a shot on net off a faceoff that hit Jason Chimera

TORONTO -- When Gary Bettman approached Ray Emery during the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup celebration at the White House, everyone around wondered what was going to happen. The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender had drawn league-wide attention just a few days earlier for skating the length of the ice to fight an unwilling combatant in Braden Holtby. Naturally, that came up. "I said: Oh, Ray. Its good to see you. Ive been thinking about you. We had a nice chat," the commissioner said. "And I said, So just hypothetically, if there was a rule that said if you cross the red line to get into a fight with the other goaltender and you get a 10-game suspension, would you have done it? He goes, What? Are you crazy?" It might not be a 10-game suspension, but NHL general managers will discuss potential changes to fighting rules Tuesday at their annual meeting following Hall of Fame induction weekend. Bettman acknowledged that incidents like George Parros being concussed after falling during a fight with Colton Orr and what Emery did sparked plenty of debate, but he made it clear its just one of many topics on the agenda. "I think the level of dialogue gets sparked by an occasional incident, and an incident of this nature when you look at everything else that is going on in the season was really a small pebble relative to a beach full of sand, which is seeing an incredibly entertaining season," Bettman said Monday. "I think sometimes an incident, as rare as it might be, tends to get focused on disproportionately." During his remarks at the Prime Time Sports Management conference in Toronto, Bettman called fighting a "thermostat" in hockey that helps cool things down when tensions run high. "When Vinny Lecavalier was in a fight with (Jarome) Iginla ... they got mad at each other," he said during his question-and-answer session. "Id rather them be punching each other than swinging sticks at each other." One of the arguments against the abolition of fighting, or even making the punishment a game misconduct or suspension, is that it would cause more high-sticks and cheap shots. Bettman did not overtly reveal his opinion one way or the other but said that feelings on both sides of the fighting debate are "really dug in." "To say youre getting rid of fighting, Im not even sure what that means because you can change the penalty and make it more severe," he said. "That doesnt mean if somebodys sufficiently motivated, theyre not going to fight. So well take the hypothetical. You get thrown out of the game if you fight. OK, I think guys will still fight if they feel the need." A 2011 poll conducted by the NHLPA and CBC found that 98 per cent of players would not support the total elimination of fighting. Bettman wants to take the pulse of GMs at Tuesdays meeting. That includes feelings about goaltenders fighting and other topics. Emery was not suspended for pummelling Holtby because there is nothing in the rule book to use as precedent. Bettman expects a "general discussion" but does not think any rule changes will come about just yet. Bettman said the current rules, which include a five-minute major for fighting and extra penalties stemming from the instigator and third-man-in rules, represent the consensus among GMs. "If somebody wants to change it, there needs to be a new consensus," he said. "Thats why the discussions ongoing. Having said that, it continues to evolve as the game does. Four years ago a shoulder hit to the head was not penalized. Now itll get you suspended. Were going to continue to look at what we can do to keep the game physical but safe as possible." Senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan, whos being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday night, is expected to address the GMs and give his usual update. Hybrid icing will also be on the docket, as Bettman said the adjustment is ongoing for players and officials. While the Parros and Emery incidents stoked the fire about fightings place in the NHL, Bettman doesnt want them to overshadow other things that are going on, like the Colorado Avalanches hot start, strong television ratings and arenas being filled to 95 per cent of capacity. "We probably wouldnt even be having the fighting discussion right now if there wasnt a freak play with George Parros losing his balance and falling," Bettman said. "Like the Emery-Holtby incident, those things dont define the season were having. Theyre important, we look at them, we discuss them, but they get more attention than they probably warrant in any particular case because were constantly monitoring the game." Bettman said the NHL does fan research on a constant basis and not specifically when incidents are in the news. Hes also aware of the opinions expressed by league executives, like when Brian Burke wrote an editorial for USA Today in support of fighting. Tuesday provides a chance for "to see if anybody has an appetite for pursuing" any rule changes, Bettman said. "Ultimately if theres going to be a change, there needs to be a new consensus (among) all parties who have to make a decision," he said. "We try to do whats in the best interest of the game, and that includes our fans, that includes our clubs and that includes our players. There are lots of views on lots of subjects. This happens to be one which probably gets a disproportionate amount of attention." Another topic that has gotten a lot of attention is NHL expansion, especially considering unbalanced divisions created by realignment. Having 32 teams would even out the divisions, but Bettman said there were no formal plans to expand. "I dont envision right now going through a formal expansion process," Bettman said in an interview after speaking at the conference. "We get expressions of interest all the time. Those are informal conversations that we have, but in terms of a formal bid process, Im not focused on doing anything like that right now." The league and NHLPA have discussed reviving the World Cup of Hockey, which Bettman said hed prefer over the Olympics, but the commissioner did not provide an update on those talks. He did confirm that NHL Premiere games in Europe that happened from 2007 through 2011 will not come back at the start of the 2014-15 season. "Thats something that we and the Players Association have agreed on," Bettman said. "We think its too late, all of us. We had a meeting a month ago and we jointly reached that conclusion." Manny Ramirez Jersey . – Team Canadas Brooke Henderson carded a 4-under 67 at Craigowan Golf and Country Club to jump into the lead at the Canadian Womens Amateur Championship on Wednesday. Omar Vizquel Jersey . -- The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with cornerback Kelvin Hayden. http://www.indianssale.com/ . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Defensive Depth TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting the Toronto Maple Leafs have considerable interest in unrestricted free-agent defenceman Dan Boyle. Larry Doby Jersey . Weise will have his hearing with the NHL head office over the phone, while the league has requested an in-person hearing with Kassian. Oilers centre Sam Gagner suffered a broken jaw after getting hit with a high stick from Kassian in Edmontons 5-2 win. Corey Kluber Jersey . -- Dane Fox scored his 61st and 62nd goals of the season and Brendan Gaunce had a goal and three assists as the Erie Otters downed the Kitchener Rangers 7-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action.Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Braden Holtby stopped 31 shots to lead the Washington Capitals in a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Jay Beagle and Alex Ovechkin scored for the Capitals, who have won five of their last six. When we play our game, we play the system, said Ovechkin. We feel good about our goalie, and he feels good. Hes been playing unbelievably, and we feel like we can win hockey games. Alex Tanguay scored the only goal of the game for the Avalanche, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Semyon Varlamov stopped 36 shots in defeat. Im not happy that we lost but Im happy with our effort, said Colorado head coach Patrick Roy. We had some chances there in the third period and just couldnt put them away. The Capitals got on the board at 7:34 of the first period when Tom Wilson threw a shot on net off a faceoff that hit Jason Chimera in front of the goal and Beagle backhanded home the puck. Colorado tied the game on the power play at 10:58 of the second period on a rush play when Jarome Iginla brought the puck in down the left wing and sent a backhand pass to the slot.dddddddddddd. Tanguays initial one-timer was stopped, but he put in his own rebound for his 13th goal of the season. Washington took the lead back with 2:14 to play in the second off a crisp passing play that saw three passes, with the third going to the left circle for an Ovechkin one-timer and a 2-1 lead. Colorado peppered Holtby with 18 shots in the final period and pulled Varlamov with over two minutes to play, but was unable to net the equalizer. Game Notes Washington hosts Philadelphia on Wednesday ... Colorado started a five-game road trip, and will play in Carolina on Tuesday ... Colorado was 1-for-2 on the power play, and Washington was 1-for-3 ... It was the 74th game-winning goal for Ovechkin as he passed Peter Bondra for most in franchise history. ' ' '