▁ 1 9 9 4 – 9 5 ▁N HL ▁lock out ▁was ▁a ▁lock out ▁that ▁came ▁after ▁a ▁year ▁of ▁National ▁Hockey ▁League ▁( N HL ) ▁hockey ▁that ▁was ▁played ▁without ▁a ▁collect ive ▁b arg aining ▁agreement . ▁ ▁The ▁lock out ▁was ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁dispute ▁as ▁the ▁players ▁sought ▁collect ive ▁b arg aining ▁and ▁own ers ▁sought ▁to ▁help ▁franch ises ▁that ▁had ▁a ▁we aker ▁market ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁make ▁sure ▁they ▁could ▁cap ▁the ▁rising ▁sal aries ▁of ▁players . ▁The ▁lock out ▁caused ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 – 9 5 ▁season ▁to ▁be ▁short ened ▁to ▁ 4 8 ▁games ▁instead ▁of ▁ 8 4 , ▁the ▁short est ▁season ▁in ▁ 5 3 ▁years . ▁ ▁Background ▁Much ▁like ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 – 0 5 ▁N HL ▁lock out , ▁the ▁big ▁issue ▁was ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁a ▁sal ary ▁cap . ▁The ▁N HL ▁own ers ▁were ▁strongly ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁cap ▁while ▁the ▁players ▁were ▁opposed ▁to ▁it . ▁The ▁N HL ▁wanted ▁to ▁le vy ▁a ▁lux ury ▁tax , ▁a ▁financial ▁penalty ▁that ▁is ▁assigned ▁by ▁the ▁league , ▁on ▁sal aries ▁that ▁were ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁average . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁N HL ' s ▁Player ▁Association ▁viewed ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁variation ▁on ▁a ▁sal ary ▁cap ▁and ▁refused ▁to ▁accept ▁it . ▁This ▁came ▁right ▁off ▁the ▁he els ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁walk out ▁by