This year, however, podcasters get a piece of the pie as well.

The March of Dimes has added a “Best Locally Produced Podcast” category this year, marking the first time in the 14 year history of the event that they’ve honored content not specifically played on radio airwaves.

In today’s digital age, this embrace of change within an industry that usually turns a blind eye to technology is only going to benefit the charity. The event’s purpose is to raise money for the March of Dimes and all the families it helps and supports. While the entries are free, tickets to the awards event itself vary in price and, along with the sponsors, all of that money goes to the Nashville Chapter of the March of Dimes.

Broadcasters that regularly attend the annual A.I.R. Awards event are members of 104.5 The Zone, the Thom Abraham Show, Dawson McAllister Live! and Lightning 100, among others. All of these entities should be applauded for their consistency, their commitment and their charitable donations to the cause.

And now you can rub elbows with the best radio broadcasters in Music City and help the March of Dimes. If you’re a regular podcaster here in the Nashville area, you can download the event details, complete the entry form and submit a demo of your best work to the following address:

A.I.R. Awards c/o March of Dimes
1101 Kermit Drive, Suite 201
Nashville, TN  37217

Remember, you MUST include two copies of the completed entry form with your CD entry.

The A.I.R. Awards is the only awards program of its kind, acknowledging talent & achievement on a local level. Furthermore, last year Philadelphia held it’s last A.I.R. Awards, leaving Nashville as the only market in the country still doing the event. With podcasters now able to get in on the action, the Nashville market can hopefully help renew the success of the program.

This is not limited to hockey, or even sports for the matter. If you know of a regularly produced podcast here in the Nashville area, tell them to submit an entry!

The deadline to get your entry in is September 10. So get to editing…

Poile’s latest move is sending right wing Ian McKenzie to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for defenseman Grant Lewis.

Lewis’ impeccable NHL resume has a grand total of one game on it.

In that one game, he logged a respectable 15:29 of ice time (not bad for a guy making his NHL debut) and registered one shot on goal. But don’t hold his lack of experience against him. Lewis is a 6’3″, 200 pound blueliner who has tallied 44 points in 133 games at the AHL level. Also, he was steady producer in college, bagging 77 points in his 120 games with Dartmouth.

While at Dartmouth, he was named to the 2004 ECAC All-Rookie Team, he was the only freshman to be a member of the 2004 ECAC First-Team, he was a member of the All-Ivy League First Team and he was a New England Hockey Writers All-Star selection as well. All those accolades prompted Atlanta to make him their second round draft choice the following summer. He then returned to school and posted 52 points in his final three seasons.

So, what we’re saying is, there’s potential there.

The problem is, he’ll be fighting for a spot behind Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Francis Bouillon, Kevin Klein and Cody Franson (hopefully). He’ll also be directly competing with Teemu Laakso, Alexander Sulzer, Jonathan Blum, Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis in training camp. Then there’s also the newly signed Brett Palin and Aaron Johnson, as well as prospects Mattias Ekholm and Charles-Olivier Roussel.

Nashville really doesn’t lose anything with this deal as McKenzie was one of the worst players in Development Camp this summer and has never really done a whole lot at the professional level. In 50 career AHL games, he’s tallied just five points, which explains why in each of the past two seasons he’s split time between the AHL Milwaukee Admirals and the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones. With the Cyclones, he’s produced a little more, posting 20 points in 64 career games.

So, based on those stats, Atlanta’s ECHL affiliate, the Gwinnett Gladiators, better get ready because there’s about to be a new kid in town.

There are two other pictures of the mask here so don’t forget to go check them out.

Pickard will be battling with Anders Lindback, Jeremy Smith and Mark Dekanich for the opporutnity to back up Pekka Rinne this season. And, considering the fierce competition, I wonder if this is Pickard’s way of saying “put me in coach, I’m ready to play.”

Training camp starts in two weeks.

Man, Daveart does great work, doesn’t he?

Aaron Johnson, who split time between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers last season, has inked a one year, two-way deal that will pay him $555,000 with the Predators and $105,000 at the AHL level in Milwaukee.

Johnson, 27, will fight for an NHL job among fellow defensemen Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Francis Bouillon, Kevin Klein, Cody Franson (hopefully), Teemu Laakso, Alexander Sulzer, Jonathan Blum, Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis in training camp. Then there’s also the newly signed Brett Palin and prospects Mattias Ekholm and Charles-Olivier Roussel. Needless to say, with the depth Nashville has on the blueline, Johnson should play the entire season with the Admirals.

The Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia native has played on five different NHL teams in his five year history on the NHL level. Because he changes his address so often, he reminds many of former NHL journeyman Jerrod Skalde who just became the head coach of Nashville’s ECHL affiliate, Cincinnati Cyclones.

Johnson is a former third round pick of the division rival Columbus Blue Jackets.

I took every player who ever donned a Nashville sweater (thank you Mr. Diamond) and dwindled it down to the best one center, two wingers, two defensemen and one goalie.

So, to help cure your summer boredom, I present to you the First Team All-Nashville Predators squad.

FIRST TEAM ALL-NASHVILLE PREDATORS 

LW – STEVE SULLIVAN: On February 16, 2004, the Preds made arguably the most important trade in franchise history. Yes, even more important that the Peter Forsberg deal three years later. For two second round picks, Nashville acquired it’s first star. And, in case there was any doubt, Sullivan proved just that to the fan base. In his first game in his new sweater, all he did was go out and bag three goals and an assist against the high-powered San Jose Sharks. For an encore? He tallied six points in the next two games, giving him an amazing 10 points in his first three games with the Preds. After tallying 30 points in 24 games with Nashville, it could be argued that he single-handedly carried the Preds to their first ever playoff berth. Fast forward five years. The 5’8″ playmaker has produced at nearly a point-per-game clip while wearing the sabre tooth tiger on his chest, he missed nearly two years of action and still came back and tied for the team lead in scoring last year (51 pts), he won the NHL’s Masterton Award for perseverance and dedication to the sport, upon becoming a free agent in the summer of 2009, he elected to re-sign in Middle Tennessee when he could’ve went elsewhere with a better chance to win the Stanley Cup and he plans to retire in Nashville with his family. The skill is there, the production is there and the dedication to the community is there. Sullivan is a no-brainer for the First Team.

C - DAVID LEGWAND: Another date that will live on in infamy for the Predators organization is June 27, 1998. On that date, the Preds made their first draft selection in franchise history; a second overall pick that saw Detroit, Michigan-born Legwand take the stage. Since that fateful day, Legwand is the sole remaining original-Predator, is the career franchise leader in games played (704), points (407), goals (152) and assists (255). While he catches the ire of many fans due to his high contract ($4.5 million/season) and low offensive production (averaging 41 points/season since signing that contract), he can be relied on for his defensive responsibilities and has been coined more of a “shut down center.” Either way you slice it, however, Legwand has earned his spot on the First Team with longevity, production and the fact that he was the first ever draft pick by the organization.

RW – MARTIN ERAT: What is there to say about “Spinderella?” The Czech winger’s 123 goals, 229 assists, 352 points and 552 games are second on the all-time franchise list in their respective categories. He’s a pressure performer as well. In the past two playoff appearances, Erat has led the charge, collecting nine points in 12 games. Furthermore, when the Preds were battling to get into the playoffs in 2008-09, he registered a plus-4 rating while collecting seven points in the final four games. At 28 years old, he’s in the prime of his career, he’s one of the highest paid Predators players and he skates (and spins) like the wind. Anytime he’s on the ice, the former seventh round pick is a threat to generate scoring chances and can bring the crowd to it’s feet on a moment’s notice. Is he a sniper? No. Is he a superstar? No. What he is, however, is a steady 50 point man on a team who cherishes anybody who can score over 40. His decision making can be suspect sometimes (even before his infamous Game 5 choke) but, overall, he winds up on the score sheet more often than not and he can play both ends of the ice with consistency. His name belongs among the franchise’s elite.

D – SHEA WEBER: The newest captain is the face of the franchise. He made Dirk Hoag’s Nashville Predators version of Mt. Puckmore, he’s got one of the hardest shots in the NHL, he’s a 40+ point guy from the blueline, he’s a power play quarterback, he’s second on the franchise’s all-time list in goal scoring among defensemen and, in a way, he single-handedly gives Nashville respect as an organization among the Canadian media. With 16 goals this coming season, he’ll overtake Kimmo Timonen for the franchise’s all-time goal scoring lead among blueliners. The pride of Sicamous, British Columbia is only 25 years old. What will his accomplishments and stats look like when he’s 30? What about when he’s 35? Is he the first legitimate shot at the Hockey Hall of Fame for the Predators organization?

D – RYAN SUTER: Weber’s “first Lieutenant,” Suter is not only paired with Weber here on this list but on a nightly basis. Weber and Suter go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like salt and pepper. Like Ke$ha and Jack Daniels. The two players are so inseparable that Predators fans found themselves doing double-takes during the Olympics because they were on different teams. He may be fifth on the franchise’s all-time scoring list among defensemen but he’s only eight points behind the fourth place Dan Hamhuis who, by the way, has played in 90 more games. Of all the blueliners who have played in at least 80 games for Nashville, only Marek Zidlicky and Weber have a higher point-per-game scoring average in their Preds careers.

G - TOMAS VOKOUN: I wanted to pick Pekka Rinne. I wanted to pick him badly. So much so that I considered justifying it with his potential, rather than his history. And Kevin Allen of USA Today didn’t help when he told us on The 303:30 that Rinne was “already in the upper echelon of goalies in the league.” But I wanted to be true to the idea of the All-Time Predators Team so I was forced to pick Tomas Vokoun. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vokoun. I hate that he was traded in the fire sale that was the summer of 2007. But not only do I think Rinne is one of the elite goalies in the NHL, but it would’ve been really cool if every member of the First Team was all current Predators. Vokoun, however, takes his rightful place in Nashville lore. While wearing a Preds sweater, he posted an impressive 161-159-35-11 record, 21 shutouts and three seasons with at least a .918 save percentage. Keep in mind that he was a member of the first eight Predators teams, which, in turn, means he posted a those numbers in the growing pain years that every expansion team goes through. It’s not very often an expansion franchise has it’s franchise goalie during it’s infant years. Matter of fact, the only one that comes to mind of the past two decades is the Florida Panthers’ John Vanbiesbrouck. And, honestly, an argument could be made that he would be “too old” to qualify as a franchise goalie as he was 30 when he was acquired by the Panthers. So, for Vokoun to have been 22 when he was taken in the 1998 Expansion Draft by Nashville, it’s amazing that a franchise goalie could be developed in the chaos that is an expansion franchise. But Vokoun was just that good. It’s tough to imagine the current Predators team without Vokoun in the crease had the fire sale never taken place thus making Rinne expendable. Plus, how do you exclude a guy who was so good that he had his own theme music?!?!

