You play your game, we can play one too...

from Ryan Rishaug of TSN,

"Just trying to play out the process a little bit in my head of what happened, where we might have gotten off track," said Winnipeg Jets defenceman Ron Hainsey.

Those thoughts led him directly to Wednesday night, when the two sides were deep in the most delicate of negotiations. The NHL laid out its main issues and deal breakers and the NHLPA did the same. But as the players were outlining details of a proposal, Hainsey began to sense frustration from the owners and became concerned that they were having trouble clearly communicating the details of their offer.

"There was clearly a communication issue with what was being transpired across the table," added Hainsey. "They hadn't understood it properly I guess, or it just hadn't been communicated right and there was an issue there and so that was when I thought it was troublesome. We needed to think about getting the lead guys back in there; both sides not just our side because being clear and getting this done we felt was there to do."

Hainsey and the players indicated that the small group dynamic was over, that Don Fehr was coming back in. He says the owners told them that could be a deal breaker. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly clarified the league's position via e-mail to TSN, saying "totally within their rights to do, but response of our owners was "if that's the case, don't expect us to stay involved."

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