Nashville Predators Enjoying the Spotlight in Las Vegas

Tuesday afternoon, at the Palms Resort and Casino, the Nashville Predators seemed to be all over the place at the pre-awards media event. With four representatives nominated for awards, only the Vancouver Canucks had more personnel on hand for the preliminaries to the festivities that will be broadcast Wednesday night on  Versus at 6 p.m. CDT.

We're Back ! POTG Friday Headlines, News, and Links

After a disastrous 20.5 hours of outage due to the Blogger platform having a major meltdown, we are finally back. It seems like it was a lot longer. Here is Blogger's explanation and apology.

There are seven or eight posts still missing and we have been assured that all of them will return which will include all of our video from the final Preds presser.

I've been pimping a story about Shane O'Brien from October as preparation for a season ending story that will be up shortly so thanks to those who have patiently waited. As time permits we will have other things up as the day goes on and a bunch of third round preview stuff this weekend including what the Predators had to say about Ryan Kesler's performance against then in round two.

Follow the jump for a jam packed post of news and stuff...

POTG Hump Day Headlines, News, and Morning Links

The Predators season ended abruptly on Monday night but we have more news on the Predators than we have seen in a while as well as the outcome of last night's Glendale City Council meeting and news from around the NHL.

We will have video and plenty of information from the season ending pressers and locker room clean out later today, tonight and over the next few days also.

As an early heads up: RLD Hockey Talk this week will be a round three preview with Kevin Allen of USA Today on Friday at Noon.

Follow the jump for all the hockey news you need to start your day...

What Kind of Start Is More Frustrating For Fans and Friday Findings

What kind of start do fans prefer? Would you rather have your team start off poorly and then play better or start strong and then lose a few games.

Last season, the Predators won two quick games to start the season, then lost six games in a row before winning a wild contest in overtime against Ottawa. Included in that streak were back to back shellackings by Dallas and Edmonton where the Preds yielded six goals in each game. The power play was anemic with only one man advantage goal in 27 attempts through eight games.

After the 2-5-1 start last year, folks were clamoring for a major change and even whispering that it may be time to considering replacing Barry Trotz who did not seem particularly ruffled at the time. Except for the two blowouts, Trotz continued to find positives in the team's play.

Trotz transformed those positives into a 12-3-0 run that had them back in the thick of the playoff picture by American Thanksgiving.

This season, the Predators were the last NHL team to lose in regulation as the soared to the best record in the league at 5-0-3. They did have a three game losing streak hidden in their quick start but fans were somewhat appeased by gaining a "loser" point in each loss.

During this eight game run, the injuries mounted but the team managed to play through it. They finally had their first regulation loss in a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues last Thursday. That was followed by a team that was totally decimated by injuries being non-competitive in Detroit on Saturday.

After three days off and the return of three players from injury, the Preds found a new way to lose on Wednesday in Phoenix. The normally solid Pekka Rinne appeared to have beaten his jersey into outer space as he appeared out of sync repeatedly in the loss to the Coyotes.

The tone of the blogs and the tweets from the fans were not good late Wednesday night and yesterday. There were no calls for Trotz's ouster but the masses were not happy and appeared to want to see Anders Lindback in goal tomorrow..

So after eleven games this year the team is 5-3-3 while last season, the mark was 5-6-1. The collective mood of the fans seemed better last year at this point as the team had won three of four and were beginning to get on a roll.

So which is better, a fast start and then a slump, or a slump and a recovery. You decide.

In Pred Nation...

The space shuttle Discovery with Pekka Rinne's jersey on board was being fueled in preparation for its final trip into space this morning but was scrubbed at 7:11 a.m. Central due to a hydrogen leak. Go here to follow developments and find when the launch will be rescheduled. The next possible chance will be Sunday. The story of the jersey launch is starting to get attention elsewhere including this post in the Montreal Gazette.

Jim Diamond was inspired by Paul Nicholson and crunched the numbers to show that he Predators have spent over a million dollars on injured players so far this season.

Amanda DiPaolo puts together a really good piece on the transformation of the Predators from being a team in trouble to one that is solidly entrenched as a healthy franchise.

David Boclair discusses the new role of Kevin Klein and his attempts to create offense chances.

Blake Geoffrion blogs about life on the road and the bus at Inside Predators.

Dirk Hoag has his weekly look at all the fantasy gems on the Nashville Predators.

Chris Burton discusses Sergei Kostitsyn as an untapped resource.

Bryan Mullen has notes from Barry Trotz after yesterday's practice. He also writes about Shane O'Brian's makeover with the Predators.

AJ at PMFF takes a trip back in time to discuss the Predators recent happenings.

Mark Willoughby explains what happened on Tuesday in his weekly My View.

Cathie from Habs Rants defends Sergie Kostitsyn from his detractors.

Prospect Zach Budish is scheduled to meet with doctors tomorrow for another look at his knee after his moped accident.

The Milwaukee Admirals play Peoria at home tonight at home and celebrate the TV series "Dallas" with a special appearance by "Lucy Ewing" at Sunday's game. That makes you want to go to Milwaukee, right?

If you didn't get enough of Wednesday's loss to the Coyotes, Pete and Terry discuss the change of momentum early in the third period when the Yotes blew by the Preds.

The Predators are giving away a trip to the Winter Classic. Enter here.

Around the NHL...

Good news for the Devils for a change as Marty Brodeur feels that he will be able to start against the Rangers in spite of his bruised elbow that forced him to leave Wednesday's game versus the Hawks.

Here's the latest news on Dale Tallon's coaches challenge proposal to be presented to the NHL GMs next week.

Ryan Porth has the top five active players without a Stanley Cup ring.

Adrian Dater has an explanation of what a "bag skate" is after a recent one directed by Avs coach Joe Sacco. Dater then jumps over to Versus and writes about five coaches on the hot seat.

There is potential trouble brewing with security at the Winter Classic. It appears organizers don't want to pay the holiday rate. To me, it seems like that would go with the territory of playing on a holiday.

You've got to hand it to Spector's Hockey who has a long article about relocation and contraction and does not once mention Nashville. Lyle Richardson is aware of the positive moves in Nashville and doesn't throw the Preds in the mix just because it has become customary for some to do so.

I agree with Su Ring who discusses why Tim Thomas should have been the number one star for October.

I wish I lived in Red Deer so I could fly to Calgary or Edmonton for less than $10 Canadian. I'd fly from Columbia to Nashville for that.

Not that hockey fans need advice on the topic but Down Goes Brown offers fans a guide to booing.

Odds and Ends...

The Nashville RollerGirls will debut on the big stage tonight as they play their first bout in the National Championships in Chicago. They will face long-time power Oly at 7:15. Nashville finished third in the mid-south region while Oly was second to Denver in the West.

Stealing yard signs was always a big thing when I was a malicious teenager, but now Jim Cooper is paying folks to turn signs in to their office.

Here is an interesting display of Wal-Mart's growth over the last 48 years presented by Flowing Data.

From @InsideKSC: Thought 4 day: Enough money is being spent on Obama's 10 day visit to India to fund at least TWO Space Shuttle missions. Money well spent?