Would you disgree with anybody on this list? Should Paul Kariya have made it? Should JP Dumont? Should Kimmo Timonen? Arguments could be made for all of those guys and a lot of others. So, if you were putting together an all-time Preds team, who would be on it?

Fresh off of our 2nd place win at the Tennessean’s Toast of Music City Awards, we’d like to follow it up with a 1st place win at the Best of Nashville Awards. But, we can only do that with your help.

So, if you wouldn’t mind, please head over to the Nashville Scene’s website and vote for all of your favorite Nashville people, places and things. Remember, you can vote once a day until the voting closes.

Also, we have had some people tell us that they would vote for us but the promotion is requiring people to vote in at least 20 categories before they hit “Submit My Ballot.” So, if you need help voting in 19 other categories, here’s a list of the people, places and things we support. Again, not to “stuff the balloting,” just to help you if you need to fulfill the 20 category requirement.

FOOD & DRINK // BEST SPORTS BAR
Bleacher’s Sports Grill in Franklin (they hosted our Gold Medal Game Viewing Party and were great to us)

OTHER // BEST CATEGORY WE FORGOT
Best Sports Venue (why isn’t Bridgestone Arena represented?)

MEDIA // BEST AM RADIO STATION
WNSR 560 AM (Thom Abraham is a huge hockey fan and we support him and his show)

MEDIA // BEST RADIO PERSONALITY
3 Hour Lunch on 104.5 The Zone

MEDIA // BEST TALK RADIO STATION
104.5 The Zone (the flagship station of the Preds)

MEDIA // BEST TV NEWS PERSONALITY
Christine Maddela, WKRN (was instrumental in keeping Middle Tennessee informed during floods)

MEDIA // BEST NEWS STATION
WKRN (Joe Dubin and the sports crew over at News 2 has dove in head-first to support the Preds)

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT // BEST CHARITY EVENT
“We Are Nashville” silent auction for flood relief

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT // BEST CONCERT SINCE OCTOBER 2009
Music Saves Mountains at The Ryman (Codey and I were both there and the show was incredible)

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT // BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER
Matt Jenkins (a personal friend and an up and coming country artist)

GOODS & SERVICES // BEST NON-PROFIT
Dawson McAllister Assoc/TheHopeLine.com (supplying help and hope to kids across North America)

KIDS // BEST TEACHER, PUBLIC SCHOOL
Mrs. Gover at Tusculum Elementary (my wife)

You can vote for us and all of your Nashville favorites by clicking here. We thank you for your support.

Come out, sit with your fellow Preds fans and cheer on their community sports brethren as they close out the season.

To RSVP for the tweet-up (i.e. let everyone know you’re coming), click here.

And, for the record, I will not be bringing the signs I talked about on Twitter a couple weeks back. Sorry to disappoint.

The guy the Nashville Predators took at 70th overall in 2009 was tied for fourth.

Taylor Beck, who tallied 93 points with the Guelph Storm last year, signed a three-year entry level contract with Nashville today.

Beck, 19, won the 2010 Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s top scoring right winger, was named a Second Team All-Star and was a nominee for the league’s most outstanding player.

To hear the Preds prospect talk with us at section303.com, check out this edition of The 303:30.

That’s pretty much the only silver lining for the Nashville Predators and their fans as the NHL announced it’s 2010-11 national TV broadcast schedule this afternoon. Per usual, the Preds get the sleight of hand as they get a mere one game on the national stage.

And that one game? Nope, not against the long-time rival, big market, Detroit Red Wings. Nope, not against the high-powered, big market, San Jose Sharks. Nope, not even against the everyone-in-Minnesota-will-drop-what-they’re-doing-and-watch Minnesota Wild. No way. The game we get? Against the lack-luster St. Louis Blues.

Because that’ll draw huge ratings.

See, not only do the Preds want the entire hockey world watching, but we here in Cell Block 303 would like to show off our volume and chants to a nationwide audience. That’s hard to do when the Versus network finds it’s in their best interest to “promote” our team to a nationwide audience on a Wednesday night against a middle-market club that’s one of the worst in the Western Conference. Why not the game against the Red Wings on February 9? Why not the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 21? Why not the game against the Sharks on December 15?

By contrast, the Penguins have 10 games on Versus this year, including two instances where they’ll be on on back-to-back nights! Hell, the Columbus Blue Jackets — yes, the we’ve-never-won-a-playoff-game-in-our-nine-year-history, Columbus Blue Jackets — have two games on Versus. (Three if you count their season opener over in Stockholm, Sweden.)

But that consistent playoff team that plays in Middle Tennessee? Nah, there’s no reason to give them the lime light.

There’s just no excuse. Yes, Nashville is the smallest market of any NHL franchise. Yes, there are no superstars here. But we have the loudest building in the sport, especially against teams like Detroit and San Jose. And, if they’re worried about ratings, Detroit, Pittsburgh and San Jose are massive markets where the viewership would balance out.

The lack of respect for our team is unacceptable. How do they expect to grow the game if they can’t throw a small-market franchise a bone every once in a while?

So thank you, Versus, for giving us a home game. But no thank you, Versus, for giving us the shaft once again.

