The NHL called in a federal mediator Monday to try and breathe life into the stagnate negotiations.

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director George Cohen says the NHL and its players association accepted its invitation to oversee negotiations the rest of the way through.

The announcement comes after the league cancelled the NHL All Star Weekend in Columbus, Ohio and all games through Dec. 14.

Talks stalled yet again last week after the two sides remained apart on important sticking points including revenue sharing and player contracts.