NAGANO, Japan -- U.S. hockey players could face possible National Hockey League sanctions if they are found to have damaged rooms in the Olympic athletes village during an incident early on Thursday morning.

NHL

Commissioner Gary Bettman says improper conduct by NHL players 'will not be tolerated.' (Allsport)

commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters on Friday the league was investigating reports that several members of the United States team caused some $1,000 in damage to two rooms after being knocked out of the Olympic ice hockey tournament on Wednesday.

"I have broad powers under the NHL constitution to discipline players for conduct detrimental to the league. How I will choose to apply it and define it we'll leave for another day, I don't want to speculate," Bettman said.

UNITED STATES Olympic Committee (USOC) officials said earlier in the day they were not sure which players were involved in the incident, which happened after the Americans were beaten 4-1 by the Czech Republic in the Olympic quarter-finals

All of the American players have since left Nagano to return home.

Bettman said that so far the overall conduct of NHL players had been exemplary and that the incident should not overshadow the tournament. Unlike some other professional athletes at past Olympics, the players had chosen to stay in the athletes village rather than in expensive hotels.

He added that when players arrived in Nagano -- the first time the NHL has allowed its players to participate at the Games -- they were under the authority of national Olympic committees rather than the direct supervision of the league.

"I'M NOT DEFENDING THEM. I have no intention of doing so. ... (But) this isn't like a game where I have game reports and videotape," he said.

"I have a lot of questions for which I am ultimately going to want answers: What was USA Hockey's role, what was the USOC's role?

"Players are responsible for their conduct but when we participate in an Olympics, we in effect hand our players over to the various federations and I have lots of questions."

The United States, reigning World Cup champions, had been considered one of the favorites coming into the Olympics but failed to capture the form that propelled them to the title in 1996.