The Nashville Predators and Zanies Comedy Club are teaming up once again and presenting Bumps, Bruises and Bedtime Stories. On Sunday night, September 26, the usual home for stand-up comedians will become home to former Predator tough guys Stu Grimson, Jim McKenzie and Reid Simpson. Ralphie May will once again emcee the event.

The panelists will be sharing stories from their NHL careers, talking about behind-the-scenes experiences that fans rarely get a glimpse at, showing videos and even taking your questions from the audience.

While Grimson and McKenzie were at the first installment of the event, Simpson is new to the party and should provide plenty of brand new stories and experiences.

Other guests may be added later but, as of now, only Grimson, McKenzie and Simpson are on the docket.

Not only will you enjoy the stories and the laughs but you’ll be helping out in the community. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds benefit the Nashville Predators Foundation.

The event is completely uncensored so we strongly suggest you use caution in attending if you’re offended by strong language.

For more information about the event, click here.

See you there!

Hornqvist was extended a qualifying offer back on June 28 and, today – just a mere 57 days later - SportBladet, a Swedish newspaper, is reporting the young Swede has inked a three year deal worth $3 million a year.

The three year deal is a little alarming as it begs the question: “What if his 30 goal breakout season last year was a fluke?” The answer, in case you were wondering, is: “first Poile overpays David Legwand, then Martin Erat and now Hornqvist.”

After career numbers in their contract years, both Legwand and Erat were rewarded with long term, big money deals. The problem is, neither player has lived up to the offensive potential. Legwand, for example, tallied 63 points in his contract year. In the three years since, his highest season total is 44. And, as far as Erat goes, he had back-to-back 57 point seasons, signed the new deal and hasn’t surpassed 50 points since.

It’s safe to say that, if Hornqvist goes the way of Young MC (“a one-hit wonder” for all you kids out there), the Poile-haters will have just one more log to throw on the fire.

A two year deal seemed more advantageous as it would be a nice risk/reward for both the player and the club. Inking Hornqvist for two years would have rewarded him for his great sophomore season yet would’ve protected the team in case he reprised his freshman year where he tallied just nine points in 28 games.

“Horn Dog,” as he’s affectionately known, led the team in shots (275), goals (30), power play goals (10) and game-winning goals (8) in 2009-10. He also led the team in plus/minus with an impressive plus-18 rating. Only Cody Franson (who missed the four game streak in October where Nashville was outscored 16-2) and Marcel Goc  (who averaged a full minute less of ice time than Hornqvist did) joined him with a double-digit plus-rating.

According to capgeek.com, the 23-year old Sollentuna, Sweden native made just $620,000 last year and, given the stats listed above, well deserved the hefty raise. Now it’s up to Hornqvist to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke. He was outright handed a top line wing position coming out of training camp two seasons ago yet rarely showed up on the score sheet. He tallied just seven points all season and zero after November 11. While that normally wouldn’t be a disappointment, he was skating on the top line with Jason Arnott and JP Dumont but still wasn’t contributing. As a result, he was sent back to the AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.

After earning a roster spot last season, however, Hornqvist burst out of the gate with an assist on opening night. Then three points in the next game. Next thing you know, he’d amassed eight points in the month of October, already doubling his career NHL totals. Little did we know that, come April, he’d be challenging Arnott’s club record of 33 goals in a season.

He deserves the raise, absolutely. Nashville fans will just feel a lot better once he proves that he can continue scoring 30-goals a year now that the team has invested that kind of money in him.

One would think his production could improve based solely on the fact that Arnott’s spot on the top line has been replaced with free agent signee Matthew Lombardi. Lombardi is not only a much faster skater than Arnott, he’s younger, a harder worker and a better face-off guy, meaning the Nashville power play should be able to control the puck inside the attacking zone more often. And more puck control on the power play means Hornqvist will be able to do what he does best: stand in front of the net and set screens, deflect pucks and bang home rebounds.

So, once again, he’ll be given the opportunity to play on the top line out of training camp. This time, however, he’s earned it.

UPDATE: Thanks to some diligent work from Dirk Hoag of ontheforecheck.com, the deal has been confirmed by the Predators.

UPDATE (11:58am): The Predators press release states that the deal is, in fact, a three year deal but it’s for a total of $9.25 million, putting the contract a sliver under $3.1 million/year.

—

SPECIAL THANKS: Mad props to Twitter user @Xion89 for breaking the news in the @PredFans group.

—

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Are you a parent who wants to take your kids to a game? Are you in Chattanooga or Memphis but have to cut as many costs as possible due to the drive? Do you want to show off the greatest sport in the world to your co-workers who’ve never been to a hockey game?

This offer is for you.

To get two free tickets to a pre-season Preds game, visit the teams official website and fill out the form.

See you at the rink!!

He also sits down with two very special guests. USA Today‘s Kevin Allen joins the show first and discusses the NHL’s Research, Development and Orientation Camp and all the potential rule changes that were experiemented with and then gives a brief Western Conference preview.

Next to join the show is The Hockey News‘ Adam Proteau. He weighs in on the possible rule changes as well among other topics.

On Twitter, you can follow Allen (@kausatoday) and both Proteau’s professional account (@TheHockeyNews) and his personal account (@Proteautype). Both guys are absolute must-follows if you’re a hockey fan. They’re each a wealth of information and are among the best at what they do.

As always, the podcast is available via iTunes for subscription. We would appreciate it if you would subscribe, rate and review.

