The NHL and Players’ Association are tentatively scheduled to resume bargaining talks tomorrow in New York, ESPN reported last night.
The NHLPA also has scheduled an internal conference call between the negotiation committee and the executive board for today, sources said. No time has officially been set for the planned meeting, sources said.
The two sides returned to the bargaining table on Saturday with meetings lasting into early morning yesterday. Prior to the weekend’s meeting, the two sides hadn’t met in two weeks.
“We had a series of meetings [Saturday] and exchanged views on the most important issues separating us,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said yesterday. “We plan to meet again sometime early this week.”
The ongoing NHL lockout has already ruined any hopes of a full 82-game season and has forced the cancellation of the New Year’s Day showcase, the Winter Classic, scheduled to be played in Ann Arbor, Mich., featuring the Red Wings and Maple Leafs.
The lockout reached its 50th day yesterday. The labor dispute, which began Sept. 16, forced all games from Oct. 11 through Nov. 30 to be called off.
The last proposal made by the league offered a 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue. That proposal was rejected by the players’ union, which countered with three proposals of its own. The NHL rejected each of those and has since pulled its offer off the table.