By IRA PODELL
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NHL board of governors will meet Friday to
rubber-stamp their approval of the new collective bargaining
agreement with the players' association, hold the Sidney Crosby
sweepstakes, and discuss rule changes they hope will liven up the
game.

The union will hold a two-day meeting in Toronto on Wednesday and
Thursday so players can voice their opinions on the tentative deal
that was reached last week and then vote on it.

Even though some players have publicly criticized the agreement, that
is believed to contain a $39 million salary cap and a 24 percent
rollback on existing contracts, union members are expected to ratify
the deal which would put an end to the owners' lockout that forced
the cancellation of last season.

When the NHL board convenes in New York, executives from all 30 teams
are expected to overwhelmingly approve the agreement that provides
the ``cost certainty'' commissioner Gary Bettman set out to get.

The fight with the union caused the NHL to become the first North
American sports league to lose an entire season to a labor dispute.
Bettman imposed the lockout on Sept. 16, and then called off the
season exactly five months later.

Now that a deal in principle has finally been reached, the NHL is
looking forward to next season. The first order of business, after
both sides sign off on the agreement, is to hold the draft lottery.

That will take place during the board meeting on Friday. All 30 teams
will have some shot at winning the first pick -- which is a virtual
lock to be the Canadian phenom Crosby -- but clubs that have missed
the playoffs in recent years will have extra pingpong balls in the
weighted lottery.

Columbus, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and the New York Rangers will have the
maximum of three pingpong balls.

It is expected that a toned-down version of the draft, originally
scheduled for June in Ottawa, will take place at the end of this
month in Canada's capital city.

Possible rule changes that could be enforced in the upcoming season
are, shootouts to eliminate tie games, wider blue lines to increase
the size of the offensive zones, the removal of the center red line,
and limitations on where goalies can handle the puck.

Goalies are already expected to be playing with smaller pads next
season.

July 19, 2005