Lockout meetings continue, media in the dark
To the cautious hopes of NHL fans everywhere, the NHL and NHLPA continued talking Tuesday, but don’t expect any details of the meeting. According to the NY Daily News, union executive director Donald Fehr said only that the meeting would focus on “the issues that divide us,” and that it would begin at 3 p.m. somewhere in Manhattan.
Tuesday’s meeting lasted until 10:15 p.m., with talks scheduled to resume Wednesday. Aside from those details, little is known about the nature of the meetings and their outcome. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement that the league would not be characterizing the nature of the discussions until their conclusion.
While the media blackout leaves fans in the dark, history says the secrecy can only be a good thing. The NHL lockout has turned into a public relations game at times, with one side attempting to make the other look like the bad guy to fans who just want to experience a sport they love.
If you’re looking for an indication of just how fruitful these meetings might be, Sidney Crosby made a last-minute decision to attend. Considering he is regarded as one of the best, if not the best, player in the game, his presence is generally an indicator of progress toward some kind of decision, good or bad.
Before this week, the two sides had not held a large negotiation session since Oct. 18. All games through Nov. 30 and New Year’s Day’s Winter Classic have been cancelled. Rumblings on Twitter suggest a Dec. 1 start date if there’s to be a season, but the league and players still stand on opposite sides of financial issues regarding player contracts.
Hockey fans, don’t get your hopes up…yet.
