Sports

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

New York Rangers owner James Dolan, center, and general manager Glen Sather, left, leave a midtown Manhattan building after an NHL Board of Governors meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 in New York. The NHL and NHL Players' Association have cleared their schedules with progress being made in collective bargaining talks. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The NHL and NHL Players' Association are tentatively scheduled to resume talks this afternoon.

The sides met internally this morning and expect to return to the bargaining table for the third straight day.

It appears the dynamic will change, with commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr expected to rejoin negotiations.

They excused themselves from talks on Tuesday and Wednesday in an effort to spur progress.

The sides have moved closer with their proposals in recent days, but hurdles remain in negotiations.

The lockout has resulted in the cancellation of 422 regular-season games through Dec. 14.