OTTAWA (AP) – The NHL and the players’ association met for talks Wednesday, but tried to keep the focus on the World Cup of Hockey.

“Well, hopefully this won’t take away from the tournament,” said Ted Saskin, the NHLPA’s senior director. “It’s going to be fantastic hockey and I think once the puck drops, everybody is going to be excited. It’s a lot more exciting than watching us, that’s for sure.”

The United States was to play Canada in an exhibition game at the Corel Centre on Wednesday night and both NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow were expected to attend.

The two sides met in downtown Ottawa on Wednesday afternoon, their first meeting since last Tuesday in Newark, N.J. The sides were to meet again today.

“We’re going to be having ongoing discussions today, we’re going to continue having discussions tomorrow and then we’ll comment after that ends,” Saskin said.

Saskin and Bill Daly, the league’s chief legal officer and executive vice president, came out midway through their meeting and told the assembled media they would have nothing further to say until today. The union officially rejected the league’s six proposals for a new collective bargaining agreement last week.

•Jordan Leopold of the Calgary Flames pulled out of the World Cup on Wednesday because of a concussion, the third key defenseman lost by the defending champion United States. He was hurt during the third period of Monday night’s 3-1 exhibition win over Canada in Columbus, Ohio – a game in which he scored the final goal. Detroit defensemen Derian Hatcher and Mathieu Schneider, already had withdrawn.