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Up to 300 players to attend NHLPA meetings this week

Donald Fehr

Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, speaks to reporters following collective bargaining talks between the NHLPA and the NHL in Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

AP

The NHLPA will be holding meetings Wednesday and Thursday in New York City and they’re going to need a bigger board room to hold everyone.

Kevin Allen of USA Today reports nearly 300 players will be in attendance for what might prove to be the final round of meetings ahead of a possible lockout. Jets defenseman Ron Hainsey tells Allen the meeting is vitally important to Donald Fehr and the players.

“If players have questions about what’s told to them, or about what happens going forward, it’s paramount that those questions get asked,” said Hainsey, a member of the NHLPA bargaining team.

One of the questions that could be floated out there is why hasn’t there been another counter proposal from the union? The NHL and its owners have cited the lack of response to their latest proposal as a reason talks have quieted down dramatically.

Perhaps with that many members in the room to discuss things some late progress can be made to counter the owners, but that could be a pipe dream. The two sides aren’t exchanging ideas and we appear headed for the sport’s third lockout since 1994-95.