December 5, 2012

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Chair Larry Tanenbaum returns from a break during league negotiations in New York December 4, 2012. NHL owners and players met face-to-face on Tuesday in an attempt to broker a deal to end their bitter dispute that threatens to wipe out the season. (REUTERS/Eric Thayer)

NEW YORK - It is widely believed that the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the NHL teams most anxious to avoid yet another lost season.

So count Larry Tanenbaum, the team's minority owner, as an optimist after the elongated talks between owners and players on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tanenbaum was among the group of six owners who met with 18 players over the course of two days and was believed to be a strong voice in the room. And the fact that there was ongoing dialogue was, in Tanenbaum’s opinion, a foundation for a deal.