Update: Mediator dismissed from NHL case

The NHL and NHLPA have agreed to involve U.S. federal mediators in their ongoing labor dispute. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director George H. Cohen made the announcement on Monday, saying he has assigned Scot L. Beckenbaugh, John Sweeney and Guy Serota to serve as mediators. 

Said Cohen: 

“I have had separate, informal discussions with the key representatives of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association during the course of their negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement. At the invitation of the FMCS, and with the agreement of both parties, the ongoing negotiations will now be conducted under our auspices. I have assigned Deputy Director Scot L. Beckenbaugh, Director of Mediation Services John Sweeney, and Commissioner Guy Serota to serve as the mediators.”  

“Due to the extreme sensitivity of these negotiations and consistent with the FMCS’s long-standing practice, the Agency will refrain from any public comment concerning the future schedule and/or the status of the negotiations until further notice.”

[UPDATE: 5:51 p.m.] Serota has been removed from the case due to "issues involving an allegedly hacked Twitter account [1]." Serota's tweets can be found here [2]. 

The NHL and NHLPA have been unable to find common ground on a collective bargaining agreement, with players recently growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress made in negotiations. Because of the current lockout, the league has cancelled games through Dec. 14, as well as the Jan. 1 Winter Classic and the league's annual All-Star weekend. 

For more on the NHL lockout and the Bruins, visit weei.com/bruins [3].