PALM BEACH, Florida - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expects a review of the NHLs concussion spotter program at the next board meeting, during All-Star week in late January, but he praised the effectiveness of the program so far this season.He said he received no concerns from his ownership group about how the concussion spotter program, bulked up this season with centralized spotters in the New York player safety room, has been implemented.Actually, everybody thinks the spotter program is working great, just as it was intended, Bettman said.Wayne Gretzky spoke Friday after attending his first board meeting since leaving the then-Phoenix Coyotes in 2009. He applauded the use of centralized concussion spotters as part of the NHLs effort to better protect players.When I played -- one of my kids asked me if I ever got a concussion -- I can honestly tell you I dont even know, Gretzky said.?Because in those days theyd say, Take two aspirin tonight, tomorrow youre going to skate for an hour and were going to sweat it out of you. Thats what we did.We have so much more knowledge now from the doctor side of things, from the trainers, from the players themselves, and yet theres so much more to learn about it, Gretzky said. Is everybody perfectly happy when the best player gets pulled off? No. But its protocol -- thats what the rules are and youve got to live with it.There was criticism of the program recently after Edmontons Connor McDavid was pulled from a game against the Wild on Sunday when he was tripped and his chin hit the ice.McDavid and some of his teammates werent happy he was pulled from the game for concussion testing, tests he passed. There have also been concerns raised about putting in a backup goalie without proper warm-up if a starting goalie is removed by a concussion spotter.As more high-profile cases emerge and the games increase in importance as the playoffs move closer, the debate will likely get louder. But thats exactly why the program is in place, Bettman said.The reason you have the spotter program is exactly for the instances the people are talking about because players typically ... dont want to come out of a game, Bettman said. We think being cautious, having protocols and enforcing them is the best way to ensure it. Does that mean some players are going to get pulled who didnt have concussions? Sure. But it also means were going to make sure the players who need to be off the ice are off the ice.The second day of the NHLs board of governors meetings passed without major news emerging. According to Bettman, the session was filled with routine informational updates, on issues like the centennial celebration, relationships with television rights holders and a World Cup wrap-up.Everybody in the room believes, as do we, that we were able to re-establish this event in a very big way, major way, Bettman said of the World Cup. There are a variety of things were focused on to do it even better the next time we do it, whenever that might be. I think people were pleased with it.The NHL also filled out its executive committee, adding Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson and Winnipeg co-owner Mark Chipman to the committee in place of the late Ed Snider and Carolina owner Peter Karmanos.Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.? Swingman Andre Drummond Jersey . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Allen Iverson Jersey . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. http://www.officialpistonsonline.us/ben-wallace-pistons-jersey/ . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Swingman Allen Iverson Jersey . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. Dennis Rodman Jersey . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. CONCORD, N.C. -- Stuck in the longest losing streak of his career, Jimmie Johnson had a chance for a critical win that could salvage this ho-hum season for Hendrick Motorsports.Hardly a championship contender for most of this season, Johnson grabbed a victory at sun-soaked Charlotte Motor Speedway when nearly half the title contenders had horrible days.The win Sunday was his third of the season, but snapped a 24-race losing streak dating to March. Johnson is the only Hendrick driver to visit victory lane this season, and this win earned him an automatic berth into the third round of the playoffs.Its the first time Johnson has made it out of the second round since the elimination format was introduced in 2014. He was knocked out at Talladega in the second round of the inaugural season, and was bounced in the first round last year.Suddenly, the six-time NASCAR champion is a realistic contender for that elusive record-tying seventh title.We cant sit back and celebrate too much on this, Johnson said. Weve got to buckle down and get to work tomorrow and keep advancing our race cars. But this does buy