▁players , ▁which ▁interrupted ▁the ▁race ▁for ▁the ▁Stanley ▁Cup . ▁ ▁This ▁ 3 ▁month , ▁ 1 ▁week , ▁and ▁ 3 ▁day ▁lock out ▁stretch ed ▁from ▁October ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁to ▁January ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 4 6 8 ▁games ▁were ▁lost ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁lock out , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁All - Star ▁Game . ▁Un like ▁the ▁league ' s ▁future ▁lock outs , ▁the ▁players ▁went ▁to ▁training ▁camp ▁as ▁if ▁to ▁start ▁the ▁season . ▁ ▁However , ▁as ▁these ▁cam ps ▁came ▁to ▁a ▁close ▁it ▁was ▁obvious ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁labor ▁tal ks ▁in ▁the ▁near ▁future . ▁ ▁The ▁issues ▁at ▁hand ▁As ▁previously ▁noted , ▁the ▁N HL ▁wanted ▁to ▁le vy ▁a ▁lux ury ▁tax ▁on ▁sal aries ▁that ▁were ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁average ▁and ▁the ▁N HL PA ▁viewed ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁variation ▁on ▁a ▁sal ary ▁cap ▁and ▁refused ▁to ▁accept ▁it . ▁ ▁Un like ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁strike , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁own ers ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁that ▁they ▁got ▁the ▁right ▁deal ▁and ▁this ▁was ▁under ▁a ▁new ▁commission er ▁Gary ▁B ett man . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁a ▁few ▁issues ▁that ▁the ▁own ers ▁wanted ▁to ▁work ▁out , ▁most ▁of ▁which ▁revol ved ▁around ▁sal ary ▁caps , ▁free ▁ag ency ▁and ▁hoping ▁to ▁limit ▁es cal ating ▁sal