. ▁It ▁looked ▁like ▁the ▁franch ise ▁would ▁have ▁a ▁chance ▁at ▁winning ▁the ▁Stanley ▁Cup ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁winning ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁Bul ld ogs ▁over ▁a ▁de cade ▁prior ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁ ▁But ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁to ▁be . ▁During ▁the ▁rail ▁travel ▁back ▁to ▁Hamilton ▁after ▁the ▁season ' s ▁final ▁game , ▁the ▁Tig ers ' ▁players ▁went ▁to ▁their ▁general ▁manager , ▁Per cy ▁Thompson , ▁and ▁demanded ▁$ 2 0 0 ▁pay ▁for ▁the ▁six ▁extra ▁games ▁they ▁played ▁that ▁season ▁or ▁they ▁would ▁not ▁play ▁in ▁the ▁play offs . ▁The ▁N HL ▁had ▁increased ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁games ▁played ▁that ▁year ▁from ▁ 2 4 ▁to ▁ 3 0 , ▁but ▁the ▁players ▁didn ' t ▁receive ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁pay . ▁The ▁Tig ers ▁management , ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁players ' ▁contract s ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁players ▁were ▁under ▁contract ▁from ▁December ▁ 1 ▁to ▁March ▁ 3 0 , ▁regardless ▁of ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁games , ▁refused ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁money ▁and ▁passed ▁the ▁issue ▁to ▁the ▁N HL . ▁Thus ▁began ▁the ▁first ▁players ' ▁strike ▁in ▁N HL ▁history . ▁ ▁N HL ▁President ▁Frank ▁Cal der ▁war ned ▁the ▁players ▁that ▁if ▁they ▁sat ▁out ▁the ▁final , ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁susp ended ▁and ▁replaced ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁by ▁fourth - place ▁Ott awa . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁Cal der ▁ordered ▁that ▁the ▁players ' ▁back - pay ▁be ▁held .