In an effort to perhaps breathe some life into a locked-out league in a deep freeze, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has offered to act as a mediator between the NHL and NHL Players' Association.
Mediators can't act to end the lockout, which began Sept. 15 and has cost the 2012-13 season games until at least Dec. 15, as well as the Winter Classic and All-Star Game. They're simply an objective third party that can only offer assistance to try to bridge the two sides together.
In 2004-05, the NHL and NHLPA also met with a mediator from the National Labor Relations Board. As you know, the season was ultimately canceled Feb. 16, 2005.
This latest process will start Wednesday with mediators expected to initially meet with both sides separately.
"The FMCS reached out to both sides independently, and apparently we both agreed that we were prepared to explore the process," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an email to the Star Tribune. "I have no level of expectation at this point. We'll see how it goes and perhaps something good will come of it."
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director George H. Cohen issued the following statement today on the ongoing labor negotiations between the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association:
"I have had separate, informal discussions with the key representatives of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association during the course of their negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement. At the invitation of the FMCS, and with the agreement of both parties, the ongoing negotiations will now be conducted under our auspices. I have assigned Deputy Director Scot L. Beckenbaugh, Director of Mediation Services John Sweeney, and Commissioner Guy Serota to serve as the mediators."
"Due to the extreme sensitivity of these negotiations and consistent with the FMCS's long-standing practice, the Agency will refrain from any public comment concerning the future schedule and/or the status of the negotiations until further notice."
The move comes in the midst of the players considering a process that would decertify the union. The NHL's Board of Governors are also scheduled to meet Dec. 5. The latest talks between the NHL and NHLPA broke off again last week.
