| July
23 |
- Compliance buy-out period begins
- Period to negotiate and sign 2003 draftees begins
- Period to extend qualifying offers begins
- Period to negotiate with own club's restricted and unrestricted
free agents begins |
| July
28 |
- Deadline for exercising club or
player options for 2005/06
- Deadline for signing 2003 draftees |
| July
29 |
- Deadline for initiating compliance
buy-outs (5:00 p.m.ET notice) |
| July
30 |
- 2005 entry draft in Ottawa |
| July
31 |
- Deadline for qualifying offers |
| Aug.
1 |
- Restricted and unrestricted free
agent period begins |
| Aug.
5 |
- Deadline for election of Group 5
free agency |
| Aug.10 |
- Player-elected salary arbitration
notification |
| Aug.
11 |
- Club-elected salary arbitration
notification |
| Aug.
12 |
- NHL/NHLPA to schedule arbitration
cases |
| Aug.
15 |
- Qualifying offers expire automatically |
| Aug.
22 |
- First day of salary arbitration
hearings |
| Sept.
1 |
- Last day for salary arbitration
hearings |
| Sept.
2 |
- Last Day for issuance of salary
arbitration awards |
| Sept.
4 |
- Last Day for second buy-out period
(only for teams with salary arbitration cases). |
| Oct.
5 |
- Start of the 2005-06 NHL regular season;
all 30 teams are in action |
| Dec.
1 |
- Signing deadline for Group 2 free
agents |
