{coyotes} FEDERAL MEDIATOR LEAVES NHLPA MEETING TO GO BACK TO LEAGU

 

Meeting with both the NHL and the NHL Players' Association separately throughout Friday in what the NHLPA describes as "shuttle mediation," federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh is now meeting with the league again in an ongoing attempt to find middle ground on unresolved issues.

According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, both sides have told the mediator they've got some room to move on open issues.

The union said in a statement that there are currently no formal, large group meetings scheduled with the league.

The NHLPA, which met internally on Friday morning while awaiting the arrival of Beckenbaugh, confirmed that players who are present at meetings in New York are Chris Campoli, Mathieu Darche, Shane Doan, Andrew Ference, Ron Hainsey, Jamal Mayers, George Parros, and Kevin Westgarth.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger tweeted that NHL owners will not be returning to the CBA negotiations.

Progress towards a new collective bargaining agreement took a sidestep on Thursday as only two smaller group meetings over hockey-related revenue and pensions took place. The NHLPA also held a conference call on Thursday afternoon, with the players holding a 48-hour vote to give the executive board the authority once again to file a disclaimer of interest. The voting wraps up at 6pm et on Saturday.

According to LeBrun, both sides did make some progress through Wednesday's talks on the following issues:

- The NHLPA agreed to go to 10 years in CBA length, matching the NHL's desire on term for the deal (although the NHLPA has an opt out after Year 7 while the NHL would prefer one after Year 8).

- The NHL agreed to the NHLPA's request to up its compliance buyout to two per team, up from one per team before the 2013-14 season. 

- The NHL upped its salary variance rule on contracts to 30 percent, up from the five percent and then 10 percent demands it had had in previous offers.

However, sources tell TSN that seven or eight unresolved issues remain, the three most meaningful ones being the second-year cap number, the length of player contacts and the players' pension.

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