Peter Karmanos' openness to sell the Carolina Hurricanes in no way means the franchise will be uprooted, according to Gary Bettman.

The NHL commissioner swiftly dashed the speculation Karmanos engendered when he told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun on Saturday he was willing to sell, stating incisively at his media conference: "the franchise is not moving."

Bettman suggested LeBrun caught Karmanos in a candid moment, and that his interest in potentially unloading the franchise was discussed "whimsically," according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

He said that Karmanos' stance hasn't changed, and that he remains committed to having hockey thrive in Raleigh.

Bettman also noted that there's no formal sale process.

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