This seems like common sense, but here are seven reasons why you might have trouble getting investors interested in a new business venture.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Predators Put Perfect Record on the Line Against the Capitals and Weekend Update

The Nashville Predators (3-0) put their three game win streak on the line tonight when they meet the star-studded Washington Capitals (3-1) at 7 p.m. at the Bridgestone Arena.

The Preds and Caps met 13 days ago in Washington in the final preseason contest for both teams and Nashville came out on top 3-0 behind stellar goaltending of Pekka Rinne. Washington was without Niklas Backstrom but the Preds clearly outplayed the Caps.

Anders Lindback will get his third start in a row against the NHL's most powerful offense. Michal Neuvirth is the probable starter fro the Caps with Semyon Varlamov as the backup.

The Predators have had surprising success on their power play 30.8% clip (4-13) while the normally potent Capitals' man advantage has struggled at a 11.8 % pace.

Steve Sullivan leads the Preds with four goals and an assist while the always exciting Ovechkin has 4 goals and three assists.

On the injury front, in addition to Rinne being questionable, Mary Erat was placed on injured reserve retroactive to last Saturday so he is not eligible to be reactivated. Matt Lombardi will also miss his second game in a row. For Washington, Mike Green did not make the trip and Tom Poti, Matt Bradley and Marcus Johansson missed their last game and are possible scratches again tonight.

This will be Nashville's first test against an Eastern Conference foe before they return to competition from the West on Tuesday against Calgary. A few tickets remain so if you do not have tickets yet this would be a great game to catch and a rare appearance by Ovechkin and company in Music City.

Ryan Porth will have our post game story tonight after the game.

In Pred Nation...

Josh Cooper says the Predators are ready for a test with the best in the NHL.

Ryan Porth has a story about the new, improved Cal O'Reilly.

The Goalie Guild has a detailed breakdown of Anders Linback's first three games as an NHLer.

Mark Willoughby has his weekly "My View" that stars with a civics lesson.

Sam at PredsBlog does a one player recap of the Blues game on Sergei Kostitsyn. His one note about Sergei standing still on the blueline is interesting. I saw the same thing and wondered why he was there and if it was a set play.

Mark Van Guilder talks and Aaron Sims listens in the weekly series at the Ads home page.

Around the NHL...

In spite of the Blues loss to the Preds on Thursday, Ryan Porth thinks the Blues are poised to take the next step.

There are conflicting reports in the desert about the sale of the Coyotes. Here's the latest from the Globe and Mail. The other side comes from The Save the Coyotes Coalition Per Bill Daly on NHL Live today - an announcement is forthcoming either today or sometime this weekend regarding the Coyotes ownership situation. The NHL has reached an agreement on the purchase price with Matt Hulsizer!

How things have changed. Fabian Brunnstrom was supposed to be the next big thing in Dallas at one point and now he has been placed on waivers.

Here is a detailed look at the ten year history of the Columbus Blue Jackets. It almost reads like a Shakespeare tragedy.

Here is an interesting blog from the wife of Brent Sopel. This is a really different perspective that you rarely see.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Business Trip Preempts POTG Radio and Weekend Wrap-Up

This is the week that fans across the NHL universe have been waiting for. Many rookie camps, including the Predators, open today and veterans report for their physicals and testing on Friday.

Unfortunately, I am celebrating the occasion by spending the better part of the week in the hockey-less Columbia, Missouri tied up in meetings and evening events. Therefore, expectations of what we normally produce may need to be curbed slightly for the week.

We will not be having POTG Radio tonight but will return next week in the regular time slot on BTR with fantasy guru, Rob Higgins who just released Hockey Fantasy Index which you can order by clicking the picture of the book in the right column.

I will return by the end of the week and can't wait to make it over to Centennial on Saturday when the full camp opens. For those making it to the rink before then, have fun and Tweet and write about it so I can be jealous.

I feel certain Ryan Porth of RLD Hockey, Jeremy Gover of Section 303, Josh Cooper of the Tennessean, and several others will be out in force week bringing you all you need to know this week.

In Pred Nation...

Jim Diamond has a great story from the Peterson for Parkinson's event. He tells of the friendship between Brent Peterson and ex-NBAer Brian Grant.

Another great story this weekend came from Sam at PredsBlog. He went to David Freeman's office and got a interview that concluded with an update on W Brett Wilson becoming part of the ownership group.

Jeremy Gover catches a little of Mitch Korn's humor in an interview at Section303. He also talks to Patric Hornqvist and Jonas Andersson. I love what Jeremy is doing with his "Three minute" pieces.

Josh Cooper has been busy with stories about the Pred's young defensive prospects, forward prospects, and a copy of the Press Release on Saturday about the NHLPA sending the recommendation of Donald Fehr to the players at large for a vote.

Pred's Fest returns the weekend of September 23 to 26 with all kinds of activities and free tickets to the Game against the Hurricanes on September 23. Go here for all the details.

Our Friend Jamie Cartwright is in a contest to sing the national anthem at a Pred's game. We would appreciate a few clicks for her at this web site. It should be no contest if you listen to all three.

Nick Spaling is previewed at OnTheForecheck. He is well liked by all in the organization and was a surprise to many fans last year. He is a prototypical Barry Trotz style player.

David Boclair at The City Paper has an article that is somewhat critical of David Poile for putting together teams that are just good enough to make the playoffs.

Big Kev returns with a "Roll Call" of players as the Pred's get ready to open camp.

Around the NHL...

Matt Reitz has part four in his series of division previews with another assemblage of writers, this time from the Pacific Division. This series is something that I look forward to seeing because it involves thirty writers that know their teams well.

The Battle of California picks the five lamest stories of the summer. Amazing it wasn't a top 10 list with so many to choose from.

Eric Duhatschek has ten things to look for in the coming season at The Globe and mail.

Damian Cristodero spoke with Dan Ellis and has the first direct quotes that I've seen from Dan on the issue.

David Getz has a great piece that uses numbers to prove a point that I've been discussing for a while. The biggest challenge for the NHLPA will be getting everyone in every salary range on the same page because most players are not getting the benefits of the top range players.

The Goalie Guild has a goalie depth chart of all 30 NHL teams. This is pretty amazing.

Mirtle talks to Brian Burke about his involvement in the Kovalchuk saga. It's good to hear this side of it.

Rod Brind'Amour took a job with the Hurricanes with a funny title, "Director of Forward Development."

The Hockey News Puck Panel discusses social media in the NHL. The puck needs to drop soon so we can move on.

Interesting fact from @wraparoundcurl: "146 WHL players have been invited to NHL camps, including 95 drafted in LA in June. The Portland Winterhawks have the most- w/ 13 players" That would include the Pred's Taylor Aronson who will return to Portland after rookie camp.

Odds and Ends...

With the Space Shuttle down to its last couple of flights, NASA gave employees a rare opportunity to see the Discovery up close and have pictures made with it. It was a bittersweet moment for many who have devoted their lives to the program.

Is it any surprise that social media is the number one use of the internet?

