Despite a recent trip to Seattle, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says expansion is not currently on the horizon for the league. In a one-hour interview with TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on Friday, Bettman discussed a variety of topics, including expansion, outdoor games and changes to the NHL draft. When asked about his recently reported trip to Seattle with deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Bettman said the visit simply coincided with being on the west coast for a playoff game in Anaheim. "We had a few hours to kill, we were in the neighborhood, so I figured Id go to Seattle to find out what the building story was," Bettman told LeBrun. "We werent there campaigning, we werent asking for anything, and thats been misreported. Based on the level of interest were getting from lots of people in Seattle and a fair amount of uncertainty and confusion about the building, we decided Lets go find out for ourselves what the story is with the building. And theres no prospect of a building right now." Investor Chris Hansen currently holds the rights with the city of Seattle to build a new arena, however Hansen will not move ahead with the building process until he has secured an NBA franchise. Hansen is not pursuing an NHL team for the arena, but would like to have an NHL team as a tenant of the arena under another owner. "The sense I get is he doesnt want to build a building just to have a tenant," Bettman said. "And since he seems to have things tied up with the city for the next three years, give or take, theres no certainty about a building." Bettmans takeaway from the Seattle tour; that "the possibility of a new arena is at best uncertain." Bettman said he is also aware of the arena being built in Quebec City, as well as the plans for an MGM Arena in Las Vegas, however expansion for his league currently remains off the table. "Things are popping up, but were not in an expansion process. Could we get to one at some point? Maybe. But right now were not focused on going through an expansion process." While the league may not be expanding franchises, expanding fan bases through outdoor games will continue. The commissioner acknowledged that though the number of outdoor games will drop from the record six played last season, the league will play more than one outdoor game in 2014-15. Bettman explained that the elevated number of games this past season stemmed from various circumstances. "This year we used those games in a variety of ways. Part of it was promoting us going into the Olympics, part of it was promoting it coming out. And doing it in New York [around the Super Bowl] with two games...we had to do lots of stuff. Our people did an extraordinary job, but we really taxed things to the limit. But also, interestingly enough, the Olympic break let us set up for more games. So, itll be more than one and less than six next season." As the league continues its tradition of adding excitement with outdoor games, the discussion of adding more excitement to the draft has also come up. "The GMs have asked us whether or not more teams should be eligible for the lottery result moving up more teams and whether or not the odds should be adjusted a little bit. Thats something were looking at," Bettman said. Bettman told LeBrun it would be premature to say if the adjustments would be made in time for the 2015 Draft, but said changes are being contemplated. "We havent finished a proposal thats been circulated... I think if were going to make an adjustment, itll be that more picks are selected by the lottery and we might smooth out the odds a little. But again, thats not something were at yet." The current NHL draft process gives every non-playoff team a chance at the first overall selection, with percentages declining from 25 percent. The 2014 NHL Draft will take place on June 27-28 in Philadelphia. Seattle Mariners Gear .com) - The Ottawa Senators will try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they face the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to secure their place in the post-season. Wholesale Mariners Jerseys . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. https://www.cheapmariners.com/. The 20-year-old Inoue landed a series of combinations and the bout was stopped 2 minutes, 54 seconds into the sixth round. Inoue, the first Japanese boxer to claim a world title in just his sixth professional fight, improved to 6-0 with five knockouts. Seattle Mariners Store . Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks. Cheap Mariners Jerseys . "I had a pretty good year," the soft-spoken Granberg told TSN.ca with a grin from the teams annual rookie tournament in London. A fourth-round selection in 2010, Granberg is worth keeping an eye on with NHL training camps rolling around in less than a week. The six-foot-two, 200-pound defender may not possess the wow-inspiring theatrics of fellow prospect Morgan Rielly, but nonetheless has a chance to contribute with the Leafs when all is said and done this season.SAN DIEGO -- Cole Hamels dominated San Diego again as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Padres 5-2 on Wednesday night, ending a three-game losing skid. Hamels (9-7) struck out nine in seven innings and allowed a run as he scattered seven hits and a walk. It marked Hamels 21st straight start in which he was charged with three runs or less. Over that span he is 8-4 with a 1.86 ERA. Only the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw (1.26) has a better ERA. Hamels, who attended nearby Rancho Bernardo High and grew up a Padres fan, is 9-2 against San Diego. Ben Revere had two RBIs and two hits to pace the Phillies. Yangervis Solarte, Tommy Medica and Cameron Maybin each had two hits for the Padres. Eric Stults (7-17) took the loss, pitching 4 1-3 innings and giving up four runs and six hits. His 17th loss ties the Phillies A.J. Burnett, who lost Tuesday night, for the most in the majors. Stults retired 12 straight before the Phillies opened the fifth with four consecutive singles. The fourth one, by Freddy Galvis, drove in Darin Ruf and Domonic Brown for a 2-1 lead. After Hamels sacrifice bunt, Reveres two-run double chased Stults and pushed the Phillies ahead 4-1. In the fifth, Carlos Ruizs sacrifice fly scored Ruf for a 5-1 cushion, after Ruf doubled and advannced to third.dddddddddddd The Padres struck first in the fourth when Maybins second hit drove in Medica. After leading off the inning with his second single, Medica stole second base and scored easily on Maybins single. In the previous inning the Padres loaded the based when Hamels walked Stults, which followed Medica and Maybin hits. But Solarte flied out to right to end the threat. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: RHP Joaquin Benoit threw another bullpen session on Wednesday and manager Bud Black said Benoit could be available to pitch on Friday, when the Padres open a three-game series against the visiting Giants. Benoit hasnt worked since Aug. 26 because of a sore right shoulder. . Black said there was no update on RHP Tyson Ross and when he might pitch again. Ross is skipping his Thursday start because of soreness in his right arm. Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins, out of the lineup since Sept. 8 with a strained left hamstring, is increasing his baseball activities. Rollins took ground balls during batting practice. UP NEXT Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick (9-12, 4.72 ERA), who pitched six strong innings to beat San Diego on June 12, will face Padres LHP Robbie Erlin (3-4, 4.89). Erlin is making his first start since May 17 at Colorado after battling left elbow soreness. ' ' '