NEW YORK (AP) - NHL owners and players got right back to the bargaining table on Wednesday morning just hours after ending a long day of talks that produced the greatest sense for optimism since the lockout began three months ago.
The same group of negotiators returned for more talks before the NHL's board of governors was scheduled to hold its pre-planned meeting. Talks continued on Tuesday night until about midnight, and it was clear progress was made when deputy commissioner Bill Daly stood side by side with union special counsel Steve Fehr in a rare joint status report from both sides.
Negotiations lasted for nearly eight hours on Tuesday in a pair of sessions that included big and smaller groups. The sides reconvened Wednesday morning, taking advantage of a small window of time before the board of governors meeting that was scheduled for 11 a.m. The possibility existed that bargaining would resume following that get-together.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had planned to hold a news conference after the board meeting, but that might be postponed or even canceled if negotiations are still ongoing.
The sides are trying to avoid another lost season. The NHL became the first North American professional sports league to cancel a full year because of a labor dispute back in 2005. The deal reached then was in place until this September, and the lockout was put into effect on Sept. 16 after that agreement expired.
The lockout reached its 81st day Wednesday.
While no details of what was discussed Tuesday were released, the addition of new owners to the negotiating process and a group of 18 players - without Bettman and union executive director Donald Fehr in the room - helped move the process forward and create a sense of hope that there will be a hockey season, and maybe soon.
The respective leaders were again on the same floor where talks were taking place but remained removed from the discussions.
``We had a long day,'' Steve Fehr said after Tuesday's talks. ``We thought it was a constructive day. We had a good dialogue. In some ways I'd say it might be the best day we've had, which isn't too overly optimistic of a picture. There is still a lot of work to do and a lot to be done.''
Daly echoed Fehr's comments, and spoke well of the talks.
``I appreciate the efforts of the players,'' Daly said. ``Everybody is working hard. I think everybody wants to get a deal done, so that's encouraging. We look forward to hopefully making more progress.''
That was the extent of the details revealed by the two sides, which could be another good sign that neither group wanted to say anything that could throw the discussions off the rails.
The large group of owners and players gathered to try to find some common ground as the search for a deal that would save the hockey season continued. Bettman and Donald Fehr were at the Manhattan hotel but stayed outside the meeting room.
Not much had worked up until Tuesday so the sides agreed to a different format to see if that would shake things up.
``I'm hoping we get to where we need to be,'' Bettman said before talks began Tuesday afternoon.
The dialogue continued throughout the day until the sides separated for a dinner break. The owners left while the players stayed to have a meal inside the hotel. The owners then returned to the hotel later Tuesday night for another round of talks with the union.
As more and more days pass by, the possibility that the entire hockey season will be lost grows. A lockout forced the cancellation of the 2004-05 season in February, and the belief is the NHL won't wait that long to call off this already-delayed and shortened campaign.
All games through Dec. 14, along with the New Year's Day Winter Classic and the All-Star game, have been wiped off the schedule.
The NHL board of governors was expected to discuss the latest developments in the negotiations and perhaps where to go from here if a deal isn't reached soon. If momentum toward an agreement doesn't continue, more game cancellations could be announced soon, and an internal deadline for eliminating the season could also be established.
Originally the thought was no one other than owners and players would be in attendance for Tuesday's meeting, but each side had staff present, as well. The six selected owners were Ron Burkle (Pittsburgh Penguins), Mark Chipman (Winnipeg Jets), Murray Edwards (Calgary Flames), Jeremy Jacobs (Boston Bruins), Larry Tanenbaum (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Jeff Vinik (Tampa Bay Lightning).
Jacobs, considered one of the hard-line owners, and Edwards are the only members of the group of six to have taken part in previous negotiations.
The NHL had no objection for more than six players to take part, so Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Shane Doan, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Miller, Craig Adams, David Backes, Michael Cammalleri, B.J. Crombeen, Mathieu Darche, Ron Hainsey, Shawn Horcoff, Jamal Mayers, Manny Malhotra, Andy McDonald, George Parros and Kevin Westgarth joined the union's negotiating team.