I saw several folks Tweet about this and watched the series. It is a nice video piece about the real Detroit (not the one you imagine).

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOntheGlass

A Missed Opportunity at the R and D Camp and Thursday Thoughts - Tweet-Up Tonight

With the NHL's Research and Development camp a week behind us, I have come to realize that what I feel is the most pressing issue in the NHL was not even addressed.

Once again, it is time for me to bitch about overtime games being worth three points while regulation games are only worth two. This time I have a little different take on the subject as a result of what was done at last weeks camp.

One of the more popular experiments at the R and D Camp was the addition of five minutes of three on three hockey after the initial five minutes of four on four play in order to avoid as many games being decided with a shoot-out.

There was also a piece where the goalies would change ends for overtime in order to bring the "long change" into play which historically has led to more scoring in the second period of games. This move would also be done to cut down the number of shoot out games.

While I like both of these suggestions, I feel that changing the points system to three points for a regulation win and a 2/1 split of points in overtime and shoot-out games would bring more of what fans desire into the game than anything else and it would require no on-ice changes.

As it currently stands, when a game is tied past the 10:00 mark of the third period, you see many teams act like a turtle and suck back into a defensive minded, low risk scheme, in order to get to overtime and take home at least a point for evening's effort.

The Predator's Barry Trotz is a brilliant tactician and is the master of shutting down the opponent, not only at the end of the game, but also in overtime because he likes his chances in the shoot-out with Pekka Rinne in net.

Conversely, if all games were worth three points, and a team was playing a conference rival, a completely different mindset would exist at the same 10:00 minute mark. With a chance to put an extra three points on a lead over an opponent or the chance to make up three points in the standings, you would see the equivalent of playoff hockey as the clock wound down in a tie game.

This would kill two birds with the same stone. You would have fewer games decided in a shoot-out and you would see the addition of playoff-style hockey throughout the season.

While I think it is a great idea, I don't see it being adopted simply because the league likes the fact that the current system rewards mediocre teams and allows them to stay in the hunt for a playoff slot further into the season. Gary Bettman has repeated this reasoning each time he has been asked in recent years.

This week's change in the tie-breaker rules to not include shoot-out wins was merely an appeasement to folks that think as I do and is a clear signal that nothing of substance will change in the point totals any time in the near future.

Unfortunately, the NHL is missing an opportunity to bring more action into the game and have fewer games end up being decided in a one-on-one skills competition.

Tweet-Up Tonight at The Sounds Game...

Please join a group of us going to the Nashville Sounds game tonight. I have been talking to the Sounds and they are a bit baffed about the Tweet-up concept and aren't used to such a loosely tied group coming together for a game.

They are perfectly clear on how to see 25 tickets to one person who will give them to everyone else, but are devising a plan for everyone to show up and buy tickets and then sit together. I should hear back with answers by noon today and will post the info at the Twitvite site as well as on Twitter. If anyone has additional questions, feel free to contact me.

In Pred Nation...

The Predators announced the signing of Taylor Beck to a three-year, entry level deal yesterday.

The Preds site has Tom Callahan interviewing David Poile after the Patric Hornqvist signing. According to Cap Geek, Hornqvist will make $3 million the next two seasons and $3.25 million in 2012-13 for a cap hit of $3,o83,333 for each of the three years.

Chris Burton continues the player's series at On The Forecheck with a look at Marty Erat.

Section 303 has the news of another installment of "Bumps and Bruises" at Zanies. Last year's event was a huge success. I'm sure tickets will go quickly.

Ryan Porth's five fantasy breakout players includes a Predator. Guess who.

Paul McCann checks in on the Hornqvist signing and several other issues.

SBN Tampa has a post about last week's Twitter episode with Dan Ellis and others. It looks like Codey from Section 303 is now the poster child for the abused fan.

The AHL schedule was released yesterday and the Milwaukee Admirals have a back-end loaded home schedule, playing only six games at home in the first tow months. Here is a PDF of the full slate.

Kovi's Korner...

Early yesterday there was a false rumor started with this post claiming that a second Kovalchuk contract has been rejected. By the end of the day, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly confirmed that only the structure of a deal was discussed but no formal contract had been presented.

Chris Wassel has his take as the Devil's Examiner.

Puck Daddy reports that the KHL is still courting Kovulchuk and Dmitry Chesnekov confirmed that possibility on The Program Radio show last night with Chris Wassel.

Elliotte Friedman has some interesting thoughts on the CBA and Bettman's hammer.

Around the NHL...

Liz Mullen broke the news that Donald Fehr had agreed to accept the head of the NHLPA late yesterday on Twitter. This is the second big hockey story in a row where she was the first to report.

The hiring of Fehr sent shock waves through the hockey community and it was no accident that it was announced while the whole hockey world was in Toronto at the Summit. Betman threw down the gauntlet with the Kovalchk rejection and this is the NHLPA's response. Bettman vs. Fehr will be a match of two of the most ruthless negotiators in the sports world and the real possibility of a lockout looms in the summer of 2012.

Puck Daddy looks back at a few items in Donald Fehr's past that led to the premature end of the baseball season in 1994. Fehr will have his work cut out for him as the NHLPA is very fractured at this point and the escrow payments are killing many of the players on the lower end of the spectrum. Mirtle has more at the Globe and Mail.

The NHL national television schedule was released and the Predators have only one game set, that being at the Bridgestone center on Thanksgiving Eve. Steve Lapore at Puck The Media has all the breakdowns and will have further analysi today. He is the unmistakable leader on all things media in the NHL.

Willie Mitchel signed with the Kings to help solidify their blue line and the Lightning signed Randy Jones and re-signed Steve Downie.

On RLD Radio Tuesday Night, Matt Reitz was a guest and we discussed the potential signing of Mitchel by the Kings. Here are his same thoughts in a post.

Damian Cox has a criticism of the World Hockey Summit not having more NCAA involvement. Ex-NHLPA head, Paul Kelly should have had a voice at the shindig.

Tapeleg agrees with Gary Bettman for a change on his "mixed bag" reference at yesterdays session of the summit.

Canucks Hockey Blog has the video of Gary Bettman's talk yesterday at the summit in Toronto. They also have a good recap of Day three's activities. Mirtle has some interesting banter from Brian Burke in this post about NHL Olympic participation.

There has been an addition of an AHL/NCAA doubleheader on December 30 at CONSOL Energy Center before the Winter Classic.

Here is a Q and A with Greg Sansone, the head judge for The Scores Drafted 2 contest. If you haven't voted lately, click on The Schwartz's picture above and vote again.

Intent to Blow leads us to the second consecutive day of having a Kyle Wellwood comment. It appears now, he will work for food. That might cost more than the NHL minimum. #KyleWellwoodIsSoFat

Odds and Ends...

Where would you think the worlds largest traffic jam would be? It is in China, between Beijing and Inner Mongolia and stretches for 60 miles.

The Cash for Clunkers Program is now showing it's longer term effects with used car prices soaring 30%.

Here is a different, easy to use site for tracking satellites that is much easier to use than the one I have used in the past. The International Space Station should be easy to view tonight for folks in Tennessee.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

The Nashville Predators Overhaul Top Front Office Execs

The Nashville Predators made some big moves today at the top of the front office staff by naming Jeff Cogen CEO, and Sean Henry the President/COO of the team.

These moves are further indication that the Predators are serious about the commitment that Tom Cigarran related at the recent "Skate of the Union" when he proclaimed that ownership wanted to bring the Stanley Cup to Nashville.

Cogen and Henry have impressive resumes and have been successful in prior positions with their respective teams. Both come from other "non-traditional" hockey markets and have expertise in dealing with many of the issues that the Predators have faced.

It is sad to see that Ed Lang will be leaving the organization as he has always been a straight shooter who was dedicated to the Predators cause.

Along with the court approval, last Friday, of the transfer of the ownership shares from the Boots DelBiaggio bankruptcy to the other current owners, these moves make the Predators more attractive for additional investors to become involved with the franchise.

Nashvillians should be challenged by the recent series of moves to lend additional support to the Predators organization that has made a strong commitment to put a championship caliber team on the ice in the next few years.

Here is the full Press release in it's entirety from the Predators...

The Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena are strengthening their top leadership with the addition of a new Chief Executive Officer and a new President/Chief Operating Officer for the NHL franchise and arena.

In a move aimed at continuing the positive momentum of the organization and strengthening business operations, the ownership group announced today that Jeff Cogen has been named CEO and Sean Henry will serve as President/COO.

Jeff Cogen comes to the Predators from the Dallas Stars, where he served as the franchise's President and alternate league governor and was a Board Member overseeing the operation of Dallas's American Airlines Center. Under Cogen's leadership, the Stars were consistently in the top 10 in the NHL in attendance and considered the preeminent NHL Sun Belt franchise over the last 15 years.

"Jeff has an absolutely exceptional track record of transforming the business operations of major league sports teams, specifically hockey, and we are excited to bring his expertise and experience to our top business leadership position," said Tom Cigarran, a member of the ownership group and Predators Chairman. "His ability to not only manage the business side of our organization, but to also expand the excitement of Predators hockey and Bridgestone Arena on a citywide, regional and national level makes him the perfect person for the job." Cogen will report directly to the Board. David Poile, President of Hockey Operations, will also continue to report directly to the Board. Cigarran continues as Predators Chairman.

Sean Henry comes to the Predators from the Tampa Bay Lightning and The St. Pete Times Forum, where he served as the interim CEO and, prior to that, as the team and arena's COO since 1999. During his 11 years with the Lightning, Henry was instrumental in turning the franchise around by significantly growing suite and ticket revenues, expanding sponsorship revenues, structuring new partnerships with the city/county, and turning The St. Pete Times Forum into one of the busiest venues in the country. Henry brings a long history of success in the sports and entertainment industry, created by centering the organization on continuously improving the fan experience. Said Cigarran, "Sean is an exceptionally talented sports and entertainment executive whose experience, skill and commitment will add a major new dimension to our leadership team."

Ed Lang, who served as President of the Nashville Predators since December 2007, will be leaving the organization after a transition period. "Being a part of the Predators has been gratifying professionally and personally," Lang said. "However, at this stage of my career, it is time to move forward to the next chapter. I am excited about a number of new opportunities that I am considering. I will always be a Predators fan and look forward to the day the Predators win Nashville's first Stanley Cup." "Ed has worked tirelessly to build a foundation for future Predators' success and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his management of the team's business operations," Cigarran said. "Thanks to his hard work, the team is now positioned to greatly expand its reach, visibility and support in Tennessee and beyond."

The Nashville Predators wrapped up last season with a 47-29-6 record, earning their fourth appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the last five years, and have considerably strengthened the team in the offseason in preparation for the 2010-11 season. "The ownership group is committed to making this organization a strong entity both on and off the ice, and to having the Bridgestone Arena become the No. 1 sports and entertainment venue in the United States," said Cigarran. "These changes we are making are focused on putting the strongest management team in place that will successfully guide this organization for years to come. We are convinced that adding these two individuals to our many existing talented executives creates the ideal leadership team to accomplish that."

The 2010-11 season will kick off with a home game against the Anaheim Ducks on October 9 at Bridgestone Arena. "This is an exciting time for our organization," said Cigarran. "We have great momentum and can't wait to start the new season."

For information and prices on 2010-11 Nashville Predators season-ticket packages, skate to www.nashvillepredators.com or call (615) 770-PUCK (7825) to speak to an account executive.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Predators Sign Journeyman Jamie Lundmark to Two-Way Contract

The Nashville Predators announced the signing of journeyman center Jamie Lundmark to a one-year, two-way contract this afternoon.

This appears to be another depth signing that would probably have more of an effect on the Pred's AHL affiliate in Milwaukee than on the Nashville roster. The Predators already have a crowd of forwards vying for a limited number of spots available on opening night.

Lundmark was the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft but has never become a permanent NHL fixture in stints with the Rangers, Phoenix, Calgary, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Here is the full release from the Predators...


NASHVILLE PREDATORS SIGN JAMIE LUNDMARK TO A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

Nashville, Tenn. (July 16, 2010) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed center Jamie Lundmark (JAY-mee LUHND-mahrk) to a one-year, two-way contract worth $600,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level.

Lundmark, 29 (1/16/81), split the 2009-10 season between the Calgary and Toronto organizations, posting nine points (5g-4a) in 21 games with the Flames and 21 points (9g-12a) in 32 games with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford before being claiming on waivers by the Leafs on Feb. 16. He posted three points (1g-2a) in 15 outings with Toronto. In 295 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Phoenix, Calgary, Los Angeles and Toronto since 2002, the Edmonton, Alta., native has 99 points (40g-59a). The 6-0, 197-pounder has 227 points (88g-139a) in 306 American Hockey League games as well.

Selected ninth overall by the New York Rangers in the 1999 Entry Draft, Lundmark earned bronze medals with Canada at both the 2000 and 2001 World Junior Championships, pacing the Canadian squad in points in his second appearance at the tournament (4g-3a, 7gp). His junior career with Moose Jaw and Seattle (WHL) from 1998-2001 saw him amass 216 points (96g-120a) in 159 contests, being named to the CHL All-Rookie Team and WHL East Second All-Star Team in 1999, and to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2001.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Predators Sign Veteran D-Man Brett Palin

In what appears to be a depth signing, the Nashville Predators have signed career AHLer Brett Palin. With the departure of Nolan Yonkman to Phoenix, this move gives a more veteran presence to a young group of prospects in Milwaukee.

Here is the complete release from the Predators...

PREDATORS SIGN FREE AGENT DEFENSEMAN BRETT PALIN

Nashville, Tenn. (July 9, 2010) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Brett Palin to a one-year, two-way contract worth $550,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level.

