NHL, NHLPA meet for several hours Saturday

Representatives from the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players' Association met face-to-face Saturday for the first time since talks toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement broke off more than two weeks ago.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA Special Counsel Steve Fehr met for several hours in an undisclosed location and left with plans to meet again.

"We had a series of meetings over the course of the day and had a good, frank discussion on the most important issues separating us," Daly said. "We plan to meet again early in the week."

"I agree with what Bill said," Steve Fehr said in a statement. "Hopefully we can continue the dialogue, expand the group, and make steady progress."

The meeting Saturday was the first between the NHL and NHLPA since their last formal bargaining session Oct. 18 in Toronto. The NHL locked out the players Sept. 16 due to the lack of a CBA.

The NHL has already cancelled the 2012-13 regular season through Nov. 30. The League has also cancelled the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. and the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl