Hockey

Tom Reich, the agent for a half-dozen prominent players, met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in an effort to intermediate in the ongoing dispute between the league and the players association.

Reich, who attempted to play a similar role in the baseball strike, said his involvement “is to try to contribute ideas and dialogue to encourage the process. . . . The only ones who can resolve it are Bob (Goodenow, head of the NHLPA), and Gary.” He added, “I view this differently from baseball. In baseball, they set out to level a successful union. In hockey, there’s no question (owners) want some things but I get the feeling hockey owners want to play hockey. I hold out much more hope for a negotiated settlement in hockey. I’m not optimistic about a negotiated settlement in baseball.”

Bettman and Goodenow spoke by phone late Thursday and at least once Friday--their first contact since Oct. 11--but a spokesman for the NHLPA said they did not arrange a negotiating session. A league spokesman refused to comment on the conversations. The 21-day lockout has wiped out 115 games.

Miscellany

The Las Vegas Posse of the Canadian Football League, which drew only 2,350 to its most recent home game, will play its final home game against the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian city. . . . The CFL pulled the plug on the Posse’s final home game, which had been scheduled for Nov. 5, after the tiny crowd turned out for last week’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.