NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said a full 82-game schedule ''is not going to be a reality'' as the lockout enters into its seventh week.
The commissioner this time made it abundantly clear that if no agreement was reached by Thursday, it would not be possible to begin the season by Nov. 2. The hopes of reaching a deal are very slim with no more talks scheduled between the NHL and the players' union.
"The fact of the matter is there are just sometimes that you need to take time off because it's clear that you can't do anything to move the process forward," Bettman said. "We're at one of those points right now because we gave our very best offer.
"That offer, for better or for worse, was contingent on playing an 82-game season. So I think things actually in some respects may get more difficult."
The players' association tried to resume talks with the NHL on Tuesday but their request was turned down by the league.
Bettman further added: "There seems to be no interest in making any sort of deal along the lines of what we have expressed a desire and a need for. Sometimes in collective bargaining you have to take a deep breath before you can move forward."
The Associated Press quoted Donald Fehr, the union executive director as saying: "The players made multiple core-economic proposals on Thursday that were a significant move in the owners direction. We are and continue to be ready to meet to discuss how to resolve our remaining differences, with no preconditions.
"For whatever reason, the owners are not. At the same time they are refusing to meet, they are winding the clock down to yet another artificial deadline they created."
Fans might only enjoy a partial season but a deal still needs to be finalized to make even that happen.
"Sure, you can play an abbreviated season," Bettman added. "I would rather play a full season, and I am sure our fans would rather we play a full season. That's why we made the offer we did.
"That was our fourth offer against really one offer from the union in all the time that we've been negotiating from the summer. We very much want to play and we're very disappointed that we're not."
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