The NHL and NHLPA still haven’t scheduled a meeting, but some scant details emerged to provide a little background info - even if those bits probably won’t add any hope.
First, RDS’ Renaud P. Lavoie cites a source who claims that the players are waiting on the owners to set discussions back into motion.
Also, the notion that the two sides haven’t even engaged in token discussions in 13 days* might not be totally true. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that they’ve at least had some contact lately.
These aren’t the bigger movements one would hope to hear about with 2012 nearly over and Bill Daly’s mid-January “point of no return” approaching, yet it’s (slightly) better than nothing.
In the mean time, fans can soak in the World Junior Championships and other hockey replacements while GMs admit they’re embarrassed and the Phoenix Coyotes ponder a possible profit.
* - That’s based on Dec. 14, when the league filed a class action complaint in anticipation of the union’s disclaimer of interest.