It was the first season with games televised by Fox, which they would do until the end of the 1998–99 season. It marked the first major American broadcast agreement for the NHL since 1975. Fox split Stanley Cup Finals games with ESPN.
The regular season was shortened because of a 103 day lockout, which ended on January 11, 1995. The season finally got underway nine days later.
New arenas
The Boston Bruins played their final season at the Boston Garden. They would then move to their current arena, the TD Garden (then named the FleetCenter).
Two ice resurfacers would now be required by every arena for the resurfacing between periods.
A coach can call for a stick measurement in overtime, but the request must be made before the winning goal is scored.
Leaving the penalty box to join an altercation on the ice will draw an automatic three-game suspension.
Any severe check from behind will result in a major penalty and game misconduct.
Referees and linesmen would wear numbers instead of nameplates.
Regular season
Due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout, the league shortened the season length from 84 games, the length of the previous two seasons, to 48. Furthermore, the season would last from January 20 to May 3; this was the first and only time in NHL history that the regular season extended into May. Regular-season games would be limited to intra-conference play (Eastern Conference teams did not play Western Conference teams).
Note: No. = Division rank, CR = Conference rank, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
The New Jersey Devils swept the series in the minimum four games. Detroit was making its first appearance in a Stanley Cup Finals since 1966. New Jersey won in its first appearance in a Finals.
During the first three rounds home ice is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. In the Finals the team with the better regular season record has home ice.
Awards
The NHL Awards presentation took place on July 6, 1995.
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1994–95, listed with their first team (asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
April 7, 1995: D Gord Kruppke traded from Toronto to Detroit for other considerations.
April 7, 1995: RW Russ Courtnall traded from Dallas to Vancouver for LW Greg Adams and RW Dan Kesa and Vancouver's fifth round pick in 1995 Entry Draft.
April 7, 1995: D Gerald Diduck traded from Vancouver to Chicago for RW Bogdan Savenko and Hartford's third round pick in 1995 Entry Draft (previously acquired).
April 7, 1995: G Rick Tabaracci traded from Washington to Calgary for a conditional fifth round draft pick.
April 7, 1995: LW Gaetan Duchesne traded from San Jose to Florida for Florida's sixth round pick in 1995 Entry Draft.
April 7, 1995: G Craig Billington traded from Ottawa to Boston for other considerations.
April 7, 1995: LW Bill Huard traded from Ottawa to Quebec for D Mika Stromberg and Quebec's fourth round pick in 1995 Entry Draft.
April 7, 1995: D Daniel Laperriere and St. Louis' ninth round pick in 1995 Entry Draft traded from St. Louis to Ottawa for Ottawa's ninth round pick in 1995 Entry Draft.
April 7, 1995: D Igor Ulanov and C Mike Eagles traded from Winnipeg to Washington for Washington's third and fifth round draft picks in 1995 Entry Draft.
Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, NY: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.
Dryden, Steve, ed. (2000). Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9.
Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.
Notes
^Weekes, Don (2003). The Best and Worst of Hockey's Firsts: The Unofficial Guide. Canada: Greystone Books. p. 240. ISBN 9781550548600.
^ abRegular-season standings, scoring leaders: NHL Public Relations Department (2008). Dave McCarthy; et al., eds. THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Official Guide & Record Book/2009. National Hockey League. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-894801-14-0.
^Playoff rounds: Diamond, Dan, ed. (2008). Total Stanley Cup (PDF version). Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 35.