NHL lockout talks end in deadlock
(CNN) -- Two days of talks between National Hockey League players and owners ended Friday without any indication of progress toward reaching a labor agreement to end a lockout that has wiped out nearly two-thirds of the hockey season.
However, NHL Executive Vice President Bill Daly shot down media reports that the league was poised to cancel the remainder of the season.
"We had extensive and constructive talks over the past two days," Daly said in a written statement.
"While there are no future meetings scheduled, we have agreed to keep the lines of communication open. We have no intention of making any further announcement relating to collective bargaining or the status of the season at this time."
No professional sports league has ever lost an entire season to a labor dispute.
Ted Saskin, senior director of the National Hockey League Players' Association, released this one sentence statement after the conclusion of Friday's talks: "The parties met again today for approximately four hours and broke off with no progress to report."
NHL owners locked out players last Sept. 15, after the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players expired. A key sticking point between the two sides is a proposal by the owners to cap the salaries of teams, which the players have rejected.
Owners insist the caps are necessary to control accelerating salaries that have pushed teams into the red. But the players' association has challenged the financial projections owners have used to justify the caps and has instead pushed for revenue-sharing among teams.
