NEW YORK - The NHL board of governors will meet next month, when commissioner Gary Bettman could seek permission to call off the 2004-05 season.

Top officials from the 30 clubs will gather on Jan. 14 with Bettman, the league confirmed. If a collective bargaining agreement hasn't been reached with the players' association by then, the lockout will probably cause the cancellation of the 2004-05 season.

Bettman has so far resisted announcing a drop-dead date to call off the entire season.

NEW YORK - An arbitrator Wednesday knocked 10 games off the penalty Jermaine O'Neal received from commissioner David Stern for fighting with fans during the Nov. 19 Pacers-Pistons brawl. Three other suspensions were upheld.O'Neal's suspension was reduced from 25 to 15 games, making him eligible to return Saturday in Indiana's nationally televised rematch with Detroit - but only if the judgment stands up in court.The league and the union were expected to argue the matter this morning in U.S. District Court.In a 28-page decision, Roger Kaplan upheld Ron Artest's season-long suspension and the penalties given to Stephen Jackson (30 games) and Anthony Johnson (five games).The union had asked for substantial reductions in the penalties during a six-hour arbitration hearing at a Manhattan law office. The NBA declined to participate, saying Kaplan had no jurisdiction to arbitrate penalties for on-court behavior - an area in which the league contends the commissioner has sole discretion.Kaplan ruled that he had jurisdiction to hear the case.