Worldwide Supply Appoints New Regional Business Development Executive

Veteran telecommunications sales professional to lead business development efforts for the rapidly growing recognized leader in the secondary networking hardware marketplace.

Franklin, NJ (PRWEB) January 07, 2013
Worldwide Supply, the recognized leader in the secondary networking hardware marketplace, today announced the appointment of Jeffrey Giali to the role of Regional Director of Business Development.
Giali, a 12-year sales veteran of the telecommunications industry, joins Worldwide Supply from Trimble Navigation where he led the business development efforts for its enterprise clients. "As we further expand our presence into new business segments and continue our efforts to grow market share with current clients, Jeff’s deep knowledge of our market and strong industry relationships make him a valuable addition to our team," says Jay VanOrden, CEO of Worldwide Supply.
“I’m excited to join Worldwide Supply and support our sales directors and account managers in expanding key accounts in the industry,” states Giali. “I look forward to sharing the cost-effective programs and services offered by Worldwide Supply with existing clients and with some of my long-term contacts,” continues Giali.
Prior to joining Worldwide Supply, Giali held executive sales and operations roles at Trimble Navigation, Ubee Interactive and AT&T.
Giali holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
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About Worldwide Supply

Worldwide Supply is a recognized leader in the secondary network hardware marketplace, providing and buying networking and telecommunication equipment to, and from, companies globally. Some companies sell used networking gear to Worldwide Supply. Others may be searching for items ranging from used cisco routers to optics transceivers and beyond.
Headquartered in northern New Jersey, and with offices in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina and Texas, Worldwide Supply provides a full line of certified pre-owned and new-surplus networking and telecommunication products from major manufacturers such as Cisco, Juniper, Arris, Dell, Calix, Extreme and Motorola.
Worldwide Supply backs the products it sells with an industry-leading lifetime warranty.

Worldwide Supply is TL 9000 and 9001:2008 certified. For more information, visit http://www.worldwidesupply.net.
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For additional information on this topic, about Worldwide Supply or to schedule an interview with Worldwide Supply CEO, Jay VanOrden, please contact Veronique Deblois at 973-823-6412 or via email at pr(at)worldwidesupply(dot)net

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Jersey Boys Ticket Sales Prove Just Too Good To Be True On BuyAnySeat.com

The musical Jersey Boys has been taking the world by storm since 2005, creating ticket sales that continue to be just too good to be true, said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. The popular, Tony Award-winning play’s various productions are performing in New York, Detroit, Las Vegas, London, New Orleans, and Indianapolis this month.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 07, 2013
To echo a line from one of their 60’s hits, the Jersey Boys enduring popularity seems `just too good to be true'.
Based on the 1960’s rock `n roll group called The Four Seasons, Jersey Boys opened on Broadway on November 6, 2005. Since then, the show’s various productions have won Tony, Grammy and Olivier Awards for Best Musical – as well as numerous other awards around the world.
Recently, the jukebox/documentary-style production surpassed My Fair Lady with over 2,718 performances, becoming the 19th longest-running show in Broadway history. (Source: Wikipedia.com)
The musical’s various productions are currently making concurrent performances in New York, Detroit, Las Vegas, London, New Orleans, and Indianapolis this month. Productions in Boston and Wichita are scheduled to follow in February, as well as continued performances in Las Vegas, New York and London. A Singapore production, which features an all South African cast, will open in Johannesburg, South Africa in March 2013.
“Online traffic for Jersey Boys tickets has been phenomenally steady for over seven years,” said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. “In fact, the musical’s continued popularity is still very high, as the show is currently ranked #2 on our Most Popular Theatre Tickets list.
“Not only are tickets continuing to sell out for some of the dozens of upcoming shows, the production’s pulling power is still growing each year. Since fans and their families continue to flock to Jersey Boys performances, we’re proud to be able to offer them a complete selection of Jersey Boys tickets, with a worry-free guarantee to protect their purchase,” said Martinez.
“To access the continuously updated selection of cheap Jersey Boys tickets we have available, fans can go to BuyAnySeat.com and search for Jersey Boys – then select their tickets,” said Martinez.
Jersey Boys tells the back-story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who beat the odds – enduring jail time, bad debts, broken relationships and, ultimately a break-up – to became one of the most successful American pop music groups in history.
The Four Seasons – comprised of Belleville, New Jersey natives Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi – shot to fame in 1962 with a song about a girl named “Sherry.” The boys wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they turned thirty.
The show, which debuted as a Broadway musical in 2005, features all of the group’s hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What A Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Working My Way Back To You,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, which opens with the lyrics: `you’re just too good to be true’.
In all, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons racked up 71 chart makers, including: 40 in the Top 40, 19 in the Top 10 and eight Number One hits. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
The rags-to-riches, rise-and-fall musical sheds light on the music industry, our culture’s obsession with celebrity and the sacrifices artists make to realize their dreams. See below for a complete listing of the production’s upcoming venues and performances.

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Georgia Engineering Firms and Contract Manufacturers Recently Accepted into the MFG.com Manufacturing Marketplace

Product Manufacturers in Georgia rely on MFG.com to find top-notch suppliers that meet all of their requirements

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) January 08, 2013
As the world’s leading online manufacturing marketplace for made-to-order parts, MFG.com proudly announced the acceptance of Georgia-based manufacturers into the MFG.com marketplace.
A few of the recent additions include:

Located in Powder Springs, GA, GTI Precision Components is an AS 9100 and ISO 9001:2000 certified job shop that has been manufacturing high-tech components for the last 28 years. Through their state-of-the-art technology and inspection equipment, GTI provides expertise in 5-axis machining, multi-axis mill turn, and wire EDM. GTI has worked with clients in the aerospace, satellite and energy industries and is proficient in machining high-speed aluminum, stainless steel and titanium.
Carbon Age Systems & Manufacturing, LLC is a custom manufacturing and mechanical engineering services firm located in Atlanta, GA. They provide a number of value-added services for their clients and it is their goal to ensure superb custom manufacturing and mechanical solutions for their clients' next projects. Carbon Age Systems & Manufacturing, LLC provides services including:
     Design development: CAD-CAM, concept development, prototyping, design for manufacturing
     Manufacturing: CNC milling and turning, 3D printing, welding, sawing
     Automated/Robotic systems: production line improvements, sensing system, PLC systems, system development & installation
     Quality: full order inspection, 5S
American Biosurgical (ABI) is a custom medical connector and cable development company specializing in surgical, patient monitoring, and diagnostics imaging cable assemblies. Located in Norcross, GA, ABI is an ISO 9001:2008, ISO 13485:2003(E) certified engineering firm that provides standard and custom turn-key solutions for global device manufacturers looking to outsource their high-reliability cabling needs. From front-end design and materials selection, to state-of-the-art manufacturing and supply chain efficiency, ABI offers a proven strategy that delivers a competitive solution without compromising on quality.
Since 1998, Murray Plastics has been offering its customers in electronics, packaging and other industries, the best in custom and plastic injection molding. Utilizing their in-house tool shop in Gainesville, GA, Murray Plastics provides injection molding and insert molding services for a wide range of plastics including ABS, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and HDPE/LDPE. The experts at Murray Plastics can also take two- or three-dimensional CAD drawings and custom-build prototype or production tooling.
“We are honored to be admitting such qualified contract manufacturers and engineering firms from Georgia into the MFG.com marketplace,” said Mitch Free, Founder and CEO of MFG.com. “Each one of these companies will be introduced to the hundreds of product manufacturers that use MFG.com every day to fulfill their sourcing needs. The product manufacturers using the MFG.com marketplace to source their made-to-order parts, have never had it easier. MFG.com has simplified the process to find the right suppliers, collaborate with them, and perform due diligence with just a few mouse clicks.”
About MFG.com

MFG.com is the largest online marketplace for the manufacturing industry, facilitating interaction between buyers and manufacturers. MFG.com enables sourcing professionals and engineers to quickly and easily locate quality suppliers for CNC Machining, Injection Molding, Metal Stamping, Metal Fabrication and many other processes through an easy-to-use online marketplace. With more than $115 billion in RFQs passing through the marketplace, MFG.com has helped thousands of manufacturers - ranging from small machine shops to large conglomerates - increase sales and grow profits. MFG.com is a global business, with offices in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Mexico.

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Tennis-Serena offers ominous warning for Australian Open rivals

BRISBANE, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Serena Williams felt she was close to accessing the sporting "zone" during her emphatic 6-2 6-1 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final of the Brisbane International on Saturday.
Williams needed only 51 minutes to beat the Russian in an ominous warm-up for the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on Jan. 14.
"I've been in the zone a few times," Williams told reporters.
"I don't know if I was in the zone today, but I was definitely heading in that direction. I've been in the twilight zone before, where I just felt so good I couldn't do anything wrong."
The world No.3's performance was so strong that Pavlyuchenkova said afterwards: "I always feel like I don't know how to play tennis when I play against you."
Williams captured the 47th title of her career. She has won 35 of her past 36 matches while claiming Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open, the season-ending tour championship and now the opening event of 2013.
The 31-year-old American roared through the Brisbane tournament without the loss of a set.
She said: "I was looking at a lot of old matches on YouTube, and I feel like right now I'm playing some of my best tennis. I feel like I want to do better and play better still."
Williams said a decision to seek on-court tranquillity after a shattering defeat to Virginie Razzano at the French Open last year had triggered her career resurrection.
"I really started being more calm on the court and just relaxing more, if it's possible for me to relax," she said.
"I feel better when I'm more calm. When I'm crazy like I was in Paris, as you can see, it doesn't do great for me. I think it is a really fine line between being too calm... I think sometimes if I'm too calm it doesn't work for me, either. I can be calm and still be pumped up and really excited.
"I can't do too much of either."
Williams said she wanted to take up meditation as an off-court routine, even though it would challenge her.
"I can never sit long enough for meditation," she said. "I really want to meditate more and I want to be still and be in that quiet area. But I just pick up my iPad and start playing some games, and then next thing I know I'm watching TV.
"Hopefully I can get there."
At Melbourne Park Williams will be chasing her 16th major championship and sixth Australian Open title.

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Cricket-Australia drop Hussey, rest Clarke for one-dayers

SYDNEY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Mike Hussey's retirement from international cricket is likely to come sooner than he thought after he was omitted from Australia's squad for the first two matches of their one day series against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
Hussey had already said that the third test against Sri Lanka, entering its fourth day at the Sydney Cricket Ground, would be his last for his country and he would step away from international cricket at the end of the Australian summer.
Australia's selection panel, however, did not give the 37-year-old the opportunity of a farewell tour in the shortened form of the game, instead opting to look to the 2015 World Cup.
"Taking a long term view towards the ... World Cup the (selectors have) decided not to include Michael Hussey in the squad for the ... series," said chairman of selectors John Inverarity.
"Michael has been a tremendous ODI player for Australia over a long period of time, a match-winner for his country and his presence in coloured clothing will be sorely missed."
Australia captain Michael Clarke, aggressive opening batsman David Warner and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade were also not considered for the squad.
Clarke has been given time to recover from a hamstring injury, while Warner and Wade are given time to rest having played all six tests so far this season.
All rounder Shane Watson, who has been struggling with a calf injury, was also not considered. George Bailey will captain the side in Clarke's absence.
The five-match one day series begins on Jan. 11 in Melbourne.

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Cricket-Australia set target of 141 for third test victory

SYDNEY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Australia were set a victory target of 141 runs after bowling Sri Lanka out for 278 in their second innings before lunch on the fourth day of the third test on Sunday.
The tourists, already 2-0 down in the series, resumed on 225 for seven looking to bulk up their lead of 87 to somewhere between 150 and 175 to give their bowlers something to work with.
Dinesh Chandimal hit a defiant 62 not out off 106 balls but ran out of partners when Jackson Bird had Nuwan Pradeep caught behind for nine about 30 minutes before lunch.
Rangana Herath had survived an early run out scare when Matthew Wade threw the ball over the head of Mitchell Johnson but was gone for 10 in the next over when he dragged the ball onto his stumps off the bowling of Jackson Bird.
Suranga Lakmal did not hang around for long, departing for a duck after walking across his stumps, swinging and missing and watching Johnson's delivery shatter the stumps.

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Mediation in NHL talks to continue Saturday

A federal mediator bridged the widening gap between the NHL and the players' association during 12 hours of talks without getting the fighting sides in the same room.
No one would say if progress was made over the course of the day and night Friday when mediator Scot Beckenbaugh walked back and forth between union and NHL headquarters in Manhattan to hold separate discussions with each side.
He began at 10 a.m. EST and didn't stop until nearly 11 p.m.
There are still no plans for the league and the players to get back to the bargaining table for the first time since the early morning hours of Thursday, but Beckenbaugh scheduled more mediation sessions for Saturday morning.
"I'm looking forward to continuing the process tomorrow," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote to The Associated Press in an email late Friday night.
Beckenbaugh also took part in talks during the 2004-05 lockout, which forced the cancellation of the whole season.
After marathon talks broke off overnight Wednesday, the sides have remained apart with the exception of two smaller meetings on Thursday.
The lockout reached its 111th day Friday, and there is only one week left to reach a deal on a collective bargaining agreement that would allow for a 48-game hockey season — the minimum the NHL has said it will play.
Commissioner Gary Bettman set a Jan. 11 deadline so the season can begin eight days later.
The players could be looking to wait until Saturday night to return to the bargaining table when it is expected that the executive board will again have the authority to exercise a disclaimer of interest that would allow the union to dissolve and become a trade association.
A vote among union members was initiated Thursday, and players have until 6 p.m. Saturday to cast their ballots that would allow the board to take the action of the disclaimer. An earlier vote passed overwhelmingly last month, but the union let its self-imposed deadline pass Wednesday night without acting on it.
A restoration of authority to go the route of the disclaimer might be the leverage the union wants before it starts negotiating again. If the union is dissolved, players can file individual antitrust suits against the NHL.
Representatives from the league and the union met twice Thursday for small meetings, one dealing with the pension plan, but never got together for a full bargaining session. A long night of discussions Wednesday that stretched into the early morning hours didn't end well and created Thursday's lack of activity.
The sides can't afford many more days like that.
All games through Jan. 14, along with the All-Star game, have been canceled, claiming more than 50 percent of the original schedule.
The talks appeared to take a downward turn late Wednesday after the players' association passed on declaring a disclaimer of interest.
The discord carried over to Thursday when Bettman had said he expected to resume negotiations at 10 a.m. at the request of the mediator. But the union was holding internal meetings then and didn't arrive at the league office until a few hours later.
When players and staff did get there, they did so without executive director Donald Fehr. The group discussed a problem that arose regarding the reporting by clubs of hockey-related revenue, and how both sides sign off on the figures at the end of the fiscal year. The union felt the language had been changed without proper notification, but the dispute was solved and the meeting ended in about an hour.
The wait for more elaborate talks went on, and didn't end until the players returned — again without Fehr — for a meeting about the pension plan. That one lasted just under two hours, and again the waiting game ensued.
The players' association held a late Thursday afternoon conference call to initiate its second vote regarding the disclaimer of interest. It wasn't immediately known when a new authorization would expire if the vote passes again.
A sense of progress might be why the union didn't declare the disclaimer Wednesday, but any optimism created after the deadline passed took several hits Thursday.
The NHLPA filed a motion in federal court in New York seeking to dismiss the league's suit to have the lockout declared legal. The NHL sued the union in mid-December, figuring the players were about to submit their own complaint against the league and possibly break up their union to gain an upper hand.
But the union argued that the NHL is using this suit "to force the players to remain in a union. Not only is it virtually unheard of for an employer to insist on the unionization of its employees, it is also directly contradicted by the rights guaranteed to employees under ... the National Labor Relations Act."
The court scheduled a status conference for the sides on Monday.
The sides have traded four proposals in the past week — two by each side — but none has gained enough traction. Getting an agreement on a pension plan would likely go a long way toward an agreement that would put hockey back on the ice.
Fehr believed a plan for a players-funded pension was established before talks blew up in early December. That apparently wasn't the case, or the NHL has changed its offer regarding the pension in exchange for agreeing to other things the union wanted.
The salary-cap number for the second year of the deal — the 2013-14 season — hasn't been agreed to, and it is another major point of contention. The league is pushing for a $60 million cap, while the union wants it to be $65 million with a floor of $44 million.
In return for the higher cap number players would be willing to forgo a cap on escrow.
Other issues still needing resolution include the maximum length of player contracts, the variance in salary for each year of those individual deals, and how long the new CBA should be in effect.
Both sides seem content on it lasting for 10 years, but they have different opinions on whether an opt-out should be allowed to be exercised after seven years or eight.
The NHL proposed last Thursday that pension contributions come out of the players' share of revenues, and $50 million of the league's make-whole payment of $300 million will be allocated and set aside to fund potential underfunded liabilities of the plan at the end of the collective bargaining agreement.
Last month, the NHL agreed to raise its make-whole offer of deferred payments from $211 million to $300 million as part of a proposed package that required the union to agree on three non-negotiable points. Instead, the union accepted the raise in funds, but then made counterproposals on the issues the league stated had no wiggle room.
"As you might expect, the differences between us relate to the core economic issues which don't involve the share," Fehr said of hockey-related revenue, which likely will be split 50-50.
Last season, the NHL posted record revenues of $3.3 billion.
The NHL is the only North American professional sports league to cancel a season because of a labor dispute, losing the 2004-05 campaign to a lockout. A 48-game season was played in 1995 after a lockout stretched into January.

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Mediator back at work in NHL labor fight

Mediation between the NHL and the players' association started again Saturday morning about 12 hours after it ended Friday night.
With the hockey season hanging in the balance, Saturday could prove to be a pivotal day on all fronts.
Federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh spent more than 12 hours Friday walking back and forth between the Manhattan headquarters of each side — beginning at 10 a.m. EST and wrapping things up shortly before 11 p.m.
While Beckenbaugh never got the league and the union in the same room, enough was accomplished to convince the sides to keep going.
"I'm looking forward to continuing the process," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote to The Associated Press in an email late Friday night.
Beckenbaugh began Saturday by holding a meeting with the union and then walked over to talk to NHL officials. He then made the trek back to the players' association for another get-together shortly before 1 p.m.
Beckenbaugh also took part in talks during the 2004-05 lockout, which forced the cancellation of the whole season.
It isn't yet known if the league and union will meet face-to-face Saturday, the 112th day of the lockout. The sides have less than a week to reach a new collective bargaining agreement to save what would likely be a 48-game hockey season.
The players' association will conclude a two-day vote among its members at 6 p.m. Saturday that will determine whether the union's executive board will again have the authority to declare a disclaimer of interest.
If the vote passes, as expected, the disclaimer can be issued, and the union would dissolve and become a trade association. That could send this fight to the courts and put the season in jeopardy. The disclaimer would allow players to file individual antitrust suits against the NHL.
Earlier this week, a self-imposed deadline expired on the first authorization that union members gave the board. The initial threat seemed to work in getting the NHL back to the bargaining table, but talks broke down Wednesday night after the deadline passed without action taken by the union.
Now the players want to regain the leverage the potential disclaimer gives them.
After marathon talks broke off overnight Wednesday, the sides have remained apart with the exception of two smaller meetings Thursday.
Commissioner Gary Bettman set a Jan. 11 deadline for a deal so the season can begin eight days later. A 48-game season is the minimum Bettman said the league would play.
All games through Jan. 14, along with the All-Star game, have been canceled, claiming more than 50 percent of the original schedule.
Trust has become a major impediment in the talks that appear to have been rescued to some extent by Beckenbaugh.
On Thursday morning, the sides solved a problem that arose regarding the reporting by clubs of hockey-related revenue, and how both sides sign off on the figures at the end of the fiscal year. The union felt the language had been changed without proper notification. That dispute was ended in about an hour, but clearly discord was present in the talks.
Another small meeting, the second of the day without union head Donald Fehr, addressed the pension plan. That one lasted just under two hours and marked the last time the sides met this week.
The players' association held a late Thursday afternoon conference call to initiate its second vote on the disclaimer of interest.
A sense of progress might be why the union didn't declare the disclaimer Wednesday, but any optimism created after the deadline passed has taken several hits since.
The NHLPA filed a motion in federal court in New York seeking to dismiss the league's suit to have the lockout declared legal. The NHL sued the union in mid-December, figuring the players were about to submit their own complaint against the league.
But the union argued that the NHL is using this suit "to force the players to remain in a union. Not only is it virtually unheard of for an employer to insist on the unionization of its employees, it is also directly contradicted by the rights guaranteed to employees under ... the National Labor Relations Act."
The court scheduled a status conference for the sides on Monday.
The sides have traded four proposals in the past week — two by each side — but none has gained enough traction. Getting an agreement on a pension plan would likely go a long way toward a deal that would put hockey back on the ice.
Fehr believed a plan for a players-funded pension was established before talks blew up in early December. That apparently wasn't the case, or the NHL has changed its offer regarding the pension in exchange for agreeing to other things the union wanted.
The salary-cap number for the second year of the deal — the 2013-14 season — hasn't been agreed to, and it is another major point of contention. The league is pushing for a $60 million cap, while the union wants it to be $65 million with a floor of $44 million.
In return for the higher cap number, players would be willing to forgo a cap on escrow.
Other issues still needing resolution include the maximum length of player contracts, the variance in salary for each year of those individual deals, and how long the new CBA should be in effect.
Both sides seem content on it lasting for 10 years, but they have different opinions on whether an opt-out should be allowed to be exercised after seven years or eight.
Last season, the NHL posted record revenues of $3.3 billion. The sides seem likely to agree on a 50-50 split of the pot in any new deal.
The NHL is the only North American professional sports league to cancel a season because of a labor dispute, losing the 2004-05 campaign to a lockout. A 48-game season was played in 1995 after a lockout stretched into January.

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Mediator gets NHL, union back together