CREDITS:
Music: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Salute Your Solution (The Raconteurs), Knowledge Is King (Kool Moe Dee), Sober (P!nk), Winner (Jamie Foxx)

Staff: Kent Harris (voice over)

EA Sports released the demo for NHL 11 on August 17th for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.  Regardless of which system you prefer, this game brought many new features for gamers, as well as tweaking the existing framework.  I’m amazed at how this game can still be fresh as EA Sports celebrates the franchise’s 20th anniversary.

Here are a few high points from the demo…

Battle for the Cup: Game 7 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. Philadelphia vs Chicago in the United Center.
Quick simulation mode kicks in to start the game, Chicago will be up one goal after two periods.  You begin game play in the 3rd.  Do you play as the favorite Blackhawks, and try to keep a lead?  Or do you take the route of the underdog, and try to make the miraculous comeback for the Flyers?  You have one period of game play to determine a winner.

One period of hockey allows you to try the new face-off mechanics (including the fantastic camera angles), as well as adjust to a somewhat different feel from NHL 10.  I can best describe the game play as having more of an arcade touch, but without being gimmicky.  Momentum-based checks feel amped up a bit, and it’s noticed in the demo.  Revamped physics regarding momentum, adjusted hip-check controls, and more precise puck control really stood out after playing this game mode multiple times.

Hockey Ultimate Team: New for NHL 11, this mode is best compared to an Online Dynasty.  You receive a pack of trading cards (kids, ask your parents about those) which determine your players, jerseys, arena, logos, and even the options to train your players.  Applying ‘consumables’ to your players (increased stats), allow you to build up the prospects that come in as part of the deck.

Once your lineup is set, you can jump into a tournament mode and play with your team.  Opponents you will face are Memorial Cup winner Windsor Spitfires, Stanley Cup Final participants Philadelphia and Chicago, and if you’re so lucky, Olympic Gold Medal winners Team Canada.

Multiple plays in this game mode have impressed me.  A deck of cards has contained Predators 2010 draft pick Austin Watson, as well as a future hall-of-famer like Nicklas Lidstrom.  Random doesn’t begin to describe how the decks could play out for you.  One feature on this mode that sticks out is “Chemistry View” when setting your lineup.  If you have players from the same team, play a player in their natural position, or match the league that players play in, you’ll notice a bump in chemistry.  This translates to on-the-ice performance with the line.

Overall, it’s another solid improvement for the team at EA Sports.  NHL 11 drops in stores on September 7th, and there are pre-order perks from GameStop.  Section303.com hopes to start Online Leagues for both 360 and PS3, stay tuned for that.

See you online!

Some of the more famous “potential” rule-changes you might remember from yesteryear’s are “larger nets,” “bowed goal posts” and, this year’s doozy, “one face-off dot in each zone.”

Now I get the idea that they only want to help the game. I get that the league doesn’t just want to change for changes sake. I understand that the ultimate goal in any rule change is to help improve the product. The problem is, they’re changing things too fast and they’re over-compensating for past-issues.

For example, the NHL didn’t want to send fans home without a winner. They figured, if a fan is spending $80 a ticket (for example), they don’t want to watch two teams tie. So, before the 1999-00 season, they came up with the idea to “fix” overtime by opening up the ice with a little 4-on-4 hockey. But that wasn’t enough. They knew that teams would do what they normally do at the end of the OT session: hang on for the tie so they can get the one point. So, to “fix” that, they decided they’d give the winner an extra point. Which, in turn, means giving both teams one point just for going into overtime. Not only does that reward a losing team with a point, but now we see teams “hang on” at the end of regulation so they can – you guessed it – at least get the point, thereby, not fixing the problem at all.

Side note: If a team lost every single one of their games in overtime, they’d still finish the season with 82 points. And, in 2002-03, the New York Islanders went to the playoffs as the eighth seed with 83 points. Which means, in theory, a team going 0-0-82 would’ve finished one point out of a playoff spot.

Wrap your brain around that.

So, after a conversation with Twitter user @R_Smith6 via the @PredFans group, I have been motivated to blog on the non-stop altering of the greatest sport on Earth by the NHL and the rule changes I would amend, abolish and keep. Besides, aren’t I one of the league’s target demographics? A 30-something male who’s a season ticket holder and NHL Center Ice subscriber in a non-traditional hockey market? I think the powers that be are too close to the situation and need to listen to fans for once.

So, with that motivation in mind, I randomly selected four recent/potential rule changes and came up with a verdict.

RULE #1: The Removal of the Red Line
When players returned to the NHL after the lockout in 2004-05, they found that the two-line pass no longer existed. If you don’t recall, the two-line pass was a form of off-sides. It basically stated that the puck couldn’t cross over the blue line and the red line before being touched by a member of the attacking team. Mario Lemieux had been arguing for the removal of the red line for almost his entire career. Too bad he was only able to experience it for one season; his last. Either way, the game is much more open now and, arguably, a lot more exciting. There’s nothing quite like a homerun pass from Shea Weber to a breaking Steve Sullivan in overtime to bring an entire building to it’s feet.
Verdict: KEEP

RULE #2: The Shootout
Americans want to see winners, period. Soccer, the world’s game, has ties all the time and you don’t hear anyone complaining in Europe, Africa or Asia do you? By contrast, of the four major sports in North America, only hockey had ties. The NHL saw this as a problem when they decided to expand into non-traditional hockey markets like California, Florida and Georgia in the 1990′s. Finally, in 2005, the league decided to implement the shootout after their other bright ideas for overtime (the 4-on-4 hockey, the extra point up for grabs, etc.) didn’t work. But do you think they got rid of those other bright ideas? Nope. They just went ahead and threw another log on the fire. So now, a 65 minute game, has become a 60 minute game with a 4-on-4 overtime session, with an occasional skills competition at the end, where the loser still gets a point.

