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NEW YORK -- Hockey fans of a certain age tend to remember where they were on Aug. 9, 1988, when the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was working for the NBA 25 years ago and doesnt recall exactly where he was. His most vivid memory came a couple of weeks later when he saw the Aug. 22 Sports Illustrated cover that featured Gretzky and Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson. "Remember thinking at the time that that demonstrated a huge step forward for hockey and its credibility," Bettman told The Canadian Press on Thursday. "It was obviously something that, in the annals of sports, was one of those seminal events that gets a tremendous amount of attention because of its import and impact." Sports Illustrateds cover read, "Great move, Gretzky." At the expense of the Oilers and their fans, it also turned out to be a great move for hockey in the United States, which benefited from expansion and an infusion of players at the youth level. "People paid attention to hockey in places where they might not have focused on it as much, and it was clear there was a great deal of interest in the game," Bettman said. "Waynes presence in L.A. was the catalyst for that." When Gretzky arrived in Los Angeles, The Forum wasnt a loud or intimidating place to play. Sellouts and celebrity appearances became the norm, thanks to the NHLs biggest star. Not long after, Gretzkys impact was felt beyond Los Angeles. The league added a second California team in 1991 with the expansion San Jose Sharks and a third in 1993 with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Bettman became commissioner several months before the Mighty Ducks and Florida Panthers debuted and the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas and in the midst of the Tampa Bay Lightnings first season. The leagues expansion across the Sunbelt continued under Bettmans watch, due in no small part to the Gretzky trade. "It was the reaction of people to the game," Bettman said of the cause and effect. "Waynes presence in L.A. and the success the Kings had demonstrated that hockey had credibility in so-called newer or non-traditional markets." Gretzky was never able to lead the Kings to a Stanley Cup. In 2012, they became the fifth team in a "non-traditional market" to do so, joining the Stars, Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and Ducks. Small-market teams arent immune to financial difficulties like what the Oilers dealt with leading to the trade. But no longer can owners get $15 million for a player like Peter Pocklington did from Bruce McNall for Gretzky. And changes to the NHLs business structure have given them increasing ability to compete. "As you see from looking at how the games been played and the playoff races and the regular-season races, we have perhaps the best competitive balance that not only we have ever seen but that any sport has ever seen," Bettman said. "Every team has a chance of making the playoffs, you see that, and playoffs are incredibly not just entertaining but unpredictable." Nike Blazer Mid Mens . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. Nike Blazer Mid 77 Sale . LUCIE, Fla. http://www.cheapblazershoes.com/ . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Buy Nike Blazer Mid . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Nike Blazer Low Womens Sale . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. CLEVELAND -- Once his long drive caromed into no mans land, Tyler Naquin kept going. And going. And going.Naquin sprinted around the bases, stumbled toward home plate and scored with a head-first dive.Then he was mobbed by his Cleveland teammates -- they all wanted to celebrate a game-winning inside-the-park home run in the ninth inning.Even by walk-off standards, the Indians 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night was a stunner.That was a pretty cool moment, Naquin said. I almost fell down there for a second. I wanted to just keep running.It was the first game-ending inside-the-park homer since Angel Pagan did it for San Francisco against Colorado in 2013, according to baseballreference.com.Naquins mad dash capped a two-run rally. Toronto took a 2-1 lead into the ninth in a matchup of AL division leaders.Closer Roberto Osuna (2-2) retired the first batter, but Jose Ramirez tied it with a home run.Naquin followed with a fly that hit the top of the right-field wall, above the leap of Michael Saunders. The ball bounced away at an angle and center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. gave chase as Naquin rounded second.Upton finally retrieved the ball, but fell down as third base coach Mike Sarbaugh waved Naquin home. Upton flung it toward the infield, and Naquin reached the plate way ahead of second baseman Devon Travis relay.I was just thinking after I hit it, I took a couple steps out of the box and just pictured it kicking off the wall, Naquin said. I thought, `I have a chance to score if it kicks far enough. And sure enough, it did.On Thursday night, the rookie lofted a sacrifice fly as a pinch-hitter in the ninth to lift Cleveland over the White Sox.Id actually like to win by five or 10 so we dont have to do that, Naquin said.This was only the second time -- and first since 1916 by Braggo Roth -- the Indians ended a win with an inside-the-park home run, ESPN Stats annd Info said.ddddddddddddeff Manship (2-1) pitched the ninth. Osuna blew his third save in 30 chances.Trevor Bauer struck out a career-high 13 in eight innings.Russell Martin hit a two-run homer in the first for Toronto.The win increased Clevelands lead in the AL Central over Detroit to seven games. Torontos lead over Boston in the AL East was cut to a half-game.The crowd of 30,665 featured several thousand Blue Jays fans who matched cheers and chants with Indians fans throughout the game.It was a heck of a game, both sides, Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. Good pitching, good crowd excitement, good baseball.Blue Jays manager John Gibbons obviously felt differently about the shocking ending.That was tough, he said. We were sitting pretty good. That went from feeling pretty good to feeling rotten pretty quick.Mike Napoli hit an RBI single in the sixth for Cleveland.Toronto played without third baseman Josh Donaldson (jammed right thumb) and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (sore calf).THE CHAMP IS HEREUntil the wild finish, the biggest cheer of the night went to LeBron James, who watched the game from a suite. James led the Cavaliers past Golden State in the NBA Finals, Clevelands first championship in 52 years.ROSTER NEWSThe Indians called up RHP Shawn Armstrong from Triple-A Columbus and optioned left-hander Kyle Crockett to the same club. The Blue Jays optioned outfielder Darrell Ceciliani to Triple-A Buffalo.TRAINERS ROOMBlue Jays: Manager John Gibbons expects Donaldson and Tulowitzki to be available Saturday.UP NEXTBlue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez will start for the first time since Aug. 13 as the team attempts to limit his innings.Indians: RHP Josh Tomlin returns from the family medical emergency list. He flew home to Tyler, Texas, on Wednesday. ' ' '