high 6.7 in the national championship loss t

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- During a board of governors meeting Thursday, the NHL and its owners made no formal decision regarding participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics.Commissioner Gary Bettman did suggest that owners are starting to feel Olympic fatigue and that the discussion Thursday regarding sending NHL players to Pyeongchang, South Korea, wasnt positive.I think its fair to say there is some strong negative sentiment in the room, Bettman said. There was no formal vote. Just the discussion. No decision was made by the board.Bettman also clarified reports that he asked the NHL Players Association to extend the collective bargaining agreement in return for Olympic participation. He said the offer was part of a larger discussion to provide clarity to hockeys international calendar, one he felt would be best served without the threat of a work stoppage, rather than a demand.We said, If you look at the calendar, get rid of the [CBA] re-openers and extend it by three years, you get two Olympics, two World Cups, two Ryder Cups, Bettman said. Most importantly, it tells the world and our fans theres nine years of labor peace after this season, which we thought would be a good thing.Bettman said it was his goal to bring something back to the owners to discuss during this weeks meetings, with the expectation that they might be more willing to approve a larger international calendar rather than just one Olympic tournament if it came with labor peace.I was looking for something that might change some of the sentiment of our owners, Bettman said.The commissioner declined to set a timeline on the Olympic decision but said its getting close.Were running out of time, Bettman said.The NHL also provided a range for next seasons salary cap, which Bettman projected would either remain flat or increase by a couple million dollars.After years of healthy growth, the NHL salary cap has stagnated in part because of a declining Canadian dollar. The cap is currently at $73 million, an increase of $1.6 million from last season. Dave Schultz Flyers Jersey . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. Robert Hagg Jersey . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. http://www.hockeyflyersauthentic.com/travis-sanheim-jersey/ . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. James Van Riemsdyk Jersey . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. Eric Lindros Flyers Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. College football is still months away, and while thats literally eating away at all of our souls, the sports gods have been pretty good to us lately. We just finished up one of the greatest NBA Finals ever, and the U.S. made a semifinal run in Copa America.Were also nearing the end of what has been a spectacular Euro 2016 over in France. Futbol -- I mean soccer -- is growing more and more in popularity over here in the States, and even college footballs best havent been strangers to showing their growing interest in the sport over the years.Like the SEC blog did with the World Cup two years ago, we thought itd be fun to figure out the college football equivalents to the Euros final eight.I wonder if college football will adopt the jersey swapping tradition.Germany Alabama: No matter what, deep down you feel like these are the teams to beat. Germany just won the World Cup and Alabama just won the national championship. Both are loaded with talent, their defenses are suffocating and they both have overcome slow starts to hit their offensive strides late. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (the best in the world at his position) can pretty much be linked to just about every middle linebacker Nick Saban has coached at Alabama. Germany has seven combined World Cup and Euro championships, while Alabama claims roughly 151 national championships.France Ohio State: Both of these squads have tons of talent all over the place, but that talent is young, and you arent really sure how far it can go. However, its tough not to get excited about two teams that have the pieces to win it all right now. France was a favorite coming into the tournament, and the Buckeyes will be a playoff favorite as well. Quarterback J.T. Barretts rise, importance and style of play at Ohio State essentially makes him Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet rolled into one.Portugal LSU: Both squads always have elite, championship-level talent. You just cant help but want to pick both to win something exceptional each year. However, with all that talent have come disappointing finishes. Total hype killers. Leonard Fournette and Cristiano Ronaldo are considered by many to be the best in their respective sports, but Fournette and his Tigers sank after his Heisman train was derailed in early November last season, and Ronaldo has zero Euro or World Cup championships with Portugal.Belgium Clemson: The Tigers own one of the most exciting, fast-paced offenses led by Heisman front-runner quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Wayne Gallman.dddddddddddd Belgium also has one of the worlds most exciting, fast-paced offenses led by Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. Both clearly have the talent to win a title this year, but both can struggle with defensive consistency. Remember, Clemson surrendered at least 5.7 yards per play in seven games last year, including a season-high 6.7 in the national championship loss to Alabama.Italy USC: Two storied programs with pasts full of titles, but heading into 2016, both are being overlooked as title contenders. Italys surprise run into the final eight -- and that 2-0 upset of Spain -- would resemble a Clay Helton-led USC run this fall. Like Italy, outside of a couple of stars (JuJu Smith-Schuster and Adoree Jackson), you arent sure if the Trojans have the talent to win a title, but its still hard to overlook them.Wales Ole Miss: Both teams have a few household names that people will recognize. Chad Kelly is the Gareth Bale for Ole Miss, while Aaron Ramsey could represent top defensive end Marquis Haynes. But what are really expecting from either this year? Hugh Freeze has certainly built up Ole Miss to a true SEC West contender, but are we ready to put the Rebels in the playoff in 2016? And is Wales really gonna win it all? Like, really?Poland Michigan State: Two tough, gritty teams that are more than happy to methodically grind it out until the bitter end. Neither gets a ton of respect (which Michigan State loves), but we kind of like what they are. However, not many really know a ton about either. Everyone knows Polands Robert Lewandowski, and everyone knew Michigan States Connor Cook. But outside of die-hard fans, can you seriously name more than five starters for either? No, yet they still have some solid guys who can carry them in crunch time.Iceland Georgia Southern: Cinderella. Iceland has the smallest population in the tournament and qualified for the first time ever, while knocking off some big boys in the process. The most recent is England, which would be 2013 Florida. Iceland winning it all would be like Georgia Southern, which is new to the FBS level, winning it all in a magical playoff run in 2016. Not gonna happen, but, man, it would be awesome. ' ' '