The video of the incident is below.

Whether you think it was a dirty hit is not the question. That’s a separate issue. Heck, season-ending injuries happen on clean plays all the time. We’ve also seen knee-on-knee injuries end a player’s career before. Again though, separate issue. In addition, we don’t know the severity of the injury just yet. According to Chip Alexander, the Hurricanes have provided no update other than Staal will return to Raleigh for an MRI. But, once again, separate issue.

The real issue is risk vs. reward.

Logic says that injuries like this on the international stage are rare. How many players go play after their NHL season is over and finish the tournament just fine? Nearly all. Plus, it’s a huge honor to play for your country. When asked, it’s practically instinct to say “yes.” And, all things being equal, it should be that way.

But let’s face it, if you’re an NHL player, your NHL team is paying your salary and, given the caliber of players that are in these tournaments, that salary is usually in the multi-million dollar range. Furthermore, this isn’t the NFL, all contracts are guaranteed.

Staal is a four-time NHL All-Star, a Stanley Cup Champion, a seven-time 70+ point scorer and the captain of the Hurricanes. Plus, at 28 years old, he’s in the prime of his career. Carolina is depending on him to lead them back to the playoffs for years to come.

Based on the pro’s and con’s above, we ask you, should NHL players continue to participate in international events?

Before you answer, take one more second and think about Shea Weber. The Nashville Predators have $110 million invested in their captain. He’s a two-time Norris Trophy runner-up, he was their scoring leader in 2013 and is one of the best all-around defensemen in the world. What if he were playing for Canada this year and what if it was him that Edler caught with the knee-on-knee? Would you feel the same way?

Let us know which way you lean on this issue in the comments section below. Should NHL players be allowed to play elsewhere? Should they even want to? We’ll use the best responses on the next 303:30.

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PHOTO CREDIT: screen shot of TSN/NBC Sports broadcast

You’ll also hear from Nashville prospect and Portland Winterhawks forward Brendan Leipsic and you’ll hear our exclusive, one-on-one interview with former Predator Steve Sullivan just moments after his 1,000th NHL game.

As always, we encourage you to follow us on Twitter and to subscribe via iTunes. While you’re at iTunes, please rate and review the show as well.

We’d also like to thank Predators flagship station 102.5 The Game for carrying The 303:30 all season long. You can hear the on-air version of The 303:30 Saturday morning’s from 5:00-6:00am.

BUMPER MUSIC CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), Please (Tristan Prettyman), Wild Thing (Tone Loc), Shock the Monkey (Peter Gabriel), Make Some Noise (Beastie Boys), Gold On the Ceiling (The Black Keys), Ball & Biscuit (The White Stripes), What Would You Say? (Dave Matthews Band)

Milwaukee managed just one goal in the final two games in what became the lowest scoring series (12) in Admirals playoff history.  

Texas got on the board first when Matt Fraser scored his second of the series at 10:14 of the first. Fraser took a feed in the slot from Colton Sceviour and beat Ads goalie Magnus Hellberg low glove side.

The Stars pushed their lead to two when Alex Chaiasson redirected a shot from Kevin Connouton just 1:29 into the second period.

Kevin Henderson broke a five-period scoreless drought for the Admirals at 1:40 of the third period. Henderson carried the puck into the Stars zone and dropped a pass to Taylor Beck. Beck’s shot was stopped by Texas goalie Cristopher Nilstorp, but the rebound went right to Henderson and he buried it.

The Admirals threw the kitchen sink and more at Nilstorp the rest of the game, outshooting the Stars 18-8 in the third period, but they couldn’t come up with the equalizer and saw their season come to an end.

Mazanec backstopped HC Plzeň to the Czech Extraliga Championship this past season.

Hellberg has grown leaps and bounds this season with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. So much so that the brass may have him slotted in as Pekka Rinne‘s back-up next season. A more realistic option for the organization, however, is let 2007 second rounder Jeremy Smith move on (he’s an RFA on July 1), keep Hellberg in Milwaukee as the starter, and have Mazanec back him up.

Either way, things just got interesting between the pipes.

The official press release is below.

***

Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed 2012 sixth-round draft pick Marek Mazanec (MAIR-ehk muh-ZAN-ehk) to a two-year entry-level contract.

Mazanec, 21 (7/18/91), recently led Plzen to its first Czech League title by stopping 48-of-51 shots in a Game Seven double-OT victory. He ranked fourth in 2013 playoff goals-against average (2.13) and sixth in save percentage (.932), in addition to tying for second in shutouts (2). During the 2012-13 regular season, the 6-4, 189-pound native of Pisek, Czech Republic ranked sixth in the Czech Extraliga in goals-against average (2.49).

Nashville’s ninth choice, 179th overall (sixth round), in the 2012 Entry Draft represented the Czech Republic at the 2011 World Junior Championships and the 2009 World Under-19 Championships.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Fuqua (used with permission)

“When I got drafted, I thought they would say my new team, Frölunda,” Magnus Hellberg told us with a smile. “But they said my old one, Almtuna. So I didn’t connect at the beginning. But then I was like ‘Hey! That’s me!’”

The general consensus in 2011 (and most years, really) was that the main need for the Nashville Predators was scoring. They needed talented forwards in the system so, in a few years, they can finally try to balance their tradition of stellar defense with a tradition of stellar scoring.

Furthermore, if you had to rank the areas of need for the Predators, goaltending would have came in near the bottom, if not the bottom. Starter Pekka Rinne, then 28, was coming off of a Vezina Trophy finalist year and had even finished fourth in the Hart Trophy voting for league MVP. Rookie back-up Anders Lindback, then 22, showed constant signs of a promising NHL career.

So when Assistant General Manager Paul Fenton took to the microphone at the team’s table in the second round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, nobody expected him to say a goaltender’s name, let alone Hellberg’s. The two highest ranked goalies in the world, USA’s John Gibson and Finland’s Christopher Gibson, were still on the board. Matter of fact, every goalie was still on the board. But, as fate would have it, Hellberg’s name was the first one called.

“If you take a look at it, he had a similar trait to all of the goaltenders that we’ve had starting with Pekka,” Fenton said. “His size, his athleticism, just some raw materials there that we can mold. They’re not always a finished product when they come here. They’re going to take some time. It took Pekka a lot of time to become the goaltender that he is and we think that Magnus, in time, will become a starter in the National Hockey League.”

Predators’ goaltending coach Mitch Korn also admitted that size was a big factor.

“Being 6’6″ is kind of special,” Korn told us back in October. “But you’ve still got to be skilled and stop the puck. It’s not only about size. It’s about skill number one — and that’s the physical skill and mental skill of the goalie — and size number two.”

Hellberg’s first chance to play on a large stage was that fall for the Frolunda Indians of the Swedish Elite League. Unfortunately, Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Frederik Andersen played lights out, posting a ridiculous .941 save-percentage and a minuscule 1.67 goals-against average that season. Needless to say, Andersen’s dominance rarely allowed Hellberg playing time.

“He had a great first year in Frolunda so I didn’t play as many games,” Hellberg told us on The 303:30. “With him not knowing what to do — since he would probably start at Frolunda the next season as well — I just came to the point where I thought ‘I want to play in the NHL and the American Hockey League is the best way to go.’ Once I made the decision, it felt awesome.”

The Uppsala, Sweden, native signed an entry-level deal on June 18, 2012 that would bring his career over to North America for the first time. The smaller rink, the trapezoid and the north-south style of play were all things that he had to get used to if he wanted to realize his NHL dream.

“I wanted to go where I could develop my game the most,” Hellberg said. “Nashville was clear that they saw a future in me. We had a great chat and their development plan for me was really good so, once I decided, I didn’t regret anything.”

February was his best month of the season and he was rewarded for it. Hellberg registered a 6-1-0 record with two shutouts, a 1.36  GAA and a .950 SV%, prompting the AHL to name him the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month. That consistency was a drastic change from October and November.

“At the start of the season, I struggled a little bit,” Hellberg said. “It took longer to adjust than I thought it would. But once I got the hang of (the North American game), I felt more comfortable.”

Indeed he did. He followed up his incredible February with a solid March and April, going 12-7-0 with a GAA below 1.90 to close out the regular season.

The man who started the year backing up fellow prospect Jeremy Smith brought his A-game when the Admirals needed him the most. Hellberg won his final four games of the year — posting shutouts in the final two — to propel his club into the Calder Cup Playoffs on the final day of the AHL season.

The Admirals are currently down 2-1 to the Texas Stars in their best-of-five Western Conference Quarterfinal series but Hellberg has continued his outstanding play. He had 41 saves in game one despite losing 3-2, he pitched yet another shutout in game two and then turned aside 29 of the 31 Texas shots in the game three loss on Wednesday.

If he can lead Milwaukee to a win on Friday and Saturday, Hellberg will have gone from AHL back-up to Calder Cup Playoff series-winning starter in just a matter of months.

Not bad for a guy who wasn’t even paying attention.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy K. Gover // section303.com

The loss spoiled another sterling effort for Ads goalie Magnus Hellberg, who stopped 29 shots and saw his shutout streak snapped at 107:42.

The Stars outshot the Ads 15-6 in the first period and applied early pressure to the Admirals defense by recording the game’s first five shots on goal. However, Hellberg denied each Texas attempt and the two teams were scoreless after one.

The second period was a role reversal of the first as Milwaukee carried the play and outshot the Stars 7-4, but still neither team could find the back of the net and it was a scoreless game after 40 minutes of play.

Just sent down from Dallas earlier in the week, Alex Chiasson put the Stars up 1-0 at 7:42 of the third. Texas forward Justin Dowling carried the puck down to the goal line and then sent a pass out front of the net that Chiasson redirected past Hellberg’s stick.

Texas would get an insurance goal on the power-play at 7:42 of the third period when former Chicago Wolf Kevin Connauton fired a one-timer from the high slot that beat Hellberg. It was just the second power-play goal of the series for the Stars.

Stars goalie Cristopher Nilstorp stopped 21 saves to earn the shutouts.

The Admirals will attempt to stave off elimination on Friday night at 7:30 for game four of the series from the Cedar Park Center. The Admirals will be hosting a viewing party from the City Lounge in Cudahy. For more information on the viewing party fans should go to www.milwaukeeadmirals.com.

Be sure to follow the Admirals on Twitter (@mkeadmirals) and on Facebook.

Can you argue otherwise? Not only has he led the team in goals two times (30 in 2009-10 and 27 in 2011-12) but he’s a leader on the ice. There’s no greater example of the latter than his all-out, hustling, desperation, sliding back check on what would have been an empty net goal for the Chicago Blackhawks on April 6. Nashville’s playoff hopes were all but dead at that point and the game was all but over. The 26-year old winger was fighting until the end, however.

He earned the “A” on his sweater the following game.

The official press release is below.

***

Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward Patric Hornqvist to a five-year, $21.25 million contract.

“As we build towards the 2013-14 season and beyond, re-signing Patric Hornqvist was an off-season priority,” Poile said. “Since joining the Predators, he has become—and will remain—an integral member of our core group. Patric is everything we talk about as a Predator—he is relentless in going to the net and willing to pay the price to score goals, has a terrific work ethic and is a quality person who is respected on and off the ice. Patric is just entering the prime of his career. He has led our team in goal-scoring in two of the last four seasons and we are looking forward to him being a significant part of the Predators’ on-ice success in the years to come.”

Hornqvist, 26 (1/1/87), has amassed 20-plus goals in each of three full NHL seasons, becoming the first Nashville draft pick to do so. The Sollentuna, Sweden native became the fourth player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a season in 2009-10, while also tying for second in the NHL in game-winning goals (8) and finishing among the League leaders in power-play goals (10). He ranked second on the team in goals in 2010-11, then paced the team in the category again in 2011-12 with 27 tallies. Hornqvist was limited to 23 games in 2012-13 due to injury, but still led the team in power-play goals (4). In 287 career NHL contests, the 6-0, 190-pound right wing has 163 points (84g-79a), ranking 10th on the franchise’s all-time goals list and eighth in power-play goals (28).

Hornqvist has also been a mainstay on the Swedish National Team recently, participating in three World Championship tournaments since 2007, in addition to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Nashville’s seventh choice, 230th overall (seventh round), in the 2005 Entry Draft, Hornqvist is the ninth of 44 players selected with the final pick of an entry draft (modern era, since 1969) to go on to play in the NHL. He is one of three players picked last overall to play at least 100 NHL games and score at least 20 goals.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Fuqua (used with permission)

But, if a team above them in the final standings won the lottery, the Predators would fall to number five. And while they would still get a great prospect at that position, it would be yet another disappointment in an agonizing 2013 campaign.

In short, they did not want to pick fifth.

Portland Winterhawks defenseman Seth Jones, Halifax Mooseheads winger Jonathan Drouin, Halifax center Nathan MacKinnon and Finnish center Aleksander Barkov are considered the top prizes on June 30 in Newark, New Jersey. TSN’s Bob McKenzie has stated that, in his polling of NHL scouts, there’s a level of separation after those four.

Now obviously there are still talented forwards at number five and beyond. Swedish pivot Elias Lindholm, Russian winger Valeri Nichushkin and Ottawa 67 ‘s center Sean Monahan will all be good players but, after such an uncharacteristically bad season for Nashville, they really want to remain in the top four.

So it’s a good thing they did.

The Colorado Avalanche won the 2013 NHL Draft Lottery and moved up from second to first overall, leapfrogging the last place Florida Panthers. All other teams remained where they were slotted heading into the night.

The interesting thing about this draft class is that all four of the top players bring something different to the table and that will make things interesting come draft day. It’s fair to assume that the Avalanche will take Jones as they need serious help on defense and already have some young forwards in place (Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly, Gabriel Landeskog, etc.). So who does Florida go with? At number two, do they need a center? Do they need a dynamic winger? Would they rather trade down to get one of the second-tier defensemen like Darnell Nurse? And then what about the Tampa Bay Lightning at #3?

