▁would ▁last ▁from ▁January ▁ 2 0 ▁to ▁May ▁ 3 ; ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁only ▁time ▁in ▁N HL ▁history ▁that ▁the ▁regular ▁season ▁extended ▁into ▁May . ▁Reg ular - season ▁games ▁would ▁be ▁limited ▁to ▁int ra - con ference ▁play ▁( E astern ▁Conference ▁teams ▁did ▁not ▁play ▁Western ▁Conference ▁teams ). ▁During ▁the ▁lock out , ▁the ▁N HL ▁and ▁N HL PA ▁agreed ▁to ▁short en ▁future ▁seasons ▁to ▁ 8 2 ▁games . ▁San ▁Jose , ▁which ▁was ▁to ▁host ▁the ▁All - Star ▁game ▁that ▁year , ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁game ▁instead . ▁ ▁The ▁lock out ▁would ▁eventually ▁lead ▁to ▁two ▁Canadian ▁teams ▁moving ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States — the ▁Quebec ▁Nord iques ▁moved ▁to ▁Den ver ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁Colorado ▁A val anche , ▁and ▁the ▁original ▁W inn ip eg ▁J ets ▁moved ▁to ▁Phoenix ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁Phoenix ▁Co y otes ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁Hart ford ▁Wh al ers ▁became ▁the ▁Carolina ▁H urr ican es ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁The ▁A val anche ▁and ▁H urr ican es ▁would ▁win ▁the ▁Stanley ▁Cup ▁within ▁the ▁next ▁de cade . ▁ ▁Event ually ▁there ▁was ▁another ▁lock out ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 – 0 5 , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁that ▁season ▁being ▁can ce led ▁altogether . ▁On ▁September ▁ 1 6