Palin, 26 (6/23/84), has spent the past five seasons with the Calgary Flames’ American Hockey League affiliates in Omaha (2005-07), Quad City (2007-09) and Abbotsford (2009-10), posting 43 points (6g-37a) and 242 penalty minutes in 287 contests. The Abbotsford Flames’ captain for its inaugural season in 2009-10, Palin was limited to 21 games due to injury this past season, posting three assists and 17 penalty minutes. The 6-2, 203-pound blueliner was an AHL All-Star in 2008-09 when he racked up an AHL career high five goals and 15 points in 57 games.

The Nanaimo, B.C., native capped a decorated five-season stint with the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets in 2004-05. In his time with the Rockets – which included three campaigns playing with Predators captain Shea Weber – Palin served as team captain, won a pair of WHL titles in 2003 and 2005, and a Memorial Cup in 2004.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Poile Pushing for GM of the Year with Kostitsyn Signing

In what may turn out to be David Poile's best bargain basement signing, Sergei Kostitsyn was signed for $550,000 for the coming season. This comes on the heals of offing Dan Ellis, Dustin Boyd, Jason Arnott, and Dan Hamhuis's rights for Kostitsyn, Ryan Parent, and others assets that may become key parts of the next edition of the Nashville Predators.

His recent signing of Matthew Lombardi and great picks at the draft, in spite of limited opportunity, should make him the front-runner for next year's GM of the Year Award.

Here is the official release from the Preds on today's signing...

NASHVILLE PREDATORS SIGN FORWARD SERGEI KOSTITSYN

Nashville, Tenn. (July 6, 2010) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed restricted free agent Sergei Kostitsyn (SAIR-gay kaws-TIHT-sihn) to a one-year contract worth $550,000. Kostitsyn was acquired from Montreal in exchange for forward Dustin Boyd and goaltender Dan Ellis last Tuesday, June 29.

Kostitsyn, 23 (3/20/87), posted 18 points (7g-11a) in 47 contests during his third season at the NHL level with Montreal in 2009-10. In 155 career NHL contests over the past three seasons, the 6-0, 210-pound left wing has amassed 68 points (24g-44a), in addition to 49 points (15g-34a) in 55 American Hockey League games. Kostitsyn has also suited up for the Habs in each of their last three playoff appearances, putting up eight points (3g-5a) in 18 games.

A native of Novopolotsk, Belarus, Kostitsyn represented his country at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, leading the Belarusians in points with five (2g-3a) in four games. He played a pair of seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights after being Montreal’s sixth selection, 200th overall (seventh round), in the 2005 Entry Draft, amassing (66g-143a) in 122 games. He led the league in assists in 2006-07, en route to being named a Third-Team OHL All-Star.

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Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Elite Edge Hockey Showcase at A-Game Sportsplex

We received a note from Kevin Wilson of the Predators Media Relations Department today advising of a neat event that will be taking place this week on Thursday to Sunday at A-Game Sportsplex in Cool Springs.

Brandon Walker, the Predators Manager of Hockey Operations, will be holding the Elite Edge Hockey Showcase, the best development opportunity in the Southeastern United States for future junior hockey players that he’s been running for several years now.

Players from around the world born between 1991 and 1996 will be attending the camp to showcase their skills in front of scouts from top junior and college programs.

On-ice opportunities will start at 2 p.m. Thursday, but some of the action may come from the games played 2-6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, as well as games between the Showcase’s top teams on Sunday from 9:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

Some of the more interesting storylines of the event include:

• Tate Janasek, a Franklin native who attends Ravenwood High School, represented USA in the first World Deaf Ice Hockey Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba last spring, and is expected to do so again this summer. Janasek aspires to represent USA in the 2011 Deaflymic Games in Slovakia. Tate and Jackson were classmates at Kenrose Elementary.
  

• Former Predator Jim McKenzie will be in attendance, and his son, Connor will be participating in the Showcase. This past season, Jim served as an assistant coach for the Thunder AAA U-16 squad.

• German National Coach Uwe Krupp will once again be attending the camp. Krupp was behind the bench for Germany at the 2010 Olympics – where he coached Predators Alexander Sulzer and Marcel Goc – and recently led the Germans to a fourth-place finish at the 2010 World Championships, the nation’s best finish in tournament history.

• Predators Associate Coach Brent Peterson will be in attendance to give a speak to the attendees’ parents at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

• Three players will be coming all the way from Norway to attend the Showcase. They plan on playing AAA hockey in Atlanta next season.

If the Predators offseason is leaving you wanting to see some live hockey action, this will give you an opportunity to see live hockey in the middle of the summer. With coaches and scouts watching, you can be assured the players won't be holding back.

All sessions are open to the public. If you have questions or want additional information, call A-Game Sportsplex at 615-771-2444.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Predators sign Atte Engren to Two-Year Entry Level Contract

The Predators brought their sixth goalie under contract for next season when they signed Atte Engren to a two-year entry level contract.

The 22 year old Finnish goaltender was drafted in the 2007 NHL Entry draft and most recently played for TPS Turku in the Finnish Elete League where he was 7-1 in the post season.

Here is the full release from the Predators...


PREDATORS SIGN 2007 DRAFTEE ENGREN TO AN ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT

Nashville, Tenn. (May 28, 2010) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed 2008 draft pick Atte Engren (AH-tay EHN-grehn) to a two-year entry-level contract.

Engren, 22 (2/19/88), is fresh off backstopping TPS Turku to the 2010 Finnish Elite League (SM-Liiga) title. In his first appearance in the SM-Liiga Playoffs, the 6-1, 184-pound goaltender posted a 7-1 record, ranking fourth in postseason goals-against average (1.82) and fifth in save percentage (.936). In 35 regular-season appearances with TPS in 2009-10, Engren also ranked fourth in the Finnish League in save percentage (.921) and ninth in wins (21) after appearing in just six contests for the club in 2008-09.

The Rauma, Finland native was Nashville's ninth choice, 204th overall (seventh round), in 2007 Entry Draft.

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Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Flyers Finish off Habs and Are Ready for Hawks and Tuesday Tidbits

The Philadelphia Flyers finished off what has been an incredible race to the Stanley Cup finals with a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens which was almost a carbon copy of Sunday's Blackhawks clincher.

Montreal started the game with what appeared to be the upper hand as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead less than a minute into the game. Late in the first period, the Habs were on a power play and one of the worst plays of the series was a preview of things to come.

Jaroslav Halak skated way out of the net to stop a cleared puck and collided with Mike Richards. The puck squired free and Richards came up off the ice and had an easy tap in to tie the game. The Habs never played with confidence again.

Aaron Asham and Jeff Carter scored goals 88 seconds apart early in the second and the game was basically over. Scott Gomez made it 3-2 early in the third, but an empty netter with 23 seconds left in the contest started the final celebration.

Mike Richards defied superstition and grabbed the conference cup after the game and took it to the locker room.

The Flyers were preseason favorites for a lot of folks, myself included. However, they did not clinch a playoff berth until winning a shoot-out over the Rangers in the final game of the season. They surprised New Jersey in the first round and were down 3-0 in the second round to Boston before making an historic four game run to move to the conference finals.

With a 4-1 romp over Montreal, the Flyers are no Cinderella headed to the finals. Clearly, along with the Hawks, the two hottest teams are headed to a showdown starting Saturday night in Chicago.

