This Day in Hockey History – October 1, 1994 – 700 Locked Out

The NHL schedule for Saturday, October 1, 1994 was supposed to include games in 12 cities – including Montreal, where the Canadiens were meant to host the Boston Bruins. That game was supposed to air on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada. Instead, 100 NHL players attended six hours of meetings with NHL officials and owners to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Resulting from that, Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the 1994-95 season would be postponed until at least October 15.

On Sunday, the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) ran an ad in 29 newspapers covering the 26 cities with NHL franchises. On behalf of the 700 NHLPA members, it stated:

 “When we showed up to play last night, the doors were locked and the lights were out. Yesterday, the NHL slammed the door shut on 700 hockey players and millions of fans around the world. It is difficult to understand the logic behind this decision. . . . We have worked very hard to achieve a new agreement with the NHL. As you know, we played all last season, the playoffs, and this pre-season without a contract. We believe a lockout is not in the best interest of our game. We would much prefer to be playing the game we love before all of our fans. We appreciate your support for us and our great game. We are committed to the continued growth of hockey in North America and internationally. Unfortunately, the NHL’s decision to deprive the players and fans of the game does not show the same appreciation and commitment.”

According to Bettman, the season could not start without a new CBA. The former having expired September 15, 1993, the NHL operated for a full season and playoffs without an agreement. Although the players wanted to begin the 1994-95 season, Bettman felt that they were not “acting in good faith” during negotiations. Wayne Gretzky remarked, “It’s disappointing to me that one person has decided we’re not going to play the game. To have a guy who has only been in the game a year do this is very frustrating.” Similarly, Canadiens goalie Patrick Roy stated, “We all wanted to start the season. This is tough.”

It seemed to everyone on the outside that he and the owners were really aiming to implement a salary cap. Canadiens GM Serge Savard justified, “Guys compete with each other. There are always some teams that, at certain times, make much more money than others and then they try to buy a championship. We’re caught in a vicious circle.”

The players and their representatives did not see a quick end to the conflict. St. Louis Blues center Guy Carbonneau cautioned, “We’re really far apart. If they stick to their plan (to impose a salary cap), I don’t see any way in the world we can come to an agreement.” “We’re behind Bob and our committee 100 per cent. We’re really united,” said Tie Domie of the Winnipeg Jets before continuing, “It’s going to be a nasty, nasty war. It’s not going to be pretty.” Leading the charge, NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow noted, “There are some real differences between us. I don’t think we should minimize them.”

In general, hockey fans looked very negatively on the whole situation. The Major League Baseball strike had already embittered sports fans. From the mouth of babes, Edmonton 13-year-old Neil Woodroffe said, “It will be a long time. It will be disappointing for the fans. The fans are mad, first because of baseball, now hockey.” Whereas, 17-year-old Chris Woodroffe added, “I don’t like it but I think it will be good for hockey. I don’t think the players should get all that money.” Fans also were less than pleased about missing out on Hockey Night in Canada. VP (of Molstar Communications Inc.) Ron Harrison apologized, “We’re like everyone else, a part of the ripple effect of what’s happening in hockey.”

The negotiations lasted long after October 15. With Bettman having set a deadline of January 16, 1995 in order to have a half season, the NHLPA agreed to the NHL’s offer on January 11. The main take away was that the NHL got to set an entry-level cap for the first three years, but the NHLPA avoided an overall salary cap and a luxury tax. Still, as Calgary Flames captain Joe Nieuwendyk summarized, “Nobody wins in this situation. We lost. They lost. The fans lost.” The resentment from this lockout and negotiations led to the entire 2004-05 season being canceled due to a lockout.

Over the three months the 1994-95 lockout lasted, 468 games were canceled. The truncated season only had 48 games per team, making it the shortest season in 53 years.

Additional Sources:

• Brian McFarlane, Brian McFarlane’s History of Hockey (Champaign, Ill.: Sports Publishing Inc., c1997), 267-268. 
• Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League (Lincolnwood, Ill.: Publications International, Ltd., 2006), 564-566.
• “Forum Falls Silent,” Montreal Gazette, 2 Oct. 1994, pp. A1-A2.
• Multiple articles, Montreal Gazette, 2 Oct. 1994, pp. D1-D3.
• Ad, “Pro Hockey,” and “Hockey in cold storage,” Boston Globe, 2 Oct. 1994, pp. 53 and 58-59.
• “Hockey hiatus annoys some fans,” and “NHL loses opening night to lockout,” Edmonton Journal, 2 Oct. 1994, pp. B2 and E1.
• “The NHL Show Does Not Go On,” Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 1994, p. C2. “Hockey,” Tampa Bay Times, 2 Oct. 1994, pp. 1C and 9C.
• “Little big man Bettman loses feather in his cap,” and “Players meet, but not on ice,” New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 1994, pp. 50-51, 60.
• https://www.businessinsider.com/recent-sports-lockouts-2011-11#1994-nhl-lockout-5