Players, NHL owners may meet face-to-face

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NEW YORK, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Locked-out NHL players could meet directly with a committee of team owners in a bid to restart stalled collective bargaining talks, the league said Sunday.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement league officials would attempt to set a up meeting for Tuesday in New York between negotiators from the NHL Players Association and a group of six owners.

Daly said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman suggested the face-to-face, owners-only meeting after two days of unsuccessful, federally mediated negotiating sessions between himself and the NHLPA last week, NHL.com reported.

Owners expected to attend include Ron Burkle (Pittsburgh Penguins), Mark Chipman (Winnipeg Jets), Murray Edwards (Calgary Flames), Jeremy Jacobs (Boston Bruins), Larry Tanenbaum (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Jeff Vinik (Tampa Bay Lightning).

The lockout of NHL players by league owners has lasted 10 weeks and games through Dec. 14 have been canceled. For the second time in eight years the league faces the possibility of losing an entire season due to an inability to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.