us a couple weeks of freedom.The race was originally scheduled for Saturday night, but Hurricane Matthew washed out nearly the entire weekend and set up an 800-mile doubleheader of the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series on Sunday. When the racing finally began on a beautiful North Carolina afternoon, it immediately shaped up as a Hendrick kind of day.Johnson and Chase Elliott dominated the race, running 1-2 for a long stretch, and a Hendrick victory all but guaranteed based on the speed the Chevrolets showed. Elliott, though, was one of five Chase drivers to finish 30th or worse, and it was Johnson who had to carry the flag.Fitting, though.The win came on the 15th anniversary of Johnsons debut in Cup for Hendrick, which was at Charlotte, and was his eighth career win at the track.Nobody ever gave up, and you know, we know what a champion Jimmie is, team owner Rick Hendrick said.Johnson has quietly turned up his performance in the Chase and became an official title contender as the first driver qualified for the next round. He led a race-high 155 laps Sunday, and in four Chase races this season, hes led 363 laps and hasnt finished lower than 12th.Be curious to look back, I guess, and see if these are all new cars that theyre bringing, said reigning champion Kyle Busch. Obviously, if it is, then theyve found something that theyve been waiting out and holding out on us. Thats to be expected, though, man. Thats what this sport is all about.Johnson certainly figured it out on a day when six Chase drivers had trouble.Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick both had engine issues. Austin Dillon and Elliott were in accidents. Joey Logano had tire problems, and Martin Truex Jr. had an electrical issue as he left pit road after the final pit stop.Five Chase drivers finished lower than 30th, and Harvick, the 2014 champion, is last in the standings.Hamlin was running second when hhis engine blew with 25 laps remaining.dddddddddddd. As the cars left pit road, Truex seemed poised to restart in second, but he appeared to stall and instead restarted 16th.Although Truex salvaged his day and finished 13th -- lowest of the Chase drivers still running at the end of the race -- Hamlin wound up 30th.Dillon was 32nd, Elliott 33rd, Logano 36th and Harvick 38th.The hectic day left only Johnson breathing easy at the end. Not even Matt Kenseth, who finished second to Johnson, is relaxed heading into races at Kansas and Talladega.Would love to have the win, would make you feel a lot better about the next two weeks, Kenseth said.HENDRICK RETURNS : This had been a miserable season for Hendrick Motorsports, by its own standards. Only two of its four drivers made the Chase this year and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is sidelined with a concussion.Johnson has the only wins for the organization, but Elliott had been sniffing victory lane all season.On Sunday, the two combined to lead 258 of the 334 laps, and Johnson and Elliott ran 1-2 for a huge chunk of the race.Elliott was involved in an accident with 75 laps remaining and could not hide his disappointment.We had such a good car, he said. Im devastated that we didnt get the result that my guys deserve.Despite Elliotts finish, it was a good organizational day for Hendrick: Kasey Kahne finished third and Alex Bowman showed early speed before a tire issue caused him to wreck.HAMLIN WOES: During a lengthy red-flag, NBC Sports interviewed Hamlin while he idled in his car and said he was just cruising along for a strong finish.Then his engine blew up and a strong points day was ruined.It was Hamlins first engine failure since Talladega in 2013, and he noted afterward that hes always hit with bad luck during NASCARs postseason.Its just my time and its usually Chase time when I have these things happen, he said. Ive been doing this 11 years and I cant name anyone else who has had as bad of luck as I have in the Chase.DILLON GAMBLES: As the long shot in the field, Dillon likely needed tremendous luck or a stroke of strategic planning to advance out of the second round. His team gambled on a late pit stop in taking only two tires, a move that earned him nine spots and into second for a restart.He seemed to get off cleanly at the drop of the flag, but as he shifted, he was hit from behind by Truex and spent spinning into an interior wall.Truex accepted blame for hitting Elliott in a frustrated communication over his team radio.I tried to give him a shot and just turned him around like a damn idiot, Truex radioed.Dillon, a rookie in the Chase who is winless so far at the Cup level, figured he needs to get a victory in one of the next two races.We will have to work hard the next two weeks to get the points back, he said. We just have to do a lot, we have to win one of the next two races. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '