San Antonio Rampage	80	27	45	5	3	62	156	232
e–Utah Grizzlies	80	23	50	5	2	53	156	265

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Jason Spezza	Binghamton Senators	80	32	85	117	50
Mike Cammalleri	Manchester Monarchs	79	46	63	109	60
David Ling	St. John's Maple Leafs	80	28	60	88	152
Kyle Wellwood	St. John's Maple Leafs	80	38	49	87	20
Simon Gamache	Milwaukee Admirals	80	29	57	86	93
Peter Sarno	Manitoba Moose	80	16	66	82	53
Chris Taylor	Rochester Americans	79	21	58	79	50
Andy Hilbert	Providence Bruins	79	37	42	79	83
Denis Hamel	Binghamton Senators	80	39	39	78	75
Eric Staal	Lowell Lock Monsters	77	26	51	77	88

Leading goaltenders

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%
Steve Valiquette	Hartford Wolf Pack	35	1900	19	11	1	56	7	1.77	0.935
Jason LaBarbera	Hartford Wolf Pack	53	2937	31	16	2	90	6	1.84	0.934
Adam Hauser	Manchester Monarchs	32	1867	19	11	0	60	5	1.93	0.933
Cam Ward	Lowell Lock Monsters	50	2829	27	17	3	94	6	1.99	0.937
Josh Harding	Houston Aeros	42	2388	21	16	3	80	4	2.01	0.930

All Star Classic

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.