The National Hockey League’s commissioner Gary Bettman downplayed the upcoming mediation between players and the league. 

Mediation is schedule to deal with the lawsuit filed by former NHL players over concussions they suffered while playing in the league.  According to Bettman, the league is “simply following a judge’s order, because the judge asked us to go into meditation and so we were complying with the judge’s request. ”

Bettman was unwilling to say whether or not there had been any progress, but did restate his position that the lawsuit does not have any merit.

One of the lawyers representing the players involved in the lawsuit, Stuart Davidson, disagreed with Bettman and stated that he believes the suit does have merit.  He also confirmed the sides were asked to enter mediation by a judge and did not come up with the idea on their own.

According to Davidson, "While we obviously disagree with the Commissioner's views on the merits of these important cases, and continue to work very hard to obtain justice for our clients, the commissioner is correct that Judge Nelson requested that the parties try to work out their differences with a mediator, if they are able. ”

There are more than 100 former NHL players named in the lawsuit, which accuses the league of failing to prevent head trauma.  It also states the league did not warn players of the risks they faced while playing. 

A class action suit attempt was made in July that would have divided all living NHL players into two groups, one of which included those who have been diagnosed with a neurological disorder disease, or condition.  More than 5,000 former players would have been included in the case, but a judge denied the request.