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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: Forest Practices Act can (but doesn't) do the job ... Beer-hauling semi crashes, gridlocks traffic near Wolf Creek ... Ashland tests synthetic grass to save water ... Guest Opinion: Forest Practices Act can (but doesn't) do the job ... Beer-hauling semi crashes, gridlocks traffic near Wolf Creek ... Ashland tests synthetic grass to save water ... HOCKEY Bettman says NHL has no plans to expand Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Sep. 24, 2014 at 2:00 AM By The Associated Press Posted Sep. 24, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Social News TORONTO — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league has no immediate plans to expand and adjust its unbalanced conference alignment. "What most people say to me is, well, there's 16 teams in the East, 14 in the West. What's wrong with you? Can't you count?" Bettman said at a Canadian Club luncheon. "And I say, 'Yes, I can count, but I also can tell time and we finally have all 16 teams in the Eastern Time Zone in the right place.' "But you don't expand just to fulfill somebody's notion of symmetry. It's a very important business decision to make, and you do it for the right reasons at the right time." The league listens to expressions of interest from markets, but Bettman reiterates there are no plans in the works to take on more clubs. A recent Twitter report by Howard Bloom of Sports Business News said the NHL would expand by four teams — Quebec City, Seattle, Las Vegas and Toronto — by 2017. "I know people think I have this list tucked away in a vault with cities lined up," Bettman said. "We don't." "This is an important business decision if you're going to expand," he added. "In addition to being one involving a lot of money, it's a fundamentally important decision if you're going to do that." The issue of expansion has particular resonance in Ontario. A second team in Toronto, even in the Eastern Time Zone, could theoretically play in the Western Conference for the sake of balance. The Leafs played in the West until the 1998-99 season. Speaking in a hypothetical sense of such an addition, Bettman said: "If we decided that we were putting a second team in Ontario, and the year the team was supposed to start, the Leafs won the Cup, that second team wouldn't exist." By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Sep. 24, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501