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The Sides/ Mediator Break For Lunch. No News/Good News. Player Optimism? |
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I always go back to something a veteran hockey insider told me long ago:
When the wall of silence goes up, things are actually happening.
That being said, I would still be surprised if much is accomplished through the mediator today. I will be more surprised if the "Make Whole" is put back by the owners this week. Oddly, though, I am hearing more optimism from some players who are tied in to the inner circle today than I have in quite some time.
Some players are saying that there is a general feeling they are a week to 10 days away from reporting for an abbreviated NHL training camp. When I delve deeper into why they're feeling that, I get only a lot of vagueness.
The optimism meter remains high because it's hard to find anyone who believes the season will be canceled. So no matter how dark the day-to-day reports may sound, the big-picture reality is that we continue to get closer to a resolution.
Stay tuned. The NHL and NHLPA meeting today is not a very big deal, in terms of immediate progress. However, if the sides are also meeting again tomorrow, then it becomes a much bigger deal.