In a typical year, you know who is going to go first overall and you pretty much know who will go second. There’s really no drama until three or four. This is a very unique year in that not only are there four “can’t miss” prospects, but each one brings a different set of strengths to the table. Teams will really have to do their homework before they take to the Prudential Center floor with their draft boards.

Nashville could very easily get one of the three top forward prospects and that has to be exciting for Predators fans. This is an organization long known for turning out defensemen and goaltenders but has had an awful time drafting and developing forwards. Well, this is their chance. One of the top guys will be available to them at #4, it’s just a matter of who it is and whether they like him well enough to actually pull the trigger.

Either way, they’re not picking fifth.

Monday night at 7:00pm Central, the NHL will hold the 2013 Draft Lottery. Every team that failed to qualify for the playoffs is eligible to win the lottery and, therefore, pick first overall on June 30.

The Predators finished the regular season 16-23-9, good for 27th place in the league’s standings. This makes them “Team 4″ as they were the fourth worst team in the league. Slotted where they are, the Preds will either pick first (winning the lottery), pick fourth (if Florida, Colorado or Tampa Bay win) or fifth (if any other team wins).

Nashville sits in “the danger zone” right now. They can fall to fifth and, while they’d still get a really good prospect at #5, the elite forward who can step in right away and make a difference will almost certainly be taken in the top four. There are still pretty good odds to get into that top four, however. According to Brian Costello, Senior Editor of The Hockey News, the Preds have a 10.7% chance to win the lottery, a 58% chance to pick fourth and a 31.3% chance that they’ll fall to fifth. Regardless, a top five pick is guaranteed for Nashville and that’s something they haven’t had since picking David Legwand second overall in 1998.

Now, normally that wouldn’t be anything to be excited about, especially for a club that went to the Western Conference Semifinals the past two years. But this is different.

Teams that usually pick high in the draft are teams that have been bad for a while. Take the Edmonton Oilers for example. They haven’t made the post season since 2006 and have had the top overall pick the last three summers. The New York Islanders are another great example. They’ve had four straight top five picks before finally making the playoffs this season. The Chicago Blackhawks, before they won the Stanley Cup in 2009, charted a similar course, missing the playoffs three straight seasons and having not won a playoff round in nine straight before picking Jonathan Toews third in 2006 and Patrick Kane first overall in 2007.

Nashville is in a very exciting situation, all things considered. The Oilers, Islanders and mid-2000′s Blackhawks didn’t have pieces to build around. They were searching for those pieces. The Predators have those pieces in place already. At 27 years old, captain Shea Weber is one of the best all-around defensemen in the league and Pekka Rinne, 30, is one of the world’s best goaltenders. Both are locked up for the long term. All they need now is a dynamic forward to build the offense around.

Could that be Filip Forsberg? Possibly. He’s certainly shown promise in his brief five-game stint at the NHL level. But one player does not make an offense. In hockey, you need at least two (see: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, San Jose, etc.) and Forsberg could be the first piece.

Enter Nashville’s top five pick this summer.

The cream of the crop this year isn’t just one or two players deep. It’s actually four. And, the best part about the four? It’s a diverse group who bring different strengths to the table. And that means different teams will value the top four differently based on their organization’s needs.

Defenseman Seth Jones is considered by just about every publication as the top prospect in the draft class. At 6’4″ and 205 pounds, Jones’ frame is huge for an 18-year old and he should fill out to Weber-type size in a few years. His skating is superb and he can be dominant at both ends of the ice. Teams like Colorado, Tampa and Florida should be considering Jones as he would help balance out the offense-heavy players in their system.

Nathan MacKinnon has been called “a superstar in the making” and is one of the two elite centers available. He’s a tad undersized at 5’11″, 180 pounds but is the “complete combination of speed and skill.”

The other elite center is Finnish-born yet Russian-named Aleksander Barkov. At 6’2″ and 205 pounds, the 17 year old tore up the Finnish Elite League this season. Playing among men, he finished the year ninth in league scoring with 48 points (21 goals and 27 assists in 53 games) and appears primed to step right into the NHL next season. Even Jonathan Willis of The Edmonton Journal calls Barkov “the most promising Nordic forward since Peter Forsberg.”

Finally, there’s winger Jonathan Drouin. But, instead of tell you about him, here’s just a sample of what he brings to the table.

As you can see, Nashville has some decisions to make. And those decisions are based on where the lottery takes them. If they do get to pick first, do they take the defenseman and have a blueline corps that features two-time Norris Trophy nominee and Olympic goal medalist Weber, up-and-comer Roman Josi, solid veteran Kevin Klein and a young stud in Jones? All of a sudden, a defense that searched for answers in 2013 looks pretty stout for 2014 and beyond.

