League negotiators came down to the union conference rooms to talk to officials. Among the league negotiators conferring with the union were Jeremy Jacobs, the hard-line owner of the Boston Bruins; Ronald Burkle, the moderate co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins; and Jeff Vinik, the moderate owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The sudden turn from gloom to optimism began Tuesday, when 6 owners and 18 players met at the hotel for eight hours without Bettman and Donald Fehr, the executive director of the players union. Four of the six owners were new to the talks, changing the composition of the league’s negotiating team.

According to participants, Burkle, one of the owners new to the talks, and his star player Sidney Crosby helped the two sides find common ground.

When the talks ended at midnight, Steve Fehr, the union’s special counsel, said, “I’d say it might be the best day we’ve had.”

The change in tone could be attributed to a combination of factors: the leadership of Burkle and Crosby; the exclusion of Bettman and Donald Fehr; the ascendance of more moderate owners; and the sidelining of the Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold, who irritated the players.

Another upbeat sign: the league and the union requested an adjournment of Thursday’s hearing before the Quebec Labor Board. The board was to decide whether the lockout is legal in Quebec.

Union officials have long believed that Bettman and the owners had a date at which they planned to change tactics and begin pursuing an agreement. That date may have come, as games through Dec. 14, the Jan. 1 Winter Classic and the All-Star Game have been canceled. Last month Bettman said the league was losing $18 million to $20 million a day.