The 2004-05 NHL lockout that wiped out an entire season did not keep fans away when hockey returned in October 2005.

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And at worst, the 2011-12 NBA season could join the 2004-05 NHL season in infamy as the only 2 North American sports seasons completed erased by a work stoppage.

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When this problem surfaced in the NHL in 2004-05, it was only by increasing transparency and jointly defining what constitutes team revenues that owners and players eventually reached a deal.

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The momentum argument being espoused by plenty suggests that a significant loss of games or a season wiped away (a la the NHL circa 2004-05) would do irrevocable long-term damage to the interest in the sport.

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Third, similarities with the NHL lockout which cancelled the 2004-05 season entirely.

FORBES: NBA Owners Are Inflating Loss Estimates, But They're Likely To Win Labor Battle

But that momentum faded with the NHL owners lockout that canceled the 2004--05 season.

FORBES: Magazine Article

This is what the NHL eventually did in a last-ditch effort to save the 2004-05 season, but they did it too late.

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The Blackhawks' march out of the wilderness might provide clues for the NHL, which has yet to find solid footing since the league's 2004-05 player lockout that forced the cancellation of that hockey season.

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The average NHL team is worth 47% more than it was before the lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season.

FORBES: The Business Of Hockey: Team Values Hit All-Time High