The key negotiators in the NHL's collective bargaining talks will look to start bridging the gap on economic issues when they resume negotiations.
A meeting between the league and union is scheduled for this morning where the sides will discuss "ideas for moving the process forward on the main issues," according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
Beyond that, there is no set agenda.
The session will feature the Big Four involved in talks - commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly for the NHL, and executive director Donald Fehr and special counsel Steve Fehr for the NHL Players' Association.
The sides have maintained a frequent dialogue since the lockout was enacted on Sept. 15, but haven't reported much progress. Meetings have largely centred on secondary issues such as drug testing and grievance procedures, and the league has been pushing for the NHLPA to deliver a new proposal on the system for dividing up revenues.
"We understand that they've been working on some concepts, some ideas - we've suggested to them just make the proposal," Daly said last week after a bargaining session in New York. "Any movement is better than no movement at all. Hopefully we've moved it forward, but even if we move backwards it might be better than where we are now.
"That was our message to them."
The union has maintained that the league could also make the next proposal.
"We're always working on ideas to contribute to proposals, and Bill knows that because I've told him that on a regular basis," Steve Fehr said last week. "We hope they're doing the same thing. Nobody should stand on ceremony."
Neither side has formally tabled an offer since Sept. 12, when they each put one on the table. Both of those expired when the lockout started.
