SPORTS

NHL and players' association talk for second straight day, but no breakthrough

The Associated Press Published Thursday, October 11, 2012 10:38AM EDT Last Updated Thursday, October 11, 2012 5:51PM EDT

A nearly empty hockey stick rack in the Buffalo Sabres locker room is shown at the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team, in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP / David Duprey)

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NEW YORK -- NHL and players' association representatives met for four hours Thursday but there was no major breakthrough in negotiations to end the league's lockout.

Both sides say talks were cordial. The problem is that they aren't discussing core economic issues. Instead, they talked about drug testing and other items such as free agency.

Thursday should have been opening day of the regular season. Last week, the league cancelled regular-season games through Oct. 24.

NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr was not at the meetings though there is still a chance he and Commissioner Gary Bettman will have a private conversation later.

No talks were immediately scheduled for Friday.