It’s stew time again, the slow simmer that puts nerves on edge and the heat on the NHL players.
The owners sit and wait in their Lockout III, perhaps hoping some salary-sacrificing players wonder if breaking ranks with the union might result in a post-career job.
With the owners’ lockout in its 60th day, the league and the Players Association spent yesterday without full-scale negotiations for a second straight day. There was contact between the sides yesterday, but no decision when talks will resume, with the union insisting it is ready to meet, at any time.
So far, there has been little or no second-guessing inside the union, a marked departure from the last time. Instead, a few discouraging words have come from ex-players, including some team employees acting as unofficial propagandists for their muzzled owners.