So much for simplifying the game for those new fans, eh?

Now I’ve heard the argument, “do you see anyone leave during the shootout?” No. As a matter of fact, everyone’s on their feet, myself included. But don’t translate that to mean that everything’s fine with the system. It’s not. The shootout, be it on an NHL rink or a tennis court with a bunch of young roller hockey players, is exciting as hell. It’s pure skill against pure skill. The problem is, that skill is not necessarily why the game is tied, thus, shouldn’t be used to determine who gets a full two points in the standings.

If you want to have the shootout, fine. Like I said, it’s exciting. But make it for one point. The loser shouldn’t be rewarded with anything anyway and the winner has won in a skills competition implemented only so the fans can go home with a definitive result. Additionally, think about it, you’d have both teams fighting for the entire 60 minutes as opposed to just hanging on for overtime to “at least get the one point.” Then, in overtime, both teams know that, if they go to a shootout, one of them is going home with only a single point while the other one goes home with nothing. You want to see 65 minutes of motivated hockey? Try that.

EDIT: Apparently they’ve been running 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 overtime sessions at RDO Camp because they think “there have been too many shootouts.” Gee… I wonder why. (see above)
Verdict: AMMEND

RULE #3: Line Changes After Icing
One of the most underrated rule changes in professional sports in the past decade. Players used to have the mindset of “I’m tired, so I’ll ice the puck and get off the ice.” This would slow the game way down, almost to a grind sometimes. Not anymore though! Now those tired legs have to maintain defensive zone strategy while looking for a way to get to the bench. Not only does it further penalize a team for slowing the game down, it inadvertently led to a rise in scoring chances, which is what the NHL’s been trying to do since the mid-90′s. Attacking forwards know they can pin their tired counterparts deep in their own zone and generate a better attack due to fatigue. In turn, this wears down the goalies who have to bail out their tired teammates again and again until they can finally muster some sort of attack that gets them to the neutral zone where they can change.
Verdict: KEEP

RULE #4: Hybrid Icing
I’m glad I picked this one as it seems to be the hottest topic of the RDO Camp. Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke told NHL.com ”I like the hybrid rule. They have used it in the USHL for a couple of years with success.” Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said “I like the concept but the reality is we’re trying to create all these rules to speed up the game and no-touch icing really slows it down. I think some type of hybrid might be good.” Even Predators GM David Poile weighed in telling nashvillepredators.com “I really like the hybrid icing situation. I may be in the minority but I just think there’s too many potential injuries (with the current icing rule).”

If you’re unaware, the hybrid icing rule basically states that, if the defending player will reach the puck first, the linesman has the discretion to blow the whistle (a la the current icing rule). But, in the rare event that there’s actually a race for the puck and the forechecking player may be able to reach it first, the linesman is instructed to let the play continue. The “point of no return” is the face-off circles. If the players reach the face-off dots and the defending player is ahead or it’s a tie, the whistle will be blown. In theory, this is supposed to prevent the accidents that occur when two players go racing after the puck to both touch-up on and negate an icing call.

The problem with the hybrid icing? It doesn’t prevent collisions, which is the entire argument for no-touch icing in the first place. As a matter of fact, the lineseman is specifically supposed to pocket his whistle when there are two players going for the puck. How exactly does that help the problem?

Yes, it will help the defending player as they typically stop playing after touching up while the forechecking player comes barreling into them trying to stop. (As witnessed when Kurtis Foster broke his femur on a similar play). But it doesn’t prevent collisions as a whole. Say the linesman deems it a race, what do you think the attacking player’s going to do in a dead heat to the puck? He’ll be in the same delicate position the defending player’s usually in and there’s going to be an ugly collision behind the net, possibly resulting in injury.

I agree with Yzerman that no-touch icing would slow the game down. But, you know what Stevie Y? If that’s what it takes to protect the players, than so be it.
Verdict: ABOLISH

Bottom line: Whiel I would prefer to see the NHL do the things I think would benefit the game, I understand that there are others who probably have exact opposite opinions as I who feel just as passionately about them. Either way, the NHL needs to stop toying with the sport. Only the NFL is in the news more for wanting to implement rule changes but, if you’ll notice, most of their newsworthy changes are for the safety of the players. Quite frankly, only the hybrid icing rule falls under that category with the NHL at this point.

Leave the game the way it is. You can’t change the game every year and expect casual fans to keep up. Plus, it’s already the greatest game on Earth so, really, it’s kind of like the National Anthem. You can either sing it as it’s supposed to be sung, or you can screw it up.

Please don’t screw it up anymore.

At 6:00pm at Otter’s Chicken in Nashville, the Preds have scheduled not only a chance to socialize in the off-season but also an opportunity to brainstorm with your fellow fans on the social media strategy of the club and, our personal favorite, any ideas you’ve got in improving the way mainstream media and bloggers cover the team.

