Edmonton Oilers center Shawn Horcoff and Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Westgarth, who participated with Mayers in a Windsor charity game on Saturday, echoed his statement, adding that some good should be taken out of last week's negotiations.
"We made a lot of progress," Westgarth said. "It's pretty clear that we're not that very far apart. It's unfortunate that's the reaction we got."
Frustration, however, remains as players were shocked with the statement of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, stating the League was looking for a yes or no answer from the union.
"To be honest, it was never a take-it-or-leave-it offer they gave. I was in the room. That may have changed now; that wasn't how it was presented," Mayers added. "They pointed out those elements that were important to them. We came back and addressed every single one of them."
All three players did enjoy themselves at the charity game, organized by Buffalo Sabres forward Steve Ott and Detroit Red Wings veteran Danny Cleary, who raised funds for a charity that assists children battling cancer. The players presented a $10,000 check before the game while all proceeds from ticket sales will be added to the grand total.
No scheduled date for further negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA has been determined, although Daly and NHLPA Special Counsel Steve Fehr were in touch on Sunday.
