NEW YORK (AP) — Two days of talks between the NHL and Olympic officials wrapped up on Friday with some signs of progress toward a resolution on the issue of having the league send its players to the 2014 Sochi Games.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel met for about 2.5 hours on Friday after a 90-minute get-together Thursday night. No new talks were immediately scheduled, but the sides are expected to meet again.
NHL players have participated in the past four Olympic Games, and the league is weighing whether it gets enough return on its overall investment, which requires North American hockey to shut down its season for over two weeks to take part.
As Bettman and Fasel headed to lunch Friday, the commissioner said the meetings were productive, but added that both sides have work to do before an agreement can be reached.