For a complete schedule of the finals with times and TV networks go here.

In Pred Nation...

From a Swedish newspaper comes early word that Goalie Anders Lindback has signed a three year entry level "dream" contract with the Nashville Predators. Lindback was the third stringer on Sweden's entry in the just completed World Championships.

Jim Diamond continues his Predator's movie casting with the goaltenders.

Ryan Porth takes a look at the Preds defense for next year. Personally, I think the Preds will trade the rights to Hamhuis and Grebeshkov before the entry draft. Check Ryan's site later today as his 30 in 30 feature will begin.

Here's Ryan's first post at From the Point. It is a discussion of Dale Tallon's part in the current Blackhawks run.

Dirk raises the question as to what fans should expect from the Predators next season.

Mark Willoughby is wasting no time with his review of round three and his pick for the finals. Way to be the first Mark.

You can follow Dan Ellis's summer league hockey exploits at the league site. Dan is on team 5 (red) while Jed Ortmeyer is on team 3 (gold). All they need is a Ustream feed for some real action.

Around the NHL...

The NFL's loss in the American Needle case could have huge ramifications throughout the world of pro sports. This was a big issue in last summer's case between Jim Ballsille and the NHL as to who controlled where teams were located. Had this come down a year earlier, we may have had the Hamilton Coyotes. Mark Willoughby has the analysis that I was waiting for in the matter.

Steve Lapore asks if the NHL is ready for Saturday night primetime on NBC. He also reports that Sunday's Hawks-Sharks game was the highest rated indoor game this year.

The Islanders aren't going to China for camp in September as had been discussed. Chris Botta thinks there is more to the story than the request by the NHLPA to make a trip before hand to check out the facilities.

PHT is reporting that up to half of the Carolina Hurricanes may be on the sales block.

Matt Reitz discusses how the NHL is a Land of Confusion. It is not what you may expect.

Russ Cohen caught up with Tyler Seguin prepping for his six hours of draft coverage for XM Home Ice and has an article about their visit at Sportsology.

As we follow Chris Hayes' year long journey at Freddy Charles, he is now learning to skate.

For off season reading, you may want to read Chris's Magic Ice which is the story of a father and son and their pond hockey exploits. It is written by wife and mother Brenda Schultz and part of the proceeds go to charity.

Odds and Ends...

Here's some tips on how better to use Twitter search.

For fans of The Office, do you want to create part of a fanisode?

The Big South Social Media Summit that was scheduled for the flood ravaged Schermerhorn Center on August 13th is relocating to... the Internet. Here is the story.

For Foursquare folks, here is a way to map your travels on Google Earth with a couple of clicks. (H/T to @dani3boyz for the find)

The small Google Pacman app that was up for two days allegedly cost the US 4.82 million man-hours of productivity.

More Later....

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

Blackhawks Sweep Away Shark's Cup Hopes and Weekend Round-Up

Programming note: There will not be a POTG Radio show tonight as we will be closely watching the Habs-Flyers game 5. We will also be off for Memorial Day next week but will return with a live remote from the NHL Tweet-Up on June 7.

The Chicago Blackhawks did the unthinkable on Sunday afternoon when they swept the San Jose Sharks with a 4-2 win at the United Center.

The legend of Dustin "Big Buff" Byfuglien grew larger as he had the game winning goal goal for the third time in the four game series. He will receive serious consideration for the Conn Smythe Trophy should he continue on the same pace in the finals.

Chicago missed becoming the 17th team in hockey history to win via a "pure sweep" as they never were behind in the first three games of the series.

San Jose came out and dominated the Hawks early, going ahead 2-0 and looking like they would force the series back to the West coast. Things looked especially grim for the Hawks when Patrick Marleau scored short handed when Chicago was down 1-0 and trying to tie the game on the power play. Chicago came back with two quick goals at the end of the second period to even it up.

The game was played very close to the vest in the third with neither team wanting to make a crucial mistake. When Byfuglien scored with less than six minutes left, you could tell that it was over for the Sharks. When Kris Versteeg got the empty netter with 42 second remaining, the party officially began.

It was another playoff disappointment for the Sharks and their fans, but there is some consolation for them to make it to the conference finals.

The Hawks will move on to the Stanley Cup Finals and they will have home ice advantage and host game one, possibly as early as this weekend, depending on when the Flyers-Habs series ends.

Tonight's Game...

Montreal will travel to Philadelphia tonight to try to extend their season. The Flyers are up 3-1 and don't want to let the Habs come back as they did in the first two rounds against the Caps and Pens.

Michael Leighton has three shut outs in the first four games and played well on Saturday after having his shut out streak broken in the Flyers game three loss. It will be interesting to see which team will come out with more hunger tonight.

Memorial Cup Championship...

The Windsor Spitfires waltzed to the Memorial Cup Championship with a 9-1 victory over the hometown Brandon Wheat Kings on Sunday night. The game was close early but once the Spitfires got on a roll, the contest was over. The only question was how big the margin would be.

Brandon, who got in the tournament as the host team, beaten the WHL champions, the Calgary Hitmen on Friday to play in to the championship game.

Jim Diamond and Jeremy Gover have more on Ryam Ellis and the Predator angle to the story.

World Championships...

The Russians finished off a year of disappointments on Sunday when the Czech Republic beat them 2-1 in the Gold Medal game at the World Championships. After being embarrassed at the Olympics, Russia was taking this tournament very seriously.

On paper, Russia looked unbeatable as they had far more NHL quality players than any team in the tournament. However, the Czechs ended their 27 game win streak and their two gold streak in the World tourney.

Tomas Vokoun won his second gold medal game and had only Jaromir Jagr as a fellow NHL type player on a team made up of mostly local players who played a strong team-oriented game.

Sweden took the Bronze with a 3-1 win over the host German team. Germany's goaltender Dennis Endras was selected the MVP as he took the home team further than they had been since the current format was adopted twenty years ago. He was the first ever German MVP and the first all-star since 1987.

Another Programming Note...

Last night, I was on Connect Community Puck Talk with Su Ring from Daily Su and Cassie McClennon from SB Nation's Raw Charge. They have a new show on BTR that is a good one. Chelsea Alexander was also a guest for her reaction as a Sharks fan seconds after the Sharks lost to the Hawks.



In Pred Nation...

The Cincinnati Cyclones won the Kelly Cup as champions of the ECHL with a 2-1 win over the Idaho Steelheads in game five on Friday night. Preds Goalie prospect Jeremy Smith along with Habs prospect Robert Mayer were named co-MVP of the playoffs.

Five years after the fact, Hockey's Future looks at the Predator's choices in the 2005 Entry draft. It was a good one for the Preds.

David Singleton has a post about Being David Poile at Hockey Independent.

Chris Burton takes a look at the Curious Case of Cal O'Reilly. Will be hang on this season or turn into a lifetime AHLer?

Congrats to RLD's Ryan Porth who will be contributing to Brian Metzer's From the Point starting this week.

Jeremy at Section303 has a post about the Tweet-Up at the Tin Roof on June 7.