Or do they trade down a couple spots so a team like Colorado or Tampa Bay can jump up and get their hands on a guy like Jones? After all, if you’re the Predators, picking at three or four still gives you that dynamic forward you’re looking for. You have to figure that allowing the Avs or Lightning to leapfrog Florida to get a guy who can come in and immediately help their back end would yield a high return. Would Florida give up their second rounder to sweeten the pot? Would the Avs sacrifice their first round pick in 2014 as well? Is there a roster player on their team or prospect in their system that the Predators have their eye on? These are all options for General Manager David Poile and AGM Paul Fenton.

As long as they pick in the top four, Nashville is guaranteed one of the top forwards. If they pick fifth, all bets are off. There is a wild card, however. Russian winger Valeri Nichushkin is considered by most to be a top two or three talent in this year’s class but that’s before the KHL factor comes into play. TSN’s Bob McKenzie thinks as most do, that Nichushkin will fall as a result. Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus has heard he would be a top two player were it not for “the factor.” Which begs the question: is there a team that picks ahead of the Preds who likes Nichushkin so much that they’re willing to take the gamble? If so, Nashville would still have one of the elite forwards on the board if and when they pick at five.

They’ll start weighing those options tonight. At 7:00pm Central, the 2013 NHL Draft Lottery takes place and Nashville’s draft puzzle will become a little more clear. We hope you’ll join us at Brewhouse South tonight to watch the festivities. The 303 menu will be available for the final time this season and we’ll have plenty of prizes to give away.

See you there!

Defenseman Victor Bartley along with forwards Daniel Bang, Taylor Beck, Kevin Henderson, Chris Mueller and Joonas Rask will resume their seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s AHL affiliate.

The Ads made the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and are playing the Texas Stars in a best-of-five first round series. The two teams are currently tied 1-1 with game three coming Wednesday in Cedar Park, Texas.

Jim Diamond of The Examiner is reporting that Filip Forsberg will not join the Admirals because he is headed back to his native Sweden in order to — wait for it — finish high school.

Bartley led all Milwaukee defensemen in scoring when he was recalled by the Predators on March 6 and Beck was the team’s leading scorer in 2012-13, despite playing for the big club since March 19.

The official press release is below.

***

Nashville, Tenn. (April 28, 2013) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has reassigned forwards Daniel Bång, Taylor Beck, Kevin Henderson, Chris Mueller and Joonas Rask, and defenseman Victor Bartley, to Milwaukee (AHL). The Admirals play Game Three of their best-of-five Calder Cup Playoff series with Texas on Wednesday (series tied 1-1).

Season Tickets for the Nashville Predators 2013-14 season are on sale now. Full and partial plans are available as well as Smashville Rewards, the best rewards and benefits program in sports. To order, visit nashvillepredators.com/seasonticket or contact a ticket representative at 615-770-7800.

Join Gnash and friends for the inaugural Gnash Mini Golf Invitational, presented by Twice Daily at Grand Old Golf on Thursday, May 9. All players receive a commemorative t-shirt, the opportunity to play 18 holes of mini golf with Gnash and more! Proceeds benefit the Nashville Predators Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Also make sure to save the date for the Third Annual First Tennessee Nashville Predators/Brent Peterson Celebrity Golf Classic. This annual affair benefitting the Nashville Predators Foundation and the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s is highlighted by the Celebrity Golf Classic on Friday, Sept. 6 and Petey’s Preds Party on Sunday, Sept. 8. Visit nashvillepredators.com for more information on both events.

They lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at Nationwide Arena 3-1, giving them 41 points on the season.

Several other games around the NHL helped solidify the Preds into the 27th position in the standings. The Colorado Avalanche couldn’t knock off the Minnesota Wild and the Tampa Bay Lightning got upset by the worst team in the league, the Florida Panthers. Those two games, along with their own, decided Nashville’s fate.

A finish in 27th puts the Predators in a “danger zone.” If they finished any lower, they would have been guaranteed one of the top, elite prospects in the draft class (defenseman Seth Jones, winger Jonathan Drouin and centers Nathan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov). After those four, there’s a bit of a drop off.

With the new format of the NHL Draft Lottery, any team who did not make the playoffs can win the first overall pick but all non-winners fall into place after that. For example, Columbus finished as “team 14″ (the best non-playoff team). If they win the lottery (they have just a 0.5% chance to do so), then the 30th place Panthers would pick second, the 29th place Avalanche would pick third, and so on.

This means Nashville will pick either 1st overall, 4th or 5th.

So, regardless of how the lottery ball falls on Monday night, they’ll pick in the top five for the first time since 1998 when they chose David Legwand 2nd overall. They’ll need to either win the lottery or have one of the teams below them win it in order to be guaranteed one of the “can’t miss” prospects.

Make plans to watch the Draft Lottery with us Monday night at 7:00pm Central at Brewhouse South in Cool Springs! You can find all the details HERE. We hope you’ll join us. It may be the last chance to celebrate with your fellow fans until the summer.

