Predators Continue to Give Back to the Community and Tuesday Tidbits

The Nashville Predators have a long history of giving back to the community through the fundraising efforts of the Predators Foundation.

The Predators Foundation is a big part of the fabric that makes a pro sports team a valuable asset to their community. The foundation has many events throughout the year that raises money that is in turn given back to the community in many different ways. Last season, over 100 local charities benefited from over $300,000 in funds given out at the end of the season.

Today, for those who may have missed the Pred's preseason camp at Centennial Sportsplex, another opportunity exists for folks to get an up close view of the Preds as they take their practice on the road to A Game Sports (formally Southern Ice) in Franklin.

As part of the festivities the Preds will officially announce a new partnership with A Game Sports and will be presenting $150,000 to them to encourage youth hockey in the community.

When new CEO, Jeff Cogen first came to town, he discussed how important the development of youth hockey programs was to the long term success of the franchise. As kids play and grow into adults they become the season ticket holders of the future.

Therefore, the partnership developed today will benefit both entities in the short term as well as in the future.

Here are more details and the schedule of events from the Predators.

The Nashville Predators invite you to experience A-Game Sportsplex, a youth hockey facility in Cool Springs that fosters interest in hockey among all ages. Tomorrow, October 26 Nashville Predators leadership will present A-Game with a check for $150,000 as a way to encourage and promote youth hockey initiatives. We welcome you to stay and watch the Nashville Predators open practice after the check presentation. Make sure to hang around after practice for the Kids Community Corner with games, player autographs and prizes for all kids in attendance.

WHO: Jeff Cogen, Nashville Predators CEO, TriggWilkes, A-Game Sportsplex, Barry Trotz, Nashville Predators Head Coach, GNASH and the Nashville Predator Dancers

WHEN: October 26, 2010 from 3:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

3:15 p.m. - GNASH and Dancers arrive to greet fans, take pictures and hand out swag.
3:30 p.m. - Check Presentation
4 -5 p.m. - Predators Open Practice
5:10-7:15 - Player clinics with A-Game Mite and Squirt House Teams featuring Francis Bouillon, Nick Spaling, Alexander Sulzer and Colin Wilson.
5:30-6:30 p.m. - Kids Community Corner in the Courts - activities include player autographs with Cody Franson, Patric Hornqvist and Shane O'Brien, appearances by GNASH and the Ladies of Smashville, youth games and more.

WHERE: A-Game Sportsplex, 215 Gothic Court, Franklin, TN 37067

Jim Diamond has more details and Forechecker adds a timely video to his post.

Programming Note...

I will appear as co-host on Ryan Porth's RedLightDistrict Radio today at noon Central. Ryan will have Chriss Botta of Fanhouse and Chip Alexander of the Newsa and Observer as his special guests.

In Pred Nation...

Cody Franson is set to appear on NHL Live today between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Central. It can be seen on the NHL Network, NHL.com or on NHL Home Ice Radio.

Josh Cooper gets an answer that he doesn't expect from Barry Trotz on which game was the biger win over the weekend. He also has a post on the Preds' improved power play.

The power rankings are starting to come out this week and RLD Hockey doesn't play the homer card and leaves the Preds in fourth. They are up to #2 at ESPN. Joe Haggerty goes all out and puts the Preds at number one. Helene Elliott has the Preds in the second slot and her Kings in third.

Amanda DiPaolo has her weekly Central Division Shakedown which is a good scouting report for the Predators next two opponents, St. Louis and Detroit.

Chris Burton goes slid by slid looking at Sergei Kostitsyn's first goal as a Predator.

Mark Willoughby has the first two "Hattie" awards for this season. Both are well deserved. I love it when Mark pulls out the silver trophy. Mark also appeared on the RedWingsGuy podcast last night.

Is Gabriel Bourque the heir apparent to Jordan Tootoo as the Predators' future pest. Admirals Short Shifts (Roundtable) has a story at OnTheForecheck.

Jas Faulkner talks of the Preds going streaking at The Hockey Writers.

Paul McCann adds his thoughts about the Predator's big weekend on the road at Hockey Buzz.

Cody Franson need votes at PHT as he is up for the goal of the week. Vote now and vote often.

The Anders Lindback picture at this NHL.com story makes it look like he is starting Moovenber a week early.

Scott Burnside has the Blues-Preds game as one to watch this week but picks the wrong winner.

Sam at PredsBlog has a couple of men who look good in purple ties.

Around the NHL...

Another game night brings another hit that will be discussed today where Dustin Brown nailed Antti Miettinen and received a game misconduct. Take a look and see what you think.

Kevin Allen has some interesting numbers that shows that almost 20% of NHLers are from the US. Much of the future growth has to do with expansion into non-traditional markets and the involvement of players never exposed to the sport in the past.

Derek Zona at Copper and Blue has put together a neat Aggrigator in a newspaper type format of all the hockey news from SB Nation sites and calls it Hockey Hub Daily.

Chris Botta, who will be on RLD Radio today, has his wrap-up of the week's best. He also has an excellent commentary on the cover-up in New Jersey and how it will eventually backfire.

Steve Lapore has news of the NHLPA auctioning autographed books for Hockey Fights Cancer in the next couple of weeks. Steve also has the news on Mike Milbury joining Versus's Hockey Central.

Michael Nylander, who was on loan to Rochester, has a broken vertebrae in his neck and is scheduled for surgery. This probably will be the end of the line for the veteran center.

Good news from agent Allan Walsh on Pavelec @walsha In the good news department, client Ondrej Pavelec of the Thrashers has been activated from IR and is ready to go.

Al Cimaglia looks at the prospects of increased litigation in NHL matters. Lawyers are killing society and we don't need more in our sports world.

A new owner in Phoenix will get a bunch of big hugs so it appears.

Michelle's Monday Musings include Devils talk and the upcoming west coast road trip for Marty the Duck.

Too Many Men on the Site looks at the early Central Division dominance.

Half Smokes reveals the Alex Ovechkin that we all suspected was there.

A non-hockey blog writes about NHL Tweet-ups.

Down Goes Brown looks at prior episodes of star players finding the coaches dog house on the heels of the Ilya Kovalchuk benching on Saturday.

Intent to Blow reports that Devils coach John MacLean will be a healthy scratch for the remainder of the season.

Odds and Ends...

Domain names can be a gold mine. The Atlantic looks at the most expensive sale prices.

Hormel would like to turn its peperoni product into the next Spam.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass