Category: hockey

It Wasn’t You, It Was Me . . .

Um . . . hello? Hi, NHL? Um . . . this is awkward. . . Hi, it’s ESPN. I know you’re mad, but please hear me out. I . . .uh . . . I want you back.

One Fan’s Perspective…: ESPN Wants Hockey Back

Thanks to Kukla’s Korner, we learn that ESPN is talking with the NHL to bring hockey back to one of its channels. How nice. The ESPN family of networks left their relationship with the NHL because they could not justify programming a league with an undetermined period of possible inactivity. When the lockout concluded, they still didn’t want the NHL or its programming back and Versus (then OLN), picked up the ball…er puck…and ran…um skated away with it.

more . . .

I guess since the NHL doesn’t have a blemish on their sport (YET) ESPN would like to start pushing it again? Very interesting.


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Showin’ Some Brotherly Love

My brother, who lives somewhere out in a desert in Arizona, has a hockey blog. It’s rather Phoenix Coyotes heavy but what do you expect? He lives out there and supports the home team. If he lived here in Nashville he’d be writing wonderful Predators related pieces.

This particular post seemed to resonate with me because I think there are certain parts of it that relate to our home team. Especially with the unloading of some players and not being able to hang on to others that are free agents.

So, here are a couple of excerpts from my bro (go read the rest here):

One Fan’s Perspective…

. . . this hockey club will look vastly different come September
when training camp approaches. As I have written before, balanced
hockey clubs are important. Learning to win is difficult and struggling
to win can be even worse.

The positive side to the lack of a veteran presence, or to the lack
of a good veteran presence (those that will lead the right way and not
look to the plethora of golf courses we have here and not look to
retire), is that the coaching staff can teach good habits as the young
players will not have any preconceived notion of how to play NHL hockey.

                

I just want the organization to put a team on the ice that will be competitive. My expectations are not the playoffs.

Yet.

I may disagree with the last sentence. As far as I’m concerned, always expect the playoffs. But, that may be the reason I cry a lot during the post-season.

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Quotable Quotes from the Young Extroverted One: Part V

“I’m going to be the allest of the universe!” –Young Extroverted One

Said this morning as we’re driving to school.  Basically, she was describing herself when she grows up.  It’s the natural succession of being a hockey playing, animal rescuing, paleontologising (that’s a cool word) artist. Everyday the list gets longer.  Whatever she ends up doing we’re behind her all the way!

Another One Bites the Dust?

So, Paul Kariya out? Ugh. The dumping of Vokoun was, hopefully, to clear the way to be able to hold on to Kariya. But who wants to stay on a sinking ship? By the way, I don’t think it’s a sinking ship. Where’s the loyalty?

Regardless of the outcome I still believe the Preds could be contenders. They have a good coach and a great goalie. If there is an inkling of skill in any of the players left I think it’s up to the coach to make a team the best. So, if Barry Trotz can’t ever make it happen it might be up to a new coach. Hopefully, the Preds will still be in Nashville if that happens.

More Hockey News

Vokoun Becomes a Florida Panther

According to TSN, Nashville Predators goaltender Tomas Vokoun becomes a Florida Panther and the Predators get the Panthers picks in return.

Obviously,
the Predators need to cut salary to trim payroll for reasons already
written and hashed about, but in terms of goaltending ability, if we
used Save Percentage testing the mettle of quality goaltenders, new
number one Predators goalie Chris Mason was ranked 2nd in Save Percentage last year behind Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild.

The guy can play and he can stop the puck. What is good for the Predators, he comes at a cheaper price than Vokoun.

He’s got a good point. I thought Vokoun was good. Just not that good. Now we’ll see if Mason can shine in the number one slot!

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‘The Great One’ Just Moved Down a Rung

globeandmail.com: Gretzky approves of potential Predators move

Gretzky approves of potential Predators move

 

TIM WHARNSBY AND ALLAN MAKI
From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
June 20, 2007 at 10:21 PM EDT

“First, it’s a great thing for [Balsillie],” Gretzky said. “Obviously,
he’s excited about it. If it actually works out that he gets to move
the team to Hamilton is something that we’ll have to follow over the
next little while.

“On the other side of it, I feel very disappointed for the people of
Nashville. But that’s business, that’s life. I will say this that if
the team is allowed to move to that area [Hamilton], it will be
tremendously successful.”

 

Damn you, Wayne! You do have a point. But Nashvillians and, hopefully, the businesses of Nashville aren’t going down without a fight.

I have said it before. While the potential for a move is there and I may not like it one bit that’s business. And EVERYBODY (for the most part) loves hockey in Canada. It would make better business sense (looking at Craig Leopold’s numbers) to move to a more receptive market.

Still, I love hockey and don’t want this team to move. If I had the cash I would buy several season tickets. Sigh . . .

*Props to my brother and his blog for this news.

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The Unloading Begins . . .

Flyers swap picks for rights to Hartnell, Timonen                                        Phil Coffey | NHL.com Editorial Director

Philadelphia acquired forward Scott Hartnell and defenseman Kimmo Timonen from the Nashville Predators in exchange for the 2007 first-round pick, No. 23, the Predators had sent to the Flyers in exchange for Peter Forsberg.

Both Hartnell, 25, and Timonen, 32,are two of the most anticipated unrestricted free agents expected to hit the market on July 1, but if things fall into place for the Flyers, they will have staged an impressive preemptive strike.

I guess that’s all David Poile can do with an uncertain budget and ownership.  It makes me sad but if I had the money I would STILL buy season tickets.  So there!

Stanley Cup Champs

First off, I am not a fan of the Anaheim Ducks whatsoever.  I am more of a fan of the sport of hockey than anything (and a big fan of the home team as well).  But I must say some things about the NHL playoffs that no other sport playoff series has.

Whenever I watch the playoffs and the finals no matter who wins the whole process brings a tear(s) to my eyes. Hockey is the only sport that has the hand-shaking thing.  Reminiscent of little league games it’s great to see opponents shake hands and hug (as manly as possible)after a rough series.  Especially after contentious moments.

It’s hard work and whoever ends up winning gets my respect.  One of my favorite teams to have won the cup was the Carolina Hurricanes.  I had the pleasure of working in the RBC Center and for the ‘canes before it was the RBC Center.  Always a fan even though I have since moved from Raleigh and am in Nashville and am a fan of my home team.

Congratulations to the Ducks.  And to the Predators, there’s always next year.

Get a Grip

Okay, it seems that every blogger in Nashville is talking about this potential purchase of the Nashville Predators by a Canadien (gasp) businessman. As a hockey fan I might as well jump on this bandwagon and say my piece (or is it peace? MTA a little help?) about the impending transaction.

To start off this post I must share an anecdote. The day I drove the Uhaul filled with our possessions I tuned in to one of the sports radio networks (I can’t remember which one) when they announced that Paul Kariya had just signed on to be a Predator. Hearing that announcement made the move from my beloved Black Mountain, North Carolina to Nashville worth it. The Elder Extroverted Holy One’s acceptance into Vanderbilt Divinity School aside I was all about living in a town with a NHL team again.

Okay, back to the topic at hand.

First of all the deal is not done.

The sale must be closed by June 30. Approval before that date from the NHL’s board of governors would be required.

Balsillie, the co-CEO of BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion Ltd., who saw his recent bid to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins fall apart, said he is respectful of all the “due diligence” required before the Predators deal can close.

“This is still Craig Leipold’s franchise until the deal is completed, so for me to comment at this time on any number of topics relative to the franchise would not be appropriate,” Balsillie said in a statement.

Hoops need to be jumped through and so forth and so on. However, I am as pessimistic about the outcome as most others are.

I must say that the current predicament the Preds are in I’m going to have to blame the corporate entities here in Nashville. As the Wall Street Journal says, “In a league where teams shoot for a 65-35 split between corporate and consumer ticketholders, the Predators’ fan base is about 30% corporate and 70% consumer.”

One can’t expect the fan base in this southern town to carry the whole burden of supporting the team. It has to be the whole community, which includes the local businesses. It seems that we, as fans, have done quite a lot to support our team. Heck, the Young Extroverted One loved our experience so much that she cried when I took someone else to a game! If I could afford it I would definitely get a couple of season tickets so I can take her to every game and to support our team.

When I worked for the Carolina Hurricanes it was extremely tough to make fans out of NASCAR and ACC basketball fans. It basically took a Stanley Cup win to build a following but there was definitely a core fan base that stuck it through the whole time. Plus, it took the local Raleigh businesses to get behind them. That’s what we need here.

But I must also keep in mind that this is all about business. If the deal goes through and the lease agreements aren’t made then Balsillie can do whatever he chooses with the team. If he decides to move it to a more hockey friendly community, like anywhere in Canada, then that’s his prerogative. I love hockey, I love the Predators but this relationship can’t work if the entire community doesn’t jump in to support them as well.

If any out-of-towners would like to support the Introvert/Extrovert family’s wishes to help support the Nashville Predators with season tickets then leave a comment below with your pledges. A hockey fan representative will contact you shortly.