One day after talks between the NHL and the NHLPA broke off with little or no progress, the NHL Board of Governors met in New York on Wednesday to discuss their next move.

The possibility of replacement players was put on the back burner, at least for now as the owners agreed to up their efforts to negotiate a settlement with the players before next season begins.

Dallas Stars president Jim Lites told the Canadian Press, 'The feeling in the room was that we're getting closer to a deal with the players. They're inching towards a settlement,' Lites added. 'We're on the same page finally.'

The latest proposal by the union, initially presented on April 4, included both a salary base as well as a salary ceiling. Under the new proposal, teams would at least be in the same relative ballpark where payroll was concerned.

Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said the concept behind the new players proposal has merit 'if you work the numbers right.'

The board of governors indicated they would seek to increase the number of negotiating sessions with the union in coming weeks in an attempt to reach a settlement.

After the meeting, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters he would attempt to contact union head Bob Goodenow to schedule the next round of negotiations. 'We will continue to plan and work very hard with the Players' Association to reach a new collective bargaining as soon as possible so that our players can be on the ice for the start of the season,' Bettman said.

As the first spring without the Stanley Cup playoffs since the birth of the NHL continues, hockey fans sincerely hope so.