| 2004 NLL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Lacrosse League |
| Sport | Indoor lacrosse |
| Duration | December 26, 2003 – May 7, 2004 |
| Number of games | 16 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| TV partner(s) | Fox Sports Net[1] |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Jim Veltman (Toronto Rock) |
| Top scorer | Gary Gait (Colorado Mammoth) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Toronto Rock |
| Eastern runners-up | Rochester Knighthawks |
| Western champions | Colorado Mammoth |
| Western runners-up | San Jose Stealth |
| Champion's Cup | |
| Champions | Calgary Roughnecks |
| Runners-up | Buffalo Bandits |
| Finals MVP | Curtis Palidwor (Calgary) |
The 2004 National Lacrosse League season is the 18th season in the NLL that began on December 26, 2003, with the Arizona Sting hosting the Vancouver Ravens. That game was the Sting's first-ever game and the first event held in the new Glendale Arena (now Gila River Arena) in Glendale, Arizona. The season concluded with the championship game on May 7, 2004. Over 19,000 fans, the second largest crowd ever at an NLL game, packed the Pengrowth Saddledome (now Scotiabank Saddledome) to watch the Calgary Roughnecks defeat the Buffalo Bandits 14–11.[2] This game was the first NLL championship game since 1998 that did not feature the Toronto Rock.
The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the Professional Lacrosse Players' Association expired before the 2004 season, and the lack of a new agreement caused a 12-day players strike in December 2003. On December 17, the NLL and PLPA announced that the previous CBA had been extended by one year, guaranteeing that the 2004 season would be played without strikes or lockouts.[3]
- ^ "NLL Champion's Cup Playoffs Games on TV this weekend". Our Sports Central. April 15, 2004.
- ^ Philly, R.A. (May 7, 2004). "Capacity crowd cheers Calgary to Cup". Outsider's Guide to the NLL. Archived from the original on August 18, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
- ^ "Re-Lax! League Players Reach Agreement". NLL.com. December 17, 2003. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2007.