Rachel at What The Puck has the first of many Pred's season wrap-ups.

USA has a Predators team report that blames the power play for the Pred's early exit from the playoffs. The post also is a good round-up of where things stand with the team since the season ended.

Around the NHL...

@mirtle: The Sporting News has named Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney as executive of the year and coach Dave Tippett as coach of the year.

Brian Burke is upset with the IIHF and is part of a majority of NHL GMs that would like to not have the World Championships in Olympic years.

Mirtle stirred up Don Cherry on the issue of European goalies. Here's more on the topic at Puck Daddy.

Is @DonaldSCherry real or not. Even if it isn't, it is entertaining.

Here is a nice story about Michael Leighton's parents and the sacrifices that they made for him to play hockey.

@JeffMarek: CHL News: Tyler Seguin named Top Prospect of the Year. CHL Player of the Year is...Regina's Jordan Eberle.

Ken Campbell chronicles the NHL putting the screws to HNIC to cater to NBC.

Steve Lapore has the latest numbers for the Conference Finals.

Hockey Wilderness has an odd evaluation of Tomas Holmstrom's value as a free agent.

What's taking the Blue Jackets so long to hire a new coach? Bob Hunter has some thoughts.

Glenn Miller shoots holes in the theory that being hot at the end of the season leads to playoff success.

Michelle Kenneth has more favorite moments from the season.

Funny Tweet from @TravisHair: Dave Shoalts' least favorite story to write ever. Coyotes Staying put at least for this year. :) On the flip side, there appears to be a December 31 deadline or the league will sell to an out of town buyer.

Odds and Ends...

Here are 100 Thoughts on Social Media from Conversation Agent.

From the folks who brought you People of Walmart they now have JawDrops.

From @consumerist: "KFC says it expects to sell its 10 millionth Double Down later this month." I've not had one. It seems really expensive for what it is at $5.99.

Google celebrated the 30th birthday of Pacman (the game, not the thug) with a logo version of the game.

Talk about on the job training, a guy in Europe has been flying 737's for 13 years without any training or a legitimate license.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

The Habs Make A Return and Friday Update

Everyone who thought the Eastern Conference Finals would be a short series probably was a bit surprised by last night's contest. The The Montreal Canadians team, that we had seen in the first two rounds, returned and beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 at the Bell Center.

All of the Hab's difficulties of the first two games disappeared as they solved the scoring problem and scored early and often and never really let the Flyers get a foothold. Joroslav Halak also returned to form and received much better support from his defense.

Michael Leighton, who had been unbelievable for the last three games, came back to earth and seemed very average. To be fair, he had bad breaks on a couple of the goals, but it was obvious that he was not at his best.

Saturday's game will be interesting as both teams make adjustments. Remember it is a day game at 2:00 CDT on NBC.

Tonight we will see if the San Jose Sharks still have any life in them after two home losses to the Chicago Blackhawks. Two days off had to be helpful to the Sharks as they were not able to keep up with the Hawks in the first two games.

The Hawks have played so well on the road in the postseason so they decided to stay in a Chicago hotel last night to emulate the road experience.

I have a feeling that the Sharks may make a brief comeback in one of the two games in Chicago, but I don't see them taking the series.

The game gets underway tonight at 7:00 p.m. CDT on Versus.

World Championships...

The field was cut in half at the World Championships on Thursday. The simi-finals are set for Saturday with Sweden playing the Czech Republic and the dominant Russian team playing the home-standing Germans. The winners meet on Sunday in the finals.

Yesterday. in the battle of current vs. past Pred goalies, Tomas Vokoun (Czech Republic) beat Pekka Rinne (Finland) 2-1 in a shootout. Pekka stopped 33 of 35 (including the shootout) while Vokoun stopped 29 of 30.

Germany continued their "Miracle" run with a 1-0 win over Switzerland to advance to the simi-finals for the first time since the current system was introduced in 1080.

Russia embarrassed Canada with a 5-2 win that deteriorated into a few frustrating events from Canadian players that were nothing that they could be proud of.

Sweden beat Denmark 4-2 in the other game leading up to the simi-finals.

Memorial Cup...

The Calgary Hitmen will meet the host Brandon Wheat Kings tonight at 7:00 CDT on the NHL Network to determine who will play Windsor on Sunday night for the championship. Calgary beat Brandon 5-1 on Tuesday in the final round-robin game in a chippy game that should insure a good contest tonight.

Sunday's Championship game will be at 6:00 on the NHL Network.

Nashville Flood Relief NHL Tweet Up...

Mark at The View From 111 is starting to get some of the items listed at the eBay Giving Works site that has been set up for auctioning the items from around the league in conjunction with the Nashville Flood Relief NHL Tweet Up. Go here to check it out. Bid high, and bid often.

Mark also has news that the Blue Jackets Foundation is stepping up to help out with a generous contribution to the cause.

This guy has the first negative article I have seen about Nashville's Flood Relief efforts.

In Pred Nation...

The Cincinnati Cyclones are one win away from winning the Kelly Cup after a 3-2 comeback win over the Idaho Steelheads last night at U S Bank Arena, They return to the ice tonight at 6:30 CDT for game 5 with the Cyclones last chance to wrap it up at home. It is also been declared Cincinnati Cyclones day in the city so it would be great timing to end the season.

If the 2009-10 Predators were in a movie, who would play the coaching staff. Jim Diamond has the answers.

Paul McCann is really irritated with the hippocracy of the IIHF in their recent blasting of athletes for not playing in the World Championships as well as a few other topics that don sit well.

Curt Smith has glowing praise for the Pred's voice, Pete Weber.

Mark Willoughby still has time for his weekly View in the middle of the Tweet Up planning.

Dan Ellis is skating out for his summer rec league team and checks in. @dellis39: A little rusty 1 goal 3 assists in a 9-8 win over the yellow team. Great way to start the season!

Around the NHL...

The Flyers seem to think that Michael Leighton is their man of the future. He has certainly cut in to the chance that Dan Ellis would join the Flyers in the off season.

Before last night's game, Matt Reitz takes a look at what changed with the Habs in the Conference Finals.

Not only is Pat Hickey a good writer, he was almost a good investigator too as he thought that he had found the guy that vandalized his car and stole his license plate on Facebook. The liscense plate showed up on this guy's Facebook page but has since been taken down. They are closer to finding the perpetrator since the Facebook guy does know who took it.

Brian Burk called the IIHF writer who criticized players not playing "ignorant". He also suggested not having the world championship in Olympic years. That makes a lot of sense.

The Panthers are getting creative on the fact that they are having trouble selling seats. Our friend Vickey Godwin had a good rebuttal to the moves on Facebook, "I think this is one (or two depending on how you look at it) of the most awful ideas the Panthers management has ever come up with! Why would you 1. put those nasty, ugly, insulting covers over seats to only bring worse attention to the Panthers and their inability to sell out, when on TV for viewers to see, and 2.There is no price scale depending ... See Moreon interest in the game... it's an excuse and guise for the management to raise prices and find a reason to excuse behavior - threatening to raise prices to games that people already aren't attenting as frequently as they should is probably not the best strategy - but that's just my opinion... good luck!"

