Blue Notes

So they will meet again, the power brokers in the NHL and the NHLPA, with two federal mediators, and I hear there may very well be another session Friday.

That doesn't mean there's a light at the end of the lockout tunnel, because Wednesday's session was more introductory, with the sides meeting separately with the mediators, or at least that's what a statement from Donald Fehr last night...

Quick hits:

1.  Federal mediators are meeting with NHL, NHLPA reps at undisclosed location starting around 1 p.m.  Expecting these non-binding sessions to last more than one day....

2. Auction of a Henrik Lundqvist mask raised $66,000 for Sandy relief, according to Steiner Sports, apparently the highest ever for a goatender's mask. And we're told that organizers for Operation...

So Henrik Lundqvist is returning to Sweden to wait out the denouement of the CBA war, which has moved into the non-binding federal mediation phase, which we wrote about here yesterday. Sportsnet broadcaster Daren Millard reports are that there are initial meetings between the sides today, and TSN analyst Aaron Ward notes a 4 p.m. conference call between the NHLPA leadership and its negotiating committee.

What...

If it’s a way to get the two sides back to the table, federal mediators in the room can’t hurt.

And if it doesn’t pan out---the process is non-binding---the Fehrs and The Commish and the Deputy Commish can go back to their constituents and say: “We took a shot.”  Listen, George H.Cohen, the director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service asked to join, not the other way around....

Recap from Jersey’s City-By-The-Sea:

My story is on newsday.com. Some extras.

Fun event for fans. Not much D by Flyers to help Martin Brodeur, shaky early, vs. loaded NY squad…

Scott Hartnell provided better post-game quotes than Brad Richards/Henrik Lundqvist: “The dang Rangers, they’ve got our number, that’s for sure,” he said.  Confessed he was “all choked up” hearing 11,000...

We knew this was inevitable on Wednesday, when the NHL reacted negatively to the PA's proposal. At 2 p.m. today, the press release was merely a formality.

With collective bargaining at a standstill, the league cancelled another two weeks of its regular-season schedule, all games from Dec. 1 through Dec. 14, as well as the All-Star Game, which was to be staged in Columbus on Jan. 27.

For...

I may have a full text of the the union's proposal to post here later, but for now, here's the news:

The NHLPA this morning presented a "comprehensive" five-year proposal aimed at ending the NHL lockout, according to the union's executive director, Donald Fehr.

The proposal, which was made at the NHL's midtown offices, includes a formula for dividing future revenues on a percentage...

A day before Thanksgiving, will the two sides finally talk turkey?

I'll be hanging outside the league's midtown offices with the usual jolly (ahem) crew of newshunters, ready to pass along the info, good, bad or ugly...

The union is said to be preparing some type of proposal; perhaps the league will find it acceptable enough to negotiate off.  (See prevous blog). Wonder if any Rangers...

Trust me.

I understand that a majority of you have tuned out the NHL negotiations, which have had more stops and starts and expletive deleteds than being behind the wheel on the LIE in rush hour.  And it’s been just as frustrating to cover the meandering.

But it appears---and most of us covering this saga, if we’re honest, have been incorrect in our logic-driven assessments so far---that...

That's the word.

It'll be 10 days since the last face to face baragining that didn't end well.

For the optimists, there still could be a 60-game season if things get started by Dec. 15.

For the pessimists, it could be another round of running in place.

More later....

At MSG, not for Rangers, but pitching in on coverage of  Knicks-Pacers this afternoon......