International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel said he had a good discussion Wednesday with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players Association Executive Director Don Fehr about the worlds top hockey players participating in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.No hitting, and no elbows, Fasel joked in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.Bettman described the meeting as constructive and candid.Still lots of issues, Bettman wrote in an email to the AP.Fasel said his job is to raise funds for the players transportation and insurance. The International Olympic Committee does not want to cover those costs as it has the previous five Olympics. Fasel hopes to persuade the IOC to financially support the NHLs participation.It is the only league that shuts down to participate in the Winter or Summer Olympics, Fasel said.Bettman and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly declined to comment on a Sportsnet report indicating the league has offered to sign off on allowing players to go for gold in South Korea in exchange for the union not opting out of the collective bargaining agreement in September 2019, which would in effect extend the deal for three years.There have been some suggestions that could be construed that that discussion would be worth having, Fehr told reporters in New York. Obviously, we discuss that with players. We have begun that process, but were a long way from done.Bettman has said a decision would need to be made by early January at the latest, giving the league time to create its 2017-18 schedule with or without a two-plus week break for the Olympics.Fasel isnt in a rush.We can wait longer because we want to do all we can to keep best-on-best hockey in the Olympics, Fasel said.NHL and NHLPA officials recently visited the Olympic site in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and have deemed it suitable for international competition.Whether the worlds best hockey players go to South Korea in about 15 months is up to the league and union, though Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has said he will go even if there isnt an agreement.The IOC spent about $14 million to cover travel and insurance costs for NHL players for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Fasel has said the bill would be about $10 million for the next Olympics because it wont be necessary to charter planes to South Korea as it was to get players to Sochi.The NHL hasnt sounded eager about going to South Korea, but does appear very interested in tapping into Chinas huge market in 2022.When the IOC awarded the Beijing Games, it certainly created a bigger opportunity than we thought existed potentially before, Daly said in September. But it is also possible that you dont go to one Olympics and you do go to the other. I dont think anybody has ruled that out as a possibility.Fasel has been trying to persuade national Olympic committees and hockey federations to donate funds to keep the games best players on the biggest stage in sports. He acknowledged the IIHF could possibly use some of the $40 million it gets from the IOC every four years and make cuts from its development programs for boys and girls.Its not going to be easy to get this done, but thats my job, Fasel said.---Follow Larry Lage at www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at www.bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lageEmilio Pagan Rays Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Emilio Pagan Jersey . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/ . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Mike Brosseau Jersey . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Colin Poche Rays Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming.YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Eastern Michigan University strongly supports the right of students to peacefully demonstrate about issues that are important to them, the schools president said Saturday, a day after students took to the field after a football game to protest racist graffiti that showed up on campus earlier in the week.The student protest on the Rynearson Stadium field after Eastern Michigans 27-24 victory over Wyoming on Friday night was peaceful. During the game, students sat peacefully and talked to President James Smith. They moved outside the end zone area in the closing moments before walking onto the field chanting, No justice! No peace!We have great respect for our students engaged in the constructive efforts underway to address the issues we face, Smith said in a statement released Saturday.Spray-painted graffiti that included the letters KKK and a racial epithet was found Tuesday on the exterior wall of a building on the Ypsilanti campus. Another racial slur was found Wednesday.Both have been removed and Eastern Michigan said it is trying to identify those responsible. Smith said those responsible would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and that any students who may have been involved would be expelled.ddddddddddddA group of students protesting the graffiti were marching Tuesday from the campus to Smiths home when a motorist slowly drove through the crowd in an SUV, damaging a motorcycle. No injuries were reported and sheriffs deputies are investigating the incident.Nationally, protests have followed the fatal shootings of blacks by law enforcement.A fifth day of rallies was held Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina, after the fatal shooting earlier in the week of a black man by police. Some of the demonstrations were violent and North Carolinas National Guard was called in Thursday to maintain order.Eastern Michigan senior Demajae Muray told The Ann Arbor News Friday night that the Rynearson Stadium protest was peaceful.Were still trying to bring awareness because we feel like they are not doing anything about what happened, Muray said of school officials handling of the graffiti issue. This is the perfect opportunity to do that. ' ' '