Michelle Kenneth has a few favorite moments from the past season.

From @NHLdilo: I am looking to hire a social media manager in NYC who excels at platform/partner + business development.

Condolences to the family of Lightning Defenseman Kurtis Foster who lost their infant daughter on May 10.

Steve Lapore has the history of playoff games on US TV dating back to 1993 and also has the lowdown on this weekend's NBC coverage.

Folks in Canada aren't happy with NBC moving playoff games to the daytime now that nicer weather has moved north.

Karma struck back after Lance Armstrong blasted Versus. He was accused of doping and then had a wreck in the Tour of California.

Light House Hockey takes a look at John Tavares and the Calder chances.

Pensburgh takes a look at next year's version of the Penguins.

Jeremy Roenick has hard feelings against the Hawks for his 1996 trade to Phoenix but still thinks they will win it all. I'm looking forward to his commentary during the finals.

The Point - Fantasy Edition on XM with Rob Higgins and Boomer Gordon is up at the Dearly Beloved site. You got to love a fantasy expert who is a rock star and vice versa.

Freddy Charles searches for the first European hockey player and gets a variety of answers.

Sports Fan Graph has interesting figures on social media followers by team across all major sports. Interesting stuff.

Blades of Funny has an interesting feature commenting on other stories.

Odds and Ends...

Mark Cuban takes a look at the potential of Google TV.

This is something Jackson needs. Free ACT prep material.

From @belcourt: The 7:45 screening of CASINO JACK on Friday will be the inaugural screening with our new seats in the 1925 hall. This is great that the improvements at the Belcourt are partially in place.

More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass

A Visit To The Rink Podcast, Auction Items, and Thursday Thoughts

Last night was a bit of a preview for the long summer hockey off season. With the odd scheduling in the Conference finals, the only hockey on TV in the US was the final round robin game in the Memorial Cup that was played for pride and pride alone.

Moncton was eliminated from the tournament on Tuesday night when they lost in overtime to Windsor. Moncton finished 0-3 while Windsor, who is 3-0, moved directly to Sunday's championship game.

Calgary and Brandon moved to Friday's simi-final play-in game so the potential tie breaker game will not be needed tonight.

So with the final seedings set, last night's game was a battle for pride between the two best teams from the WHL regular season. Calgary eliminated Brandon in the WHL semifinals with a 4-1 series win.

Last night all the scoring took place in the first period with Calgary going ahead 5-1 but the action did not there. There were plenty of scraps and a lot of positioning for Friday's game that counts. It was a fun game to watch on an otherwise hockey-less night in the US.

Programming Note...

I was pleased to be able to appear on the latest edition of The Rink Podcast with James "Tapeleg" Gralian. We discussed the Pred's early exit, Jason Arnott's captaincy, the Pred's free agents and also the upcoming Flood Relief NHL Tweet-Up. Also appearing on the podcast was K of C and Jay Kumar. It was a fun visit as James always does a great job on a podcast that I never miss.

World Championships...

The World Championships also had Wednesday off but will jump into the quarterfinal round today when four more countries will be eliminated.

Finland will play the Czech Republic which should match Pekka Rinne against ex Pred Tomas Vokoun. Rinne did not start against Russia on Tuesday but I would imagine he will be the go to guy for the Fins in the medal round.

Canada will be a heavy underdog against a stacked Russian team that is out for revenge. The Russians are still stinging from the 7-3 loss at the Olympics that ended their medal chances. Canada's team in no was resembles the squad that took the ice in Vancouver, while Russia has proven to be the strongest team in the tournament.

In the oldest international rivalry, dating back to 1910, the hometown German team will play Switzerland. The game will feature four Predatos with Roman Josi playing for Switzerland and Marcel Goc, Robert Dietrich and Alexander Sulzer for the Germans. This is a great match between two teams that have not advanced far in recent years.

The other game will be between Sweden and Denmark. The simi-finals will be Saturday and the finals will be on Sunday.

The biggest stink of the off day was caused by this article that was posted on the IIHF website that was critical of the number of players who chose not to represent their countries in this long Olympic year. Dirk Hoag has a poll on whether Shea Weber and Ryan Suter were unpatriotic for not playing in the games.

Chris Burton at On The Forecheck has the latest stats for Preds participating in the tournament.

Here is today's complete quarterfinal schedule.

Finland -Czech Republic 9am
Sweden - Denmark 9am
Russia - Canada 1pm
Switzerland -Germany 1pm

Tonight's Playoff Game...

The Flyers - Habs series will have a change of scenery tonight at 6:00 CDT when the action moves to Montreal for game three. It will be interesting to see if Michael Leighton will continue his unbelievable run since returning from his recent injury. I've rarely seen a goalie appear to be as excited as Leighton was as the clock wound down in game two.

On the other end of the rink, all will be watching to see which Jaroslav Halak shows up to play. Will it be the unstoppable one of the first two rounds that stole games against the two best teams in the East or will it be the one who has received little support and was pummeled in the first two games of the series.

Fans, who want to see a long series will be pulling for the Habs because if they lose, then I doubt it will go more than five games.

In Pred Nation...

Mark Willoughby released pictures of the first batch of auction items for the Nashville Flood Relief NHL Tweet-Up. There is also more information at the NHL Tweetup site. Sign up to attend at the TwTvite site.

The Winnipeg Free Press has a nice feature story about Ryan Ellis.

The Cincinnati Cyclones return to the ice tonight at 6:30 p.m. CDT against the Idaho Steelheads to try to take a 3-1 series lead.

Scott Hartnell was a guest on last night's Slap Shot Radio with Paul McCann.

Tales from the Batcave ranks the Pred's logo as the second best in the NHL.

Around the NHL...

The Sporting News named Henrik Sedin as the NHL Player of the Year.

The Oiler's Kevin Lowe declared that they were changing back to a philosophy of home grown talent instead of free agents. I guess you can say that when you have the number one pick.

Jeremy Roenick will join NBC's studio team for the finals. Maybe he'll finally take a swing at Mike Milbury.

Matt Reitz has a different look at the Dale Talon hiring in Florida. He also points us to the five part Kingscast year end wrap-up. We are looking forward to meeting these guys in person at the draft.

Here's an early list of unrestricted free agents by position from SportsCity.

With all the discussion of Canada needing more teams, how is Ottawa losing money? Down Goes Brown takes a look.

From the Point has the inside scoop on how to purchase the last Mellon Arena hot dog. They also have the story of Lance Armstrong being a whiny baby over Versus cutting away to Game 2 of the ECF after suffering the wrath of hockey fans for starting game one late on Sunday.

Michelle Kenneth has a new look at her site.

Odds and Ends...

Here's a Blackberry app that is supposed to help avoid the dreaded battery pull.

Here's another great review of Rob Higgins' Dearly Beloved album "Make It Bleed".

Finally... I admit that I'm on the Michael Leighton band wagon and I really liked this HWBM.



More Later...

Buddy Oakes for PredsOnTheGlass