NEW YORK: Negotiations on a labor deal between the National Hockey League (NHL) and locked out players ground to a near standstill on Thursday, with time running out on salvaging even a partial season.
The optimism that surrounded talks on Wednesday vanished quickly as the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) dialed up the pressure, calling on the membership to vote again to give their executive board the power to file a disclaimer of interest that would dissolve the union and free individual players to file anti-trust lawsuits against the league.
The move came less than 24 hours after the union opted not to play the disclaimer card and let a self-imposed Wednesday midnight deadline pass, allowing negotiations to continue into the late evening.
However, the mood had changed dramatically when the two parties returned to the bargaining table early on Thursday afternoon with talks limited to small group discussions that did not include NHLPA chief Donald Fehr.
With very little bargaining taking place, the focus shifted to tactics and legal maneuvering, with the union going to court on Thursday to ask a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the league.
The dispute moved to court last month after reports circulated that the NHLPA would seek a vote from its members to proceed with a “disclaim of interest” and the NHL launched a pre-emptive strike asking to have the lockout declared legal.
In its court filing, lawyers for the NHLPA argued that the lawsuit filed by the league was premature and that it should be dismissed.
NHL Labor talks at near standstill as deadline looms
NHL Labor talks at near standstill as deadline looms
