NEW YORK — If time spent at the bargaining table indicates progress, the NHL and the locked-out players’ association finally could be on their way to making a deal to get hockey back on the ice.

A second straight day of marathon negotiations took place Wednesday, when the two sides spent more than five hours hammering away at the most contentious issues separating them. Coupled with the more than seven hours they spent negotiating on Tuesday, owners and players have been together about 13 hours and are ready to get back to it on Thursday.

Neither side tipped its hand about what was discussed or if the talks were successful, and the location of the meetings is still being kept secret.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr also said very little after the sides wrapped up the latest round of talks.