FOR 2013 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, along with executive director Steve Yzerman and the National Men’s Team management group, announced Saturday that Dave Tippett (Moosomin, Sask./ Phoenix Coyotes, NHL) and Barry Trotz (Dauphin, Man./Nashville, NHL) will join the coaching staff for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Earlier this month, Hockey Canada announced head coach Lindy Ruff (Warburg, Alta.) and assistant coach Doug Shedden (Wallaceburg, Ont./EV Zug, SUI) as members of the staff.

Dave Tippett, 51, has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, and ninth year as a head coach in the NHL. The native of Moosomin, Sask., coached the Dallas Stars from 2002-09, winning the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s coach of the year in 2010 after leading the team to 50 wins. Tippett won a silver medal at the 2009 IIHF World Championship, as a member of the coaching staff that also included head coach Ruff and Trotz. As a player, Tippett represented Canada at two Olympic Winter Games (1984, 1992), winning a silver medal in 1992, and serving as team captain in 1984.

Barry Trotz, 50, has been the head coach of the NHL’s Nashville Predators since the franchise’s debut in 1998-99. This will mark his fourth time on a Team Canada coaching staff, having served as an assistant coach at the 2002 and 2003 IIHF World Championships, winning gold in 2003, and winning silver as an associate coach under Ruff, with Tippett, at the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. Trotz is the longest tenured coach in the NHL at 1,113 games, and has the second longest active tenure in all four major sports, behind only Gregg Popovich of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

Hockey Canada’s National Men’s Team management group is comprised of Yzerman (Nepean, Ont./Tampa Bay, NHL), along with Doug Armstrong (Sarnia, Ont./St. Louis, NHL), Ken Holland (Vernon, B.C./Detroit, NHL), Kevin Lowe (Lachute, Que./Edmonton, NHL), Bob Nicholson (Penticton, B.C./Hockey Canada) and Brad Pascall (Coquitlam, B.C./Hockey Canada). Peter Chiarelli (Ottawa, Ont./Boston, NHL) will serve in an advisory capacity.

The management group is overseeing all operations for Canada’s National Men’s Team at the world championship, including staff selection, player identification and selection as well as team operations. Hockey Canada’s senior director of national teams and hockey operations, Scott Salmond, will oversee team logistics, working closely with the management group.

CLICK HERE FOR TEAM CANADA’S FULL STAFF LISTING FOR THE 2013 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Hockey Canada will be announcing its player roster for the world championship in the coming days.

The 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship runs from May 3-19 in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden. Canada will be based out of Stockholm for the duration of the event, opening on May 4 against Denmark. All of Canada’s games will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcaster. Check local listings for game times in your area.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2013 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Team, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada  and www.twitter.com/hc_men .

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy K. Gover // section303.com

Nashville, Tenn. (April 27, 2013) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has recalled forwards Daniel Bång and Kevin Henderson from Milwaukee (AHL) under emergency conditions. Both players dressed for the Admirals in Game One of their Calder Cup Playoff series against Texas last night.

Bång, 25 (4/19/87), has played in Nashville’s last seven games, recording two assists. The Kista, Sweden nativeposted 22 points (9g-13a) in 53 games for the Admirals during his first North American season.

Henderson, 26 (12/3/86), has one goal in three NHL games this season. He amassed 29 points (17g-12a) in 67 games during his second season with the Admirals in 2012-13.

The Nashville Predators close out the 2012-13 season tonight at Nationwide Arena when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports Tennessee (Comcast: 1675 HS, 28 SD) and 102.5 The Game.

Join the Preds tomorrow from 12-4 p.m. CT for a Fan Appreciation Celebration at Bridgestone Arena. Check out seats for next season, catch an end-of-the-season wrap-up with Preds coaches and management, jump on the ice for a public skate, take advantage of Preds Pro Shop discounts, enjoy free popcorn and soda, hang out with Gnash and the Nashville Predators Dancers and Ice Girls and much more!

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After enduring a 2013 season where everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong, the Nashville Predators finally get to put it to bed. Tonight, they’ll close out the lockout-shortened year against the Blue Jackets in front of a ruckus Nationwide Arena full of playoff hopes and a bus load of Predators fans who faithfully made the trip up to Columbus via the Smashville Express.

Nashville is currently 27th in the league with 41 points and, thanks to Edmonton’s 6-1 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild last night, can’t finish any higher than 25th. And, with the Colorado Avalanche shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes, the Preds are still in contention for the 29th spot. They’ll need a regulation win from the Avs tonight to have any chance of that, however.

