By Rob Rossi

Published: Thursday, November 15, 2012, 2:54 p.m.
Updated: Thursday, November 15, 2012

The NHL and its Players' Association are in a deep freeze.

The sides are not scheduled to negotiate through the weekend, league and union officials said. Bargaining broke off Sunday after a meeting in New York that capped a run of negotiations in five of six days.

The NHL does not anticipate resuming negotiations, especially in a group setting that would include owners and players, until the Players' Association presents a new proposal for a labor agreement.

Optimism from a week ago has disappeared, at least from the league's perspective.

“It's very discouraging,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.

Union officials, specifically special counsel Steve Fehr, have not spoken in nearly as pessimistic terms since negotiations broke.

Players missed their third paycheck on Thursday.

Penguins players at Southpointe on Thursday said they have not given up hope for an early-December start to the season but only because the NHL has not extended its slate of canceled games.

There are no set plans for more cancellations, Daly said.

However, if negotiations do not resume by Thanksgiving weekend, there is an increasing likelihood the NHL will cancel games through Dec. 15 — possibly as soon as Nov. 26.

The NHL already has canceled 26 percent of its regular-season schedule by bagging games through November. Also, the Winter Classic outdoor game and surrounding New Year's Eve/Day events are scrapped.

A lockout, enacted by owners when the last labor agreement expired Sept. 15, hit Day 61 on Thursday.

Owners and players are divided on revenue split, owners' revenue sharing, method for guaranteeing players' current contracts and contractual issues such as maximum length for veterans and free agency.

Rob Rossi is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at rrossi@tribweb.com or 412-380-5635.

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