No progress reported in NHL meetings

The NHL and representatives of its players union met with federal mediators Wednesday without making progress toward ending an 88-day lockout. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told reporters outside the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Iselin, N.J., no breakthroughs were made during the day. "We met for about 6 1/2 hours today with the assistance of federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh, and the parties were actually never in the same room together," Daly said. "We did several different caucus meeting rooms and really there is nothing new to report. We don't have a conclusion to the process." Daly indicated the NHL Players Association would meet Wednesday night and communicate with Beckenbaugh, who would then "get back to us tonight." Some 13 players along with NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr and Special Council Steve Fehr, attended the session, including center Brendan Morrison, who told The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger he was "discouraged" and "frustrated" by the lack of progress. "It's bargaining," he said. "It has to be give and take. It just can't be give and it just can't be take from one side or the other." The lockout has forced the cancellation of all games through Dec. 30.