It seems weird to “root” for 29th in the standings but remember, the lower they finish in the standings, the higher their probability to win the draft lottery and/or pick in the top five. And, finishing 28th or 29th guarantees that one of the premier, elite prospects (defenseman Seth Jones, winger Jonathan Drouin and centers Natahan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov) will be available for the taking.

Everything will be decided tonight. Here are the games to keep an eye on in regards to Nashville’s Silver Lining hopes:

• TAMPA BAY (in 28th place) needs to beat FLORIDA
• COLORADO (29th) needs to beat MINNESOTA in regulation or overtime
• CAROLINA (25th) needs to beat PITTSBURGH

It’s important to note that Calgary’s season is over so they’re locked at 42 points. The Flames sit in 26th place and, with a win, Nashville would pass them in the standings. If the Preds lose in overtime or a shootout, however, Calgary would finish ahead of them by way of more ROW’s.

The lottery is Monday night, April 29. Make plans to watch it with us at Brewhouse South in Cool Springs. You can find all the details HERE. We hope you’ll join us. It may be the last chance to celebrate with your fellow fans until the summer.

Milwaukee, WI— Texas Stars forward Brett Ritche scored the game-winning goal at 11:44 of overtime to give the Stars a 1-0 lead over the Admirals in their best-of-five Western Conference Quarterfinals Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Milwaukee got on the board first when Patrick Cehlin slammed a one timer from the left dot past Texas netminder, Cristopher Nilstorp, with the Admirals on a power-play.

The Stars equalized the score with only 16 seconds remaining in the opening period. After ringing a shot off the far post in their previous attack, the Stars managed a quick rush from their own zone that resulted in a goal by Matt Fraser. The puck skipped away from Colton Sceviour and onto the blade of Travis Morin whose shot was deflected past Admirals goaltender Magnus Hellberg by Fraser.

With Texas on the man-advantage due to a boarding infraction by Brad Winchester, the Stars picked up the lead in the second period at 9:09 when Kevin Connauton threw a wrister over Hellberg’s gloveside.

The final period kicked off with the Stars leading the Admirals 2-1. Multiple penalties in the third put Milwaukee on a 4 v 3 powerplay allowing the Ads to catch up with 12:49 remaining in regulation time. Zach Hamill found a hole top shelf and lit the lamp off a pass from Brad Winchester.

Regulation time ended with game tied at two.

Although the Ads were forced to kill a penalty when Scott Ford was called for holding during overtime, the game continued deadlocked until Mike Hedden of Texas connected a pass to Ritchie at center ice who skated the puck into the Milwaukee zone put a shot top shelf past a partially screened Hellberg for the GWG.

Hellberg continued his recent strong play, turning aside stunning 41 saves during the match.

The two teams will go at it for game two at 7:00 pm Saturday night at the BMO Harris BC.

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The Nashville Predators got off to a good start against the Detroit Red Wings last night but, in the end, the Wings were just a little too motivated. Needing to get as many points as possible in their final two games of the year to ensure a playoff spot, they beat the Preds 5-2.

With one game left on their slate, Nashville is currently 27th in the league with 41 points and can’t finish any higher than 24th or any lower than 29th.

Remember, the lower they finish in the standings, the higher their probability to win the draft lottery and/or pick in the top five.

They’re in the danger zone right now. Having the fourth worst record in the National Hockey League gives the Predators a halfway decent chance to win the lottery (10.7%) but, if a team outside those bottom four wins, Nashville will pick fifth.

There are four guys who are considered “can’t miss prospects” in this years class, defenseman Seth Jones, forward Jonathan Drouin and centers Nathan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov. Getting one of those guys is the goal. Anyone else could still turn out to be a fine prospect but would be considered a consolation prize. And, after such a tough season where everything seemed to go wrong, the Predators could use the good news.

The following games tonight are important to Nashville and their Silver Lining hopes:

• EDMONTON (in 26th place) needs to beat MINNESOTA
• COLORADO (29th) needs to beat PHOENIX
• CALGARY (24th) needs to beat CHICAGO

It’s important to note that if Colorado gets a point or less in either of their final two games, they’ll clinch the 29th spot and, therefore, the second best odds to win the top overall pick. Also, for the Preds to have any “hope” for 29th, the Avs must win both of their last two games and at least one of those wins has to be in regulation.

The lottery is Monday night, April 29. Make plans to watch it with us at Brewhouse South in Cool Springs. You can find all the details HERE. We hope you’ll join us. It may be the last chance to celebrate with your fellow fans until the summer.

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The Nashville Predators are currently 27th in the league with 41 points. With only two games left, they can’t finish any higher than 24th or any lower than 29th.

Remember, the lower they finish in the standings, the higher their probability to win the draft lottery and/or pick in the top five. The Predators haven’t picked in the top five since 1998, before they even put ice in the arena downtown.

