NHL commissioner Gary Bettman offered the barest whiff of optimism in brief remarks on this week’s talks between players and owners aimed at ending the lockout that has idled the league.
“We are pleased with the process that is ongoing and out of respect for that process I don’t have anything else to say,” Bettman said after a meeting with the NHL’s board of governors.
The board was updated on the status of negotiations between owners and players, with talks slated to resume on Wednesday evening.
A group of players and owners met for several hours on Tuesday, and ESPN.com cited unnamed sources as saying the sides had exchanged proposals, although the nature of the offers put forward was not known.
The work stoppage has already forced the cancellation of regular-season games through December 14 — that’s 422 regular-season games, 34.3 percent of the originally scheduled season.
Also cancelled are two marquee events: the annual outdoor Winter Classic and the All-Star Game.
The longer the stalemate continues, the greater the prospect that it will cost the entire season — as when the 2004-05 season was wiped out in a labor dispute.
The latest round of talks comes a week after a federal mediator concluded the parties were so far apart that no progress could be made through mediation.
Both sides have been deadlocked on how to divide $3.3 billion in revenues since their collective bargaining agreement expired on September 15.
Hint of optimism over NHL lockout