All the fun starts at 6pm so bring yourself, your family, your friends and your ideas to Otter’s at 1528 Demonbreun Street next to Music Row. (Map below)

Then again, who didn’t he play for?

Jarrod Skalde was introduced today as the new head coach of the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers ECHL affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones.

Skalde, a second round pick of the New Jersey Devils back in 1989, wound up as a journeyman hockey player, having played for – wait for it – 27 different hockey clubs between turning pro in 1990 and retiring in 2008. In case you’re keeping track, that’s an average of nearly 1.5 different teams per season.

I’ll talk a little bit more about the shoes he has to fill in one second. But, before I do, let me list the different teams he’s skated with. (Quite honestly, I didn’t even know some of these teams even existed.)

* Utica Devils (AHL) from 1990-93
* New Jersey Devils (NHL) from 1990-93
* Cincinnati Cyclones (IHL) in 1992-93
* San Diego Gulls (IHL) in 1993-94
* Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (NHL) in 1993-94
* Las Vegas Thunder (IHL) in 1994-95
* Baltimore Bandits (AHL) in 1995-96
* Saint John Flames (AHL) from 1995-97
* Calgary Flames (NHL) in 1995-96
* Indianapolis Ice (IHL) in 1997-98
* Kentucky Thoroughblades (AHL) from 1997-99
* San Jose Sharks (NHL) in 1997 and then again in 1999
* Dallas Stars (NHL) in 1997-98
* Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) in 1998-99
* Utah Grizzlies (IHL/AHL) in 1999-00 and then again from 2003-05
* Atlanta Thrashers (NHL) in 1999-00
* Orlando Solar Bears (IHL) in 2000-01
* Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) in 2001-02
* Chicago Wolves (AHL) in 2001-02
* Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) in 2001-02
* Lausanne HC (Swiss Elite League) in 2002-03
* Springfield Falcons (AHL) in 2004-05
* San Antonio Rampage (AHL) in 2005-06
* Leksands IF (Swedish Elite League) in 2005-06
* Oji Eagles (Asia League) in 2006-07
* Jesenice (Austrian League) in 2007-08
* Bloomington PrairieThunder (IHL) in 2007-08

Whew.

Now Skalde’s got some big shoes to fill as recently departed Head Coach Chuck Weber won two Kelly Cup titles during his four year stint as the Cyclones bench boss, his first four as a head coach anywhere. Skalde, 39, has spent the last two years on the International Hockey League level with the same Bloomington team he played for in 2007-08. In his two seasons behind the bench, he led the PrairieThunder to a 60-74-7-11 record, neither time making the post season.

By contrast, Weber not only led the Cyclones to two Kelly Cups, but he also posted a 177-92-19 record, won two North Division titles (2008, 2009), brought home a Brabham Cup (for the ECHL’s best record) and earned three consecutive trips to the American Conference Finals (2008, 2009 and 2010).

Your move, Skalde.

Predators goaltender Jeremy Smith was the only Nashville prospect to spend considerable time in southern Ohio last season. He made the most of it, however, posting a 23-15-2 regular season record and then going on to be named co-Kelly Cup MVP.

The only other players in the Preds’ system to spend any time in Cincinnati last season were Ian McKenzie (24 games) and Mark Dekanich (2 games).

Regardless of how many prospects wore a Cyclones sweater last year, Cincinnati is affiliated with the Predators and thus, a new head coach in the system is news worthy.

Especially when the new head coach played on 27 different clubs in his 19 year professional career.

But, if you really need a Preds connection to tie this all together for you, when he played for the Solar Bears in 2000-01, he played wither former Preds tough guy Darcy Hordichuk under current Nashville Assistant Coach Peter Horachek.

Oh, and they won the IHL’s championship that season, the Turner Cup.

EDIT: He was also a teammate with former Predators goalie Dan Ellis on the 2003-04 Utah Grizzlies team.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Joel Fellers // Pantagraph

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SPECIAL THANKS: Props to @SLakePreds for the Horachek connection.

Let’s hope they can each win one in Nashville.

Jeff Cogen and Sean Henry were officially introduced this afternoon as the CEO and President/COO, respectively, of the Nashville Predators.

Cogen comes to Music City via the Dallas Stars organization where he served as the Stars’ President and alternate league governor. As if that wasn’t enough, he was also a Board Member overseeing the operation of American Airlines Center when it was built in the wake of the Stars’ “Stanley Cup win” in 1999 (sorry for the quotation marks but Brett Hull’s foot was in the crease).

In what was probably a calculated move, Cogen was quick to point out to 104.5 The Zone that he “watched from afar” during the sparing of words between Jordin Tootoo and Stars owner Tom Hicks. If you recall, Tootoo absolutely destroyed Stephane Robidas when he was coming to the aid of Mike Modano back on March 17, 2007.

(Modano is now a Red Wing, by the way. I know that has nothing to do with this topic but I just wanted to feed the hatred a little. It’s good for the passion during the off-season.)

But I digress.

While it may appear to some that Cogen was just fleeing the burning ship that is the Stars organization, that’s not necessarily true. Sure the ownership is in trouble. Sure career Stars Modano, Marty Turco and Jere Lehtinen weren’t asked back. But we have to remember that Cogen’s contract was up this past June so it’s not like he snuck out in the middle of the night with ill-will towards the powers that be in Big D. While the financial situation of the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers probably helped his decision, Cogen left under his own power and is now a proud member of the Nashville Predators.

