ague ▁Prof . ▁Michael ▁A . ▁Whe eler ▁brought ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁a ▁suggestion ▁from ▁fellow ▁profess ors ▁Howard ▁Ra iff a ▁and ▁David ▁La x : ▁Re venue ▁should ▁flow ▁into ▁a ▁separate ▁esc row ▁account ▁touched ▁by ▁neither ▁players ▁nor ▁own ers ▁until ▁the ▁dispute ▁was ▁resolved . ▁This ▁suggestion ▁was ▁not ▁adopted . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁lock out ▁had ▁drag ged ▁on , ▁the ▁talk ▁of ▁sal ary ▁cap ▁f aded ▁and ▁new ▁items ▁entered ▁the ▁debate . ▁ ▁T alk ▁of ▁ro ok ie ▁sal ary ▁cap , ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁arbitr ation ▁system , ▁and ▁lo os ened ▁free ▁ag ency . ▁ ▁However , ▁large ▁market ▁teams ▁such ▁as ▁Toronto , ▁Detroit , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁R angers , ▁Dallas , ▁and ▁Philadelphia ▁eventually ▁broke ▁with ▁the ▁league , ▁as ▁they ▁fe ared ▁that ▁an ▁extended ▁lock out ▁would ▁out we igh ▁the ▁benefits ▁from ▁getting ▁a ▁sal ary ▁cap ▁and ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁league ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁to ▁for fe it ▁an ▁entire ▁season ▁just ▁to ▁help ▁out ▁their ▁small - market ▁colle agues . ▁ ▁The ▁ 4 - on - 4 ▁Challenge ▁While ▁some ▁N HL ▁players ▁decided ▁to ▁play ▁in ▁various ▁European ▁le agues , ▁others ▁decided ▁to ▁remain ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁Ar ound ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁" 4 - on - 4 ▁Challenge " ▁( i . e . ▁four ▁players ▁and ▁a ▁goal ie ▁on ▁the ▁ice ) ▁was ▁initi ated . ▁This