Labor talks between the NHL and NHLPA stalled on Friday, making a lockout increasingly likely with the current CBA set to expire Sept. 15.

After three days of discussions this week, the two sides decided to recess. The NHL and NHLPA have reached a standoff on the core economic issues and have no further talks scheduled.

The NHLPA will take another day before responding to the league's latest labor proposal, according to an ESPN.com report.

The union is expected to issue a response to the league's second offer when the two sides reconvene for labor talks Friday in Manhattan.

The NHL and NHLPA remained at an impasse on Wednesday in the latest round of CBA talks as the deadline for a lockout looms.

The players' association took issue with the latest NHL proposal that Gary Bettman called "meaningful" and "significant."

Donald Fehr is expected to make a counterproposal as early as Thursday.

The Ducks announced today that the club has signed a one-year affiliation agreement with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL.
 
The Komets make their ECHL debut in 2012-13 after winning the Central Hockey League’s (CHL) President Cup in 2011-12 with a five-game series victory over the Wichita Thunder. 

Six weeks after its initial proposal, the NHL submitted a second one to the NHLPA on Tuesday when the two sides met for talks at the league's offices in New York.

Gary Bettman said it was a counterproposal to the one the NHLPA unveiled earlier this month. Bettman said the latest one included "meaningful" movement and addressed core economic issues that could bring about a labor stoppage when the CBA expires on September 15.

Negotiations for a new CBA between the NHL and its players resumed Tuesday at the league offices, then took a slight break.

Limiting the personnel at the bargaining table in the hope of making progress, only Donald Fehr, the director of the NHLPA, and assistant Steve Fehr met with Gary Bettman and Bill Daly. 

Not long after the meeting started, however, Donald Fehr told reporters talks had paused just for a bit.

The Glendale City Council has directed staff to extend its arena management deal with the NHL for another month.

City Attorney Craig Tindall says it'll allow potential owner Greg Jamison more time to try to purchase the Coyotes.

It has been more than three years since Mike Keenan last served as coach of an NHL team. His up-and-down run ended in 2009, when he led the Flames to their last Stanley Cup Playoff appearance.

The man known as "Iron Mike" is still hoping for another shot in the NHL, according to an NHL.com report on Thursday.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the two sides remain far apart on key financial elements after the bargaining session Thursday lasted less than 2 hours between the league and the NHLPA, according to an ESPN.com report.

NHL labor talks were canceled Wednesday after top executives from the league and players' union held an impromptu morning meeting to discuss the status of the CBA negotiations, according to an Associated Press report.