And he wants to win with the Nashville Predators too. While flashing his Stanley Cup ring to the throng of media inside the Patron Platinum Club he said “Let’s bring one of these to Nashville and I assure you, we’ll plan a great parade.”

Too bad he wasn’t in front of a throng of fans. The roof would’ve blown off.

Senior Vice President Gerry Helper introduces Jeff Cogan and Sean Henry to the media at the Patron Platinum Club.

But this wasn’t just Cogen’s formal introduction. There was a second person being introduced as well. The only thing is, the Predators started off only looking for one guy.

“We decided in the process that we’d go beyond just a CEO because we met Sean Henry,” said Predators Chairman Tom Cigarran. “We decided to try and get two people and make a commitment at a leadership level that would make this organization arguably one of the top hockey organizations in the league.”

Henry comes to the Preds via the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. He’d been with the Bolts since 1999, serving as the team and arena COO. In a non-traditional hockey market like Nashville, Tampa saw dramatic increases in ticket sales, sponsorships and revenue during his stint with the club; three things of which Henry excels at.

“Thank you Tom. Thank you for hiring two people and not just one,” Henry joked. “I couldn’t be more thankful for joining such a great organization. It’s going to be exciting and it’s going to be special.”

Cigarran added, “We made exactly two offers. And we got two acceptances. That says something about the community, the team and the people that are already here.”

So while the obvious threads to both hires were “championships” and “non-traditional hockey markets,” why were they looking for a CEO at all when almost every hockey organization has one of the owners acting as the CEO?

“I don’t know of any (hockey organizations) that work this way,” said Cigarran. “But we’re not going to do it that way. We’re going to have a Chief Executive Officer who reports to the Board. He’ll run the business operations of the team and the Board won’t. The Board will act like a Board of Directors of a normal company and that’s different from hockey. We decided (as an ownership group) that if we didn’t do that, we weren’t giving this franchise the opportunity to be as good as it could be.”

Cigarran said it became pretty obvious that they needed to reach outside the ownership group.

“Jeff and Sean sat down and starting asking ‘Where do we stand with this? Where do we stand with that?’ Within about two minutes, (I realized) I didn’t know what they were talking about. They were talking a different language. I’d have to spend 15 years in the business in order to get there. And the other owners agreed, we didn’t have the experience. We’re good at almost everything we do and we could be egotists and just say ‘ah, we’re smart, we’re just gonna (figure it out)’ but it’s not fair to the team. We’re determined to make this successful so we decided we’re going to do it the right way.”

When asked how big of a factor experience in a non-traditional hockey market was, Cigarran told section303.com “We wanted somebody who had made it work in a non-traditional hockey market and, in particular, in one where football was the biggest competitor. You want to compete with the Dallas Cowboys when it comes to marketing? You want to compete with the Florida Gators and Tampa Bay Buccaneers? We’re not hiring people hoping things work, we’re confident they’re going to work.”

These moves, of course, mean that Ed Lang will be moving on. After 13 years with the franchise (including being the first ever hire in the Nashville organization), the Preds suggested that he might not continue his career in sports.

Fun fact: According to their official website, Henry’s last day as a member of the Lightning is slated for August 20.

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

Just last week the 2010 Kelly Cup Champions announced a new affiliation deal with the Florida Panthers and not the Montreal Canadiens of whom they were involved with last season. The Cincinnati press release goes as far as stating “The Cyclones and Montreal Canadiens have mutually agreed that it was best not to continue their affiliation.”

Interesting.

With the Panthers and Preds on board, the Cyclones will now feed players to the Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville) and the Rochester Americans (Florida) of the American Hockey League. In turn, of course, those teams will feed their parent clubs.

So, I guess if Mike Santorelli really falls from grace, Predators fans can travel five hours up the road and still get to see him play.

You can read all about the new agreement by visiting the Cyclones’ official website.

The Preds have officially announced that restricted free agent Mark Dekanich has been signed to a one-year, two-way deal worth $550,000 at the NHL level and $75,000 if he’s sent back to the AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.

The former fifth round pick was the starter in Milwaukee for much of last season, posting a 27-16-4 record. His 2.33 goals-against average was also impressive but he struggled with inconsistency, so much so that he was sent down to the ECHL-affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones for a weekend. In “the ‘Nati” he allowed only one goal in two appearances (on back-to-back nights) and was named the ECHL player of the week. His confidence returned and he was called back up to the Ads, as planned.

In 77 career AHL games, the 24-year old North Vancouver, British Columbia native is 42-26-6 with five shutouts. While he hopes this changes come October, he has never played a single minute of NHL action. Unless a veteran like José Théodore or Kevin Weekes is brought in prior to, there will be a heated battle to back-up Rinne in training camp. The four goalies in the system that have a chance to make their mark in late September (Dekanich, Jeremy Smith, Anders Lindbäck and Chet Pickard) are all in the same boat as far as zero NHL experience. With Rinne thriving on a heavy workload, it could be just the thing to get one of those guys some NHL exposure. The problem, however, lies in the “what if.” What if Rinne gets hurt and is forced to miss action? Do the Predators really want to entrust their team for two weeks (or however long) to a rookie who’s never seen a single NHL puck prior to October 2010? I say nay.

But, either way, Dekanich is now signed, leaving only defenseman Cody Franson and winger Patric Hornqvist as the only key RFA’s not to have inked deals as of yet.