The NHL and its players are exploring different angles to move collective bargaining talks forward. Commissioner Gary Bettman proposing the players and owners meet on their own without he or NHLPA head Donald Fehr present.

The players are currently considering the one-on-one offer.

Collective bargaining agreement talks ended on Thursday with no progress and that the players and owners will no longer use Federal mediators in talks because the two sides are too far apart. The two sides got together for the second straight day under the guiadance of Federal mediators in an attempt to bridge the gap in talks. No further talks are scheduled, according to this report.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement, "Today, we concluded two days of mediation with FMCS mediators and representatives of the NHL Players' Association. After spending several hours with both sides over two days, the presiding mediators concluded that the parties remained far apart, and that no progress toward a resolution could be made through further mediation at this point in time. We are disappointed that the mediation process was not successful."

TSN reports that Gary Bettman proposed to the NHLPA the there be an owner/players meeting with no NHL or NHLPA brass in attendance. Donald Fehr may be considering that.

422 regular season NHL games have been cancelled due to the lockout. Mediation did not help in 2004 during the last NHL lockout. The entire season was wiped out at that time.