{coyotes} NHL, NHLPA MAKE NO PROGRESS AFTER TALKS WITH MEDIATORS

The National Hockey League and NHL Players' Association made no progress on a new collective bargaining agreement after two straight days of meetings with U.S. federal mediators. And no further meetings with mediators have been planned.

"Today, we concluded two days of mediation with FMCS mediators and representatives of the NHL Players' Association," said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly in a statement.  "After spending several hours with both sides over two days, the presiding mediators concluded that the parties remained far apart, and that no progress toward a resolution could be made through further mediation at this point in time.  We are disappointed that the mediation process was not successful."

Sources confirm that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is awaiting response from NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr on a proposal that owners and players have a bargaining session without any NHL or NHLPA leaders or staff in the room.

Fehr did release a statement in the evening that addressed the mediated meeting on Thursday.

"Today, players and NHLPA staff, along with representatives of the league, concluded a second day of mediation under the auspices of the FMCS," said Fehr in the statement. "(On Thursday) afternoon, the mediators informed the parties that they did not think it was productive to continue the discussions further (on Thursday). The mediators indicated that they would stay in contact with the league and the NHLPA, and would call the parties back together when they thought the time was right."

"We want to find a way to get to a deal," Daly said regarding the commissioner's proposal. "Nothing else has worked. The Commissioner felt that we might as well propose something different. We will see how they respond."

Both sides met with mediators Scot L. Beckenbaugh and John Sweeney.

Mediation by a third party was also sought out twice during the 2004-05 lockout; once as a last-ditch effort to save the season in February of 2005, and once more during the following summer, with no positive outcome. The hope is an objective party will help get the negotiating process on track.

The current work stoppage, which began on Sept. 16, has already caused the cancellation of 422 regular-season games as well as the Winter Classic and All-Star Weekend.

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