 A federal mediator has finally been able to get the NHL and the players' association back together Saturday for their first face-to-face meeting since talks broke down two days earlier.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly went to union headquarters for what a players' association spokesman called a "small group meeting" with the sides and mediator Scot Beckenbaugh.
Beckenbaugh had already held separate meetings with the union and league Saturday before bringing them together.
Beckenbaugh spent more than 12 hours Friday walking back and forth between the Manhattan headquarters of each side — beginning at 10 a.m. EST and wrapping things up shortly before 11 p.m.
While Beckenbaugh never got the league and the union in the same room then, enough was accomplished to convince the sides to keep going.
"I'm looking forward to continuing the process," Daly wrote to The Associated Press in an email late Friday night.
Beckenbaugh began Saturday by holding a meeting with the union and then walked over to talk to NHL officials. He then made the trek back to the players' association for the group meeting shortly before 1 p.m.
With the hockey season hanging in the balance, Saturday could prove to be a pivotal day on all fronts. The sides have less than a week to reach a new collective bargaining agreement to save what would likely be a 48-game hockey season.
Beckenbaugh also took part in talks during the 2004-05 lockout, which forced the cancellation of the whole season.
The players' association will conclude a two-day vote among its members at 6 p.m. Saturday that will determine whether the union's executive board will again have the authority to declare a disclaimer of interest.
If the vote passes, as expected, the disclaimer can be issued, and the union would dissolve and become a trade association. That could send this fight to the courts and put the season in jeopardy. The disclaimer would allow players to file individual antitrust suits against the NHL.
Earlier this week, a self-imposed deadline expired on the first authorization that union members gave the board. The initial threat seemed to work in getting the NHL back to the bargaining table, but talks broke down Wednesday night after the deadline passed without action taken by the union.
Now the players want to regain the leverage the potential disclaimer gives them.
Bettman set a Jan. 11 deadline for a deal so the season can begin eight days later. A 48-game season is the minimum Bettman said the league would play.
All games through Jan. 14, along with the All-Star game, have been canceled, claiming more than 50 percent of the original schedule.
Trust has become a major impediment in the talks that appear to have been rescued to some extent by Beckenbaugh.
On Thursday morning, the sides solved a problem that arose regarding the reporting by clubs of hockey-related revenue, and how both sides sign off on the figures at the end of the fiscal year. The union felt the language had been changed without proper notification. That dispute was ended in about an hour, but clearly discord was present in the talks.
Another small meeting, the second of the day without union head Donald Fehr, addressed the pension plan. That one lasted just under two hours and marked the last time the sides met this week.
The players' association held a late Thursday afternoon conference call to initiate its second vote on the disclaimer of interest.
A sense of progress might be why the union didn't declare the disclaimer Wednesday, but any optimism created after the deadline passed has taken several hits since.
The NHLPA filed a motion in federal court in New York seeking to dismiss the league's suit to have the lockout declared legal. The NHL sued the union in mid-December, figuring the players were about to submit their own complaint against the league.
But the union argued that the NHL is using this suit "to force the players to remain in a union. Not only is it virtually unheard of for an employer to insist on the unionization of its employees, it is also directly contradicted by the rights guaranteed to employees under ... the National Labor Relations Act."
The court scheduled a status conference for the sides on Monday.
The sides have traded four proposals in the past week — two by each side — but none has gained enough traction. Getting an agreement on a pension plan would likely go a long way toward a deal that would put hockey back on the ice.
Fehr believed a plan for a players-funded pension was established before talks blew up in early December. That apparently wasn't the case, or the NHL changed its offer regarding the pension in exchange for agreeing to other things the union wanted.
The salary-cap number for the second year of the deal — the 2013-14 season — hasn't been agreed to, and is another major point of contention. The league is pushing for a $60 million cap, while the union wants it to be $65 million with a floor of $44 million.
In return for the higher cap, players would be willing to forgo a cap on escrow.
Other issues still needing resolution include the maximum length of player contracts, the yearly variance in salary of those individual deals, and how long the CBA should be in effect.
Both sides seem content on it lasting for 10 years, but they have different opinions on whether an opt-out should be allowed to be exercised after seven years or eight.
Last season, the NHL posted record revenues of $3.3 billion. The sides seem likely to agree on a 50-50 split of the pot in any new deal.
The NHL is the only North American professional sports league to cancel a season because of a labor dispute, losing the 2004-05 campaign to a lockout. A 48-game season was played in 1995 after a lockout stretched into January.

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NHL: League and players resume face-to-face labor talks

The National Hockey League (NHL) and the union representing its players met face-to-face along with a federal mediator on Saturday with hopes of ending a lockout in time to salvage a condensed season.
A small group meeting between the league, union and mediator began early Saturday afternoon in New York, according to a NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) spokesman.
The meeting, which began with less than a week to go until the league's self-imposed deadline to reach a deal, marked the first face-to-face dialogue between the league and NHLPA since talks broke down two days ago.
The two sides met separately with the mediator on Friday.
With half of the 2012-13 regular season already lost to the labor dispute, the NHL has set a January 11 deadline for a new deal so that a 48-game campaign could begin eight days later.
The lockout, which the league has said is costing it about $18-$20 million a day, began in mid-September when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired with both sides at odds over how to split the NHL's $3.3 billion in revenue.
The dispute, which follows a lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 campaign, is now centered around the salary cap number for the 2013-14 season, the pension fund and length of player contracts.

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