Due to the new lottery structure that starts with this year’s draft, finishing 27th or lower guarantees Nashville a top five pick.

Nashville plays Detroit tonight and the Red Wings will be motivated. They need every point they can get in their final two games in order to make the playoffs. They’re currently 8th in the West but have just a single point edge on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Aside from their own contest, the Predators will be keeping an eye on the following games around the league:

• CAROLINA (in 25th place) needs to beat the NEW YORK RANGERS
• TAMPA BAY (28th) needs to beat BOSTON
• CALGARY (24th) needs to beat ST. LOUIS

The lottery is Monday night, April 29. Make plans to watch it with us at Brewhouse South in Cool Springs. You can find all the details HERE. We hope you’ll join us. It may be the last chance to celebrate with your fellow fans until the summer.

Nashville, Tenn. (April 25, 2013) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has recalled forward Joonas Rask (YOH-nuhs RASK) from Milwaukee (AHL), while assigning forwards Filip Forsberg and Austin Watson to the Admirals.

Rask, 23 (3/24/90), notched a goal and an assist in his first and only AHL game on April 19 against Charlotte. He joined Milwaukee on April 11 after completing his fourth season in the Finnish Elite League with Jokerit, where he posted 10 points (5g-5a) in 52 games. The 5-10, 176-pound defensive and face-off specialist was Nashville’s seventh choice, 198th overall (seventh round), in the 2010 Entry Draft and is the younger brother of Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask.

Watson has appeared in six games for Nashville since his first career recall on April 7. He scored his first NHL goal in Tuesday night’s win over Calgary. Forsberg notched his first career point/assist in his fourth NHL game on Tuesday.

The Nashville Predators close out the 2012-13 on the road with a Thursday night matchup against the Detroit Red Wings at 6:30 p.m. CT and a Saturday evening tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 6 p.m. CT. These will be the final matchups for the Predators with the Red Wings and Blue Jackets as division rivals. Both games broadcast on FOX Sports Tennessee (Comcast: 1675 HS, 28 SD) and 102.5 The Game.

Join the Preds this Sunday, April 28 from 12-4 p.m. CT for a Fan Appreciation Celebration at Bridgestone Arena. Check out seats for next season, catch an end-of-the-season wrap-up with Preds coaches and management, jump on the ice for a public skate, take advantage of Preds Pro Shop discounts, enjoy free popcorn and soda, hang out with Gnash and the Nashville Predators Dancers and Ice Girls and much more!

Nashville, Tenn. (April 24, 2013) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed 2011 second-round draft pick Miikka Salomäki (MEE-kah SA-loh-MA-kee) to a three-year entry-level contract.

Salomäki, 21 (3/9/93), has spent the last three seasons with Karpat Oulu of the Finnish Elite League, amassing 50 points (25g-25a) and 153 penalty minutes in 122 games. In 2012-13, he posted 19 points (9g-10a) and 44 penalty minutes in 42 games. The 5-11, 205-pound left wing has also represented Finland in the past three World Junior Championships, totaling 17 points (8g-9a) in 19 games.

Nashville’s second choice, 52nd overall (second round), in the 2011 Entry Draft was named Finnish Junior League rookie of the year in 2009-10 while leading his club to the league title.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy K. Gover // section303.com

Nashville beat the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, 4-3, behind goals from David Legwand, Nick Spaling, Austin Watson and Matt Halischuk. Legwand’s goal was the 200th of his NHL career while Watson’s was the first of his.

Even young Swedish phenom Filip Forsberg tallied his first NHL point by way of the secondary assist on Legwand’s marker.

The Detroit, Michigan, native’s 200th career goal came at the 14:39 mark of the opening period as he stuffed a Shea Weber blast past Miikka Kiprusoff for his team-leading 12th goal of the year and 11th all-time against the Flames.

“Congrats to Leggy,” Watson said. “That’s something pretty incredible, 200 goals. It felt hard enough to get the first one. It’s an awesome milestone for him and nice to share a moment here.”

Nashville would notch a power play tally from Spaling at the end of the second period to re-tie the game headed into the intermission. Watson and Halischuk would then add goals in the third to seal Calgary’s fate.

The Flames tried to make things interesting when Roman Cervenka scored his second of the game in the final minutes of the contest but it wasn’t enough on this night.

Not only was he the team’s first draft pick but Legwand has played at least one game in every Predators season since the team’s inception. He scored his first goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his fifth ever game on October 11, 1999 and is now the franchise’s all-time leader in the category with an even 200.

Recently traded winger Martin Erat is second on the all-time list with 163 but captain Shea Weber is the closest active-Predator with 107.

The Predators can help end their arch-rival’s playoff hopes when they travel to Detroit on Thursday to play the Red Wings.

Puck drops at 6:30pm Central.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Fuqua (used with permission)