With an assist from a federal mediator, the NHL and the players' union appear to be inching closer to a settlement that would end their lengthy labor dispute, bring players back from Europe, and start a shortened season in less than two weeks.
If an agreement is reached by Friday, a 48-game season would start Jan. 19, with teams likely playing a conference-only schedule.
After both sides talked separately Saturday morning with federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh in New York City, the parties got together near 1 p.m. - the first time they had met in the same room since negotiations broke down early Thursday morning.
The NHL is willing to move the 2013-14 salary cap to about $63 million, multiple sources said. The league had been seeking a $60 million cap, while the players wanted it set at $65 million.
With a higher cap for teams, the NHLPA may agree not to have a cap on players' escrow payments.
There were also reports that pension issues were close to being agreed upon, and that the players had accepted the NHL's proposal for a 10-year collective bargaining agreement with a mutual opt-out after eight years. The players had proposed an opt-out after seven years.
Both sides were still meeting at 10 p.m.
At 6 p.m., the NHLPA's vote ended on whether to file a disclaimer of interest. The disclaimer would disband the union and enable players to file a lawsuit that claims the lockout is illegal.
The union did not give results of the vote, but the players were expected to overwhelming give permission to its executive board to file the disclaimer. With Saturday's reported progress, however, it seems unlikely the disclaimer will be filed for the time being.
If the NHLPA does decide to file the disclaimer, it probably won't do so until after both sides appear for a status conference Monday. The conference was set up because of a motion filed in federal court by the NHLPA, seeking to dismiss the league's suit to have the lockout declared legal.
Then again, all the legal possibilities will become moot if the sides reach an agreement beforehand.
The groundwork for Saturday's success was set Friday, when Beckenbaugh met separately with both sides for a total of 12-plus hours. He was also a mediator in the NHL's 2004-05 labor dispute. The entire season was canceled that year.
Thus far, players have lost an estimated $819 million in salaries -- or about half of the owners' losses.
In a 48-game season, players would receive 58.5 percent of their salaries. That comes to an average of $1.4 million, based on the players' $2.4 million average over 82 games.
Saturday was the 112th day of the lockout; games have been canceled through Jan. 14.
Should the sides reach a labor agreement, a one-week training camp would begin Saturday. The Flyers' camp would be held at their Voorhees practice facility.
