CHICAGO -- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is a year removed from cancelling preseason games in the early stages of the leagues lockout of its players. Now there are rising television ratings, along with participation in another Winter Olympics and settled ownership in Phoenix and New Jersey. So where does the NHL go from here? "We just want more of the same," Bettman said Thursday at a promotion for the March 1 outdoor game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field. "We want to continue to build off the foundation we have. The game on the ice is as strong as its ever been. And were looking to continue to find ways to connect with our fans that will energize our fan base and grow it." The league expanded the outdoor schedule from one game, the New Years Day Winter Classic, to six this season, including two games at Yankee Stadium and one at Dodger Stadium. Bettman considers the big-event strategy important in generating interest in the NHL. "This game, all the outdoor games, are one element of it," Bettman said. "We have the Olympics and we have what we think will be an exciting, competitive season. Were going to continue to grow. Our fan engagement, not just TV ratings, but through social media and NHL.com, is growing." Russias recent passage of an anti-gay law has caused concern among some connected with the Sochi Winter Olympics. Bettman said this week that NHL players will participate despite the law banning what Russia calls propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations. "Thats not something we think is appropriate, to say the least," Bettman said. "But in the final analysis, and I believe our players feel the same way, theyre going to go, to compete hard for their countries, because thats important to them. "Im not sure its easy for sports to ever get involved with politics, but we have a responsibility to make clear that thats not representative of what we believe is the right thing." The NHL partnered with You Can Play, a group started in April by Philadelphia scout Patrick Burke, whose late brother Brendan was gay. "When it comes to diversity and inclusiveness, I think our record has been very clear," Bettman said. While NHL players will travel to Sochi, he doesnt foresee expansion to Europe, something thats been occasionally considered for more than 30 years. "Its really hard to do, some of it logistics," Bettman said. "We want to be good citizens in the institutional hockey world, but there is a growing interest throughout the world. Thats something were going to continue to try to satisfy." Some European-born NHL players have moved back to the continent, especially to the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League. Ilya Kovalchuk, with New Jersey last season, returned to his homeland by signing with SKA St. Petersburg this summer. The outdoor game in Chicago is the only one scheduled after the Olympics. Soldier Field, which holds 61,500 for football games, will have a rink placed in the middle of the field. In February, about 52,000 fans attended a college hockey doubleheader co-hosted by Wisconsin and Notre Dame. The last Winter Classic in Chicago was a sellout between Blackhawks and Detroit at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, 2009. Blackhawks president John McDonough expects a full house next year at Soldier Field. "Theres going to be great, great demand for this game," McDonough said. "You can be sure were going to be asking to host another one." The Blackhawks are the first team to host two outdoor games. "This combination catches the imagination and gives our fans a special experience," Bettman said. "For the teams involved, fans cant get enough of it. We think we can manage this, put on all six games well." Andrea Bertolacci Maglia . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Alex AC Milan Maglia . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". http://www.acmilanproshop.it/... .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. [url=http://www.acmilanproshop.it/customized.html]Personalizzato AC Milan Maglia . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Juraj Kucka AC Milan Maglia .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check. KITCHENER, Ont. -- Val Sweeting of Edmonton and Brier champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie claimed the final two spots at the Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials next month in Winnipeg. Jacobs used a three-point fifth end to propel himself out of 3-2 hole against 2006 Olympic champion Brad Gushue and earn a 7-5 win at the Capital One Road to the Roar pre-trial on Sunday. On the womens side, Sweeting, holding the hammer in the 10th end, needed a draw to the four-foot ring with her final shot and was on the mark for a 6-4 win against two-time Canadian womens champion Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C. Scott was ready to score two, but Sweeting made the same shot she missed in the ninth end, which gave Scott a steal of one point to make it 5-4. "I knew what too heavy felt like so I obviously didnt want to throw the same thing," Sweeting said. "We have the best sweepers there and I knew just throw it close and they would judge it, and thats exactly what happened." Scott, however, seemed to have the final end set up with the way she wanted it, making Sweeting attempt a shot she had already failed. "We wanted her to shoot against a couple and probably have her draw. She hadnt drawn in a while," said Scott, who gave up five straight points to Sweeting, including three in the sixth. "But they made every tick, every peel. They didnt give us much to work with, so that was probably best case." Scott admitted that her rink of Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter and Sarah Wazney didnt seem to recover from the two days off that came with having a perfect 4-0 record. She was never on the mark in Saturdays A-final against Renee Sonnenberg and couldnt build on a 2-0 lead against Sweeting after two ends. "We just didnt bring our best the last two games," she said. "(We were) just chasing a little and never really had our ends set up, and never really dictated the play out there." Sweeting, who was in a rush to catch a plane out of town, has booked her ticket to Winnipeg as probably the most unknown commodity going into the eight-team trials. "Im very excited. Were really happy that all the hard work has all paid off," Sweeting said of her team of Dana Ferguson, Joannne Courtney and Rachelle Pidherny.dddddddddddd "We played well here and were going to look at what we need to keep doing and what we can do better to succeed there." Jacobs and his squad of Ryan Fry, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden will join Sweeting in Winnipeg. Through an oft-questioned point system, Jacobs had to go to the pre-trials instead of getting a bye to trials. "We didnt make it directly in and we had to do this the hard way, and I think being defending Brier champions it wouldnt be right if we werent there, if you think about it," Jacobs said. His opponent agreed. "Looking back on it, Brad Jacobs deserves to be in the Olympic trials," said Gushue. "You know, if anybody was going to beat us and go there, its good that they did. As Canadian champions, they should be in the trials in my opinion. They shouldnt have had to play this game." Despite losing his 3-2 lead in the fifth end, Gushue and his crew of Brett Gallant, Adam Casey and Geoff Walker kept plugging away and kept the score close, including a steal of a point in the ninth end to make it 5-4. Thoughts of tying the game seemed to get dashed though when Caseys stone caught some debris on the ice just as he let go of it and kicked away. "Its just the luck of it," Gushue said. "He made an absolute honey of a shot on his first and if we get that second guard up and played something with their top reds earlier, we had a chance to steal two. It just sucks. In the last end to see something like that, it was unfortunate." Jacobs, though, put himself in a good position to win by playing more aggressive than he did in the A-final against John Morris. "We played a lot better today," Jacobs said. "The end that we got three, the fifth end, when E.J. made the run back and the perfect hit and roll, I thought to myself, OK, thats what we needed to get back to who we are on the ice. So we really credit E.J. for making those two shots and getting us back on track." So now Jacobs will have to take that aggression out west when he faces Jeff Stoughton in his first match at the trials in Stoughtons hometown. "Ya, I guess hes going to be pretty nervous," Jacobs joked. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '