Have you been wondering where Gabriel Bourque was and when he’d return to the lineup? Well, we have your answer. Although he has been practicing with the team, forward Gabriel Bourque has been assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals on a long-term injury loan. Here’s part of the official presser from the Preds:
Nashville, Tenn. (February 17, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Wednesday that the club has assigned forward Gabriel Bourque to Milwaukee (AHL) on a Long-Term Injury Loan. Bourque is expected to suit up for the Admirals tonight when they travel east to play the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Bourque, 25 (9/23/90), has missed the Predators last 35 games after leaving the team’s Nov. 27 game at Philadelphia with an upper-body injury. In 22 NHL games in 2015-16, the Rimouski, Quebec, native has four points (1g-3a). Nashville’s ninth choice, 132nd overall (fifth round), in the 2009 Entry Draft, Bourque last played for the Admirals in 2012-13, registering 12 points (7g-5a) in 15 games from October-January. He has 64 points (27g-37a) in 118 career AHL games.
As you read above, Bourque will be suiting up with Admirals tonight against the Grand Rapid Griffins. Sending him down to the farm team will give him the preparation needed to return to a NHL lineup that simple practice just can’t secure. Gabriel Bourque – in my opinion – is one of Nashville’s more under-the-radar players who busts his butt but gets little recognition for it (at least, popularity-wise). Mattias Ekholm is another example, though he is finally getting some of the limelight he deserves.
The Predators are back in action tomorrow night against the 31-20-6 Boston Bruins and boy, do they need to start notching some points. Granted, there’s no doubt Nashville should’ve walked away with the two points on Monday night’s game against the Dallas Stars, but 3-on-3 overtime has certainly proven to be a devastating foe to the guys in gold.
What a weekend for the city of Nashville and for hockey in general. It’s actually hard to believe, after fourteen months of planning, the festivities are over and all we have left are memories. But good memories they are! Thousands of hockey fans from across the world gathered in the Music City this weekend, packing the Music City Center, the Bridgestone Arena, Demonbreun Street, and everywhere within walking distance. Although we are fully aware of how great our city is, it was humbling to hear how much fun people from elsewhere were having and the great praise they had for Nashville.
Leaving Nashville. Can't wait to return. The city did a helluva job. This All-Star Weekend was the best I have ever covered. It's not close.
NHL Fan Fair, which opened Thursday at 4PM, had more than enough activities to keep you occupied for hours on end. While my STH Rep said – without kids – you could knock everything out in one day, I ended up going Thursday and Saturday (and could’ve gone Sunday if I felt like spending another $40 to get in). Merchandise booths to spend money, hockey-related activities, autograph hours, Jell-O molds, and a leaning tower of Velveeta kept everyone on their toes. Oh yeah, and the music. Music outside and music inside; hope you like it!
I am actually glad I went Thursday night because Saturday was just as crowded as I figured it would be. Thursday was busy, but you averaged 5 minutes per line compared to 15 to 20 minutes per line on Saturday.
NHL WINTER PARK:
The NHL Winter Park, which was opened back in December, kept fans busy with an outdoor skating rink, plenty of vendor booths, giant light-up hockey pucks featuring the All-Stars, and music. If you did not have tickets to the All-Star events or wanted to buy tickets for Fan Fair, the Winter Park area still provided plenty of hockey entertainment without breaking the bank.
I wish I had taken more pictures of all the pucks. I got a little busy checking everything out.
What is arguably the most entertaining event of the All-Star Weekend, the Skills Competition didn’t fail to impress the hockey masses. With appearances by Chewbacca, Jaromir Jagr’s “brother”, and Shea Weber’s epic slapshot, Saturday night’s festivities were ones to remember.
As no surprise, Shea Weber held onto his ‘Hardest Shot’ contest streak, notching a slapshot clocked at 108.1 MPH. A little less than last year, but 108 nonetheless. Detroit’s Dylan Larkin also made headlines, breaking the fast lap challenge record, one that has been in place since 1996.
NHL ALL-STAR GAME:
In what is normally considered the lesser of the two main events of the weekend, with the new 3-on-3 format, things got a little more interesting. The Atlantic Division knocked out the Metropolitan Division in the first round. Then, the Pacific Division surprisingly bumped out the Central Division in the second round. Even though the home team was knocked out, the final round between John Scott’s Pacific Division and Jaromir Jagr’s Atlantic Division was still pretty spectacular. But, while the Central was still in the game, all four Predators All-Stars ended up with at least one point (Rinne, assist; Josi, goal; Neal, two goals; Weber, assist). And the Man of the Hour John Scott? He notched two goals.
While the League didn’t start out with John Scott as an MVP choice for the All-Star Game, the fans made it very clear that if he didn’t win… Well, there’d be rioting equivalent to Vancouver’s epic Stanley Cup loss riot.
NHL guy #1: This has been great! NHL guy #2: Super great! NHL guy #1: But how can we send the fans home angry? MVP vote guy: I have an idea…
In what started out as a write-in vote turned into the highlight of the entire NHL All-Star Weekend. After the League tried to pressure him to drop out of the All-Star contention, John Scott not only won the hearts of Nashville but the hearts of the hockey world as a whole. As P.K. Subban said, “Everything he got at the end of it, he deserved”. You can’t even write stories as well as this played out. In fact, we hear he has already been approached about selling the movie rights. Okay, that’s a little crazy but hey, Hollywood’s struggling for some fresh material so you never know.
A successful weekend for the city of Nashville? You bet. Success at pointing out that Nashville is a hockey market? Amen. While we all soak in what’s left of our All-Star Weekend high, it’s time to focus on the second half of the 2015-16 season. Did this break help or hurt the Predators or anyone else? We’ll all find out soon enough. But I have to admit, it was refreshing to enjoy all things hockey with fellow hockey lovers from around the League and world. We were essentially one big happy hockey family. Now, it’s back to the real world.
Today’s the day! The NHL All-Star Weekend festivities begin today at 4PM! Aren’t you excited? And to get you even more excited, a new (familiar) face has been added to the All-Star roster: James Neal.
Due to an illness plaguing Jonathan Toews, he can no longer attend the celebration this weekend and, since the Central Division needs a replacement captain, Neal was the answer. Another notable player that will be absent from the festivities is Alexander Ovechkin, who is currently suffering from an injury that will keep him from coming to Nashville. His replacement? Evgeny Kuznetsov, a fellow Washington Capital.
The NHL revealed on Thursday that Nashville Predators leading goal-scorer, James Neal, will be added to 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend in Nashville. Here’s the official press release:
The 28-year-old forward, who recorded his 200th career goal earlier this month, will be making his third appearance at an All-Star Weekend and his first as a Preds player. Neal’s 18 goals on the season pace the Preds, with his 18th tally serving as the game winner on Tuesday versus the Vancouver Canucks.
“History has shown there are certain guys who are able to rise to the occasion when the game is on the line. When you have parity, you have to find some guys that can make a difference and James Neal seems to have that quality,” Predators General Manager David Poile said. “That’s kind of his moniker if you will, ‘big deal Neal.’ He gets that because of coming through in big-time situations and scoring these big goals. The game [Tuesday] night, less than five minutes to go, the stage is set for somebody to be a hero, and I think he likes that stage and he found it. That’s why he’s ‘big deal Neal.’”
The Whitby, Ontario, native joins Preds teammates Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Pekka Rinne at the All-Star Weekend in Music City, a franchise-record total for Nashville. Festivities for the event begin today with NHL Fan Fair presented by Bridgestone at Music City Center opening to the public at 4 p.m. (CT).
“It is always a great honor to be selected to play in the All-Star Game, but to be able to do so in front of the hometown fans and in the city of Nashville makes it even more special,” Neal said. “I want to thank the Predators organization, my teammates and coaches for helping me reach this accomplishment.”
Only the fourth member of the 2005 NHL Draft class to register 200 career goals, Neal has scored at least 21 goals in each of his seven seasons in the League. Neal replaces Chicago Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews at the All-Star Weekend.
“It’s another great addition for the All-Star Game, both for the fans and especially for our home team in Nashville,” Poile said. “James is having a great year. He’s very deserving, and it feels like the right thing that the Predators would have four players in their All-Star Game, so it’s good for James, and good for us.”
Nobody wants to see their All-Star representative bow out because of illness or injury, but it happens. It’s only natural that the NHL gave Nashville the All-Star alternate because it is the host city. Chicago fans may cry foul otherwise.
No one can argue that Nashville looked like a completely different team this time around when it came to a road trip; especially compared to the previous one. Perhaps it was a change in the lineups, a stern lecture from the coaching staff, or a combination of a multitude of factors. Whatever it was, something connected within the team out in Western Canada and the Predators now have a record to prove it. After losing 4-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks last Tuesday, the Predators hit the skies for Manitoba to take on divisional opponent the Winnipeg Jets. In their first meeting with the Jets back on November 14th in Nashville, the Predators dominated the former Atlanta Thrashers 7-0. After that? The Jets returned to Nashville on January 5th, crushing the home team 4-1. And after that? The Predators nabbed their only point in their previous road trip, losing to Winnipeg 5-4 in OT. Despite a blaring concern in the goaltending department, the Predators pulled themselves together and started to dig – as a team – out of the hole they currently find themselves in, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 4-1.
Next on the schedule was Taylor Hall and his Edmonton Oilers. Nashville and Edmonton have only met once this season, which was back on October 10th in Nashville when the Predators defeated the Oilers 2-0. For some reason, the Oilers have always been a team that, despite their not-so-great record over the years (they currently sit in last in the Western Conference), a team that the Predators have struggled to beat. That wasn’t the case on October 10th nor was it the case Saturday when Nashville claimed victory in Edmonton, winning 4-1.
The Vancouver Canucks were Nashville’s next opponent on the schedule, another team that has held Nashville back many times before. Strangely enough, this was Nashville and Vancouver’s first meeting of the season. Though Nashville is ahead of Vancouver in the standings, that means nothing to the Sedin twins. Thanks to a first minute of the game goal by Craig Smith, the Predators held onto that momentum, even after the Canucks tied it shortly thereafter. It would be James Neal who sent the Predators up 2-1 early in the third period that would seal the game in favor of Nashville.
And lastly, we come to last night’s game against the Calgary Flames. In their first meeting of the season, back on December 15th, the Flames barely slipped by with the 2-1 OT victory. Nashville, high from winning their past three games, were no doubt itching to claim victory. Pekka Rinne was given the start in the previous three games, but last night was Carter Hutton’s time. And boy, did he shine. It is no secret that Predators fans are a bit hard on their team’s goaltenders. Despite a terrible game from the rest of the team, if a loss happens, somehow, someway, the blame falls to the goaltender. Sometimes though, it is an issue with goaltending. There’s no denying that Rinne has been in a rut lately and Carter Hutton, who is usually the subject of ridicule, has been playing rather well. However, this road trip undeniably showed the strength of both goaltenders and boy, was it something to behold.
Just six minutes into the first period, Mike Ribeiro notched his sixth goal of the season with assistance from Craig Smith (6) and Mattias Ekholm (16). Surprising that Ribeiro would score, as he tends to drop pass more than anyone in the league it feels like, but Nashville would hang onto that 1-0 lead through the remainder of the first period. Calgary would get the upper-hand three times alone in the first period due to penalties on the Predators, but Carter Hutton and the defense held their own to remain in the lead.
In the second period, however, Calgary would be at the disadvantage the most, taking four penalties throughout its course. Perhaps Calgary was called for so many penalties because of… this:
Dennis Wideman, apparently a little ticked that the officials missed the hit Miikka Salomaki jarred him with, cross-checks a linesman in retaliation. The more you watch it, the less case Wideman has to say it was “an accident”. There’s a good chance he’ll face a ten-game suspension at minimum. It’ll be interesting to see what the League does… or does. Wideman was not penalized during this game for this hit, by the way.
But, thanks to so many penalties, Shea Weber was able to launch one of his signature slapshots Karri Ramo to give Nashville the 2-0 lead on the power play. Weber’s 12th goal of the season, he was assisted by Roman Josi (25) and Ryan Johansen (27).
The Predators would continue to hold onto that 2-0 lead until about five minutes left of the third period when Flames captain Mark Giordano and his team crowded the net, finally catching Hutton off guard. Similar to Tuesday night’s showdown in Vancouver, Nashville would take a last minute penalty to give Calgary at 6-to-4 man advantage. The defense did what it does best and Hutton kept his cool, holding back the Calgary Flames to seal the 2-1 victory and to sweep the Western Canada road trip 4-0-0.
The Predators and the rest of the NHL have descended upon Nashville for this weekend’s All-Star festivities and holy crap am I excited. As are you, I bet. It was just recently announced – as I was writing this – that James Neal will now replace the sick Jonathan Toews in the All-Star lineup. Yay! We have four All-Stars now! Another injury to note, Alexander Ovechkin, will not make the trip here either and has been replaced with Evgeny Kuznetsov who also plays for the Capitals.
Four victories in a row. It’s a nice feeling, isn’t it? Very reminiscent of last season, yes? Now the question is, will Nashville lose its strength and momentum with this All-Star Break? Honestly, it’s not that big of a break. They are technically missing one day in which their could be a game (normally); they’ll be back at it against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. I guess we’ll just have to see. But for now, we’ve got some sure fire goaltenders and a spot in the wildcard for the playoffs.
So you’re coming to Nashville for the NHL All-Star festivities. If you’ve been here before, welcome back; if you’re new, we are excited to have you. Let me begin by saying that Nashville has a bit of a complex. This whole ‘It City’ status has brought a lot of newcomers to town that have decided to stick around, changing up the atmosphere and landscape a bit (you will notice a lot of construction cranes). We are still all about the Southern Hospitality though, so whether you stick around the Hipster areas (12th South, the Gulch, East Nashville) or just down by the honky tonks, you’re bound to have a great experience while here.
That being said, let me also inform you that Nashville is called “Music City” not “Country Music City”. Yes, we are best known for Country music and we will defend it to the death, but there’s more than just honky tonks, cowboy boots and hats. By the way, we can spot a tourist in a heartbeat. No one really wears cowboy boots or hats. Not the majority, anyway. Back to music, Nashville is home to such bands and artists as Paramore, Kings of Leon, Kesha, and Jack White, just to name a few. So for locals, it was kind of a bummer to just see Country artists listed as musical performances for All-Star Weekend. However, one cannot be too upset as that is what Nashville was built upon, so let’s not forget our roots before we get wiped out by condos.
With all the formalities behind us, let’s get to the must-eats! I’ll put this out there now that I am in no way a foodie or expert on restaurants. I just know what I like and what I think you’ll like, too. Also, I love hockey just like you, so you should totally trust me. Okay, let’s do this:
Since you will be here for the All-Star festivities, I won’t bother going into anything else you should check out beyond food. If you do somehow get bored and want some options of activities to do around Nashville, just tweet me @Lady_Preds and I’ll give you a local’s opinion.
Whatever you choose to do or eat, Nashville is excited to have you visit our awesome city.
It’s Monday and that means it is officially NHL All-Star Week in Nashville! The city has been preparing for this event for over a month now, but if you walk around SoBro before this weekend, you’ll see most of the changes happening right in front of you.
Winter Park Public Outdoor Rink: Of course, you are fully aware of the outdoor ice rink that’s been up and running since December 12th, but do you know it’s schedule? As a STH, you are given two complimentary tickets to skate on the Winter Park ice rink, but I have completely forgotten – and I bet a lot of you have, too. The rink will be torn down after all the festivities have packed up on January 31st, so this is your last week to get out there.
Ice rink hours:
Opens:
Closes:
Monday
3:30 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
Tuesday
3:30 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
Wednesday
3:30 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
I only mentioned through this Wednesday because there’s a good chance (because Fan Fair starts Thursday) that public skate times may be altered. For good measure, contact @PredsNHL on Twitter (or call, if you don’t tweet) to make sure you’re good to go before heading out there. $15/adult, $10/child and that includes skate rental.
NHL Fan Fair:
Ah, the NHL Fan Fair. The event my season ticket rep told me I could knock out in one day. Of course, I don’t have children, so it is feasible for me to do so. However, if you’ve got little kids, you might want to grab passes for two days so they can wear themselves out. Honestly, I’ll probably buy another day ticket just in case because of the player/alum meet-and-greets. If you are a STH, you missed your deadline to buy tickets at a discount, but they are only $20/piece, so it won’t break the bank if you choose to go last minute. Here is the breakdown of the schedule:
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016 – 4PM to 9PM
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
6:00pm
Mascot Showdown (Musical Chairs & Bowling)
EA Sports NHL 16 Rink
7:00pm
LOCASH
Honda Stage
7:00pm
Brent Burns (SJS)
Discover Theater
8:15pm
Lonestar
Honda Stage
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016 – 4PM to 9PM
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
3:00pm
Craig Wayne Boyd
Honda Stage
4:45pm
Ryan Hurd
Honda Stage
5:00pm
Patrice Bergeron (BOS)
Discover Theater
6:00pm
Mascot Showdown (Relay Races)
EA Sports NHL 16 Rink
6:30 pm
Matt Duchene (COL) presented by Reebok
Autograph Stage
6:30pm
Aaron Ekblad (FLA)
Discover Theater
7:00pm
Steven Lee Olsen
Honda Stage
7:45pm
Cliff Ronning (NHL Alumni)
Autograph Stage
7:45pm
Justin Faulk (CAR)
Discover Theater
8:15pm
Lewis Brice
Honda Stage
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 –10AM – 6PM
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
10:45am
John Gibson (ANA) presented by Upper Deck
Autograph Stage
11:00am
Cory Schneider (NJD)
Discover Theater
11:30am
Lennon & Maisy
Honda Stage
12:15pm
Clare Bowen
Honda Stage
12:30pm
Brandon Saad (CBJ)
Discover Theater
12:30pm
Dylan Larkin (DET) presented by Upper Deck
Autograph Stage
1:15pm
Charles Esten
Honda Stage
1:30pm
Brandon Saad (CBJ)
Autograph Stage
1:30pm
Roman Josi (NSH)
Discover Theater
2:00pm
Mascot Showdown (Broomball & Dodgeball)
EA Sports NHL 16 Rink
3:00pm
Luc Robitaille (NHL Alumni)
Autograph Stage
3:45pm
Pat LaFontaine (NHL Alumni)
Discover Theater
4:00pm
Russell Dickerson
Honda Stage
4:30pm
Pat LaFontaine (NHL Alumni)
Autograph Stage
4:45pm
Kimmo Timonen (NHL Alumni)
Discover Theater
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016 – 10AM – 4PM
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
10:30am
Danny Gokey
Honda Stage
11:00am
Shea Weber (NSH)
Autograph Stage
11:00am
Pekka Rinne (NSH)
Discover Theater
11:30am
MercyMe
Honda Stage
12:00pm
Pekka Rinne (NSH)
Autograph Stage
12:00pm
Shea Weber (NSH)
Discover Theater
1:00pm
Mascot Showdown (Dance Competition)
EA Sports NHL 16 Rink
1:00pm
Roman Josi (NSH)
Autograph Stage
1:00pm
Cliff Ronning (NHL Alumni)
Discover Theater
2:30pm
Tracy Lawrence
Honda Stage
***PLEASE NOTE ALL APPEARANCES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
If you are a STH, you can access the NHL Fan Fair from 2PM to 4PM on Thursday. Not so nice for us folks who work during those hours, but hey. Late lunch, right? Can’t make it to this special time for STHs? No problem. There will be an area only accessible for Preds STHs where you can access drink specials and meet Preds alumni, broadcasters, and whoever else shows up. Not all diehard Predators fans are STHs, so there will be a special area called “Preds Land” that will have special Nashville-related displays and – you guessed it – Predators stuff. As for what (or who) will be there is still TBA. As you can see, you can meet some NHL Alum and current players (I like how some players are presented by products) and there will be a mascot competition each day. Oh yeah, and music. Lots and lots of Country music.
Outdoor Concert Series:
As I mentioned, one of the unique features of Nashville hosting this year’s NHL All-Star festivities is the music. There will be music inside the Music City Center (NHL Fan Fair) and outside at the Winter Park. If you just want to peruse downtown and just want free music, this will be your best bet:
IntelliCentrics outdoor concert series:
Big & Rich
Thursday, Jan. 28
Lee Brice, Aaron Lewis, John Hiatt
Friday, Jan. 29
Chris Young, Tara Thompson
Saturday, Jan. 30
Dierks Bentley, Eli Young Band, Kelsea Ballerini
Sunday, Jan. 31
Beyond the controversy of people not knowing the musical acts (we’ll get to that momentarily), there are some rather big names in Country music here that you can see for free. Dierks Bentley, Big & Rich, Chris Young, etc. If you are like me and live here and don’t see these people randomly show up at Tootsie’s on a Tuesday night, then you’ll enjoy this (I don’t go to the “honky tonks” period unless someone from out of town demands it).
Parking:
There are plenty of places to park downtown, especially if you are used to being in Nashville all the time. However, as a frequent downtown parker, you also know that Nashville does not have a regulation to control parking fees. Needless to say, the Music City Center may charge $25.00 whereas, across the street, the Baptist Church may charge $14 every four hours. It’s an ugly mess and no one wants to waste $25 to park when you want to use that money to buy something or eat. Ticketmaster is offering parking in the Pinnacle Building for just $12/day. Of course, with fees, it turns out to be like $15, but at least you’ll know you are in a safe parking lot, it won’t go up after two hours, and it’s within walking distance of the SoBro. The parking will go fast, so jump on it while you can or face driving around finding one: Saturday Parking Sunday Parking
Celebrity Coaches: Know these faces? Apparently, the rest of the country does not. So that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it did make for some good laughs on social media when it was first announced. Just for those who are not from the Music City, a lot of locals couldn’t name these fellas either because – news flash – we listen to more than just Country here. But two guys on here (that I know from experience) are big Preds fans: Dierks Bentley (first picture) and Vince Gill (last picture). Vince Gill has had season tickets since the get-go and Dierks? I’m not sure, but I’ve seen him at a more than a few games over my fandom. I’ve seen Charles Kelley, too (second picture) and I’m sure Chris Young (third picture) has made it to the ‘Bridge a time or two for a game.
Source: Google – Big Ben and Vince Gill
So, if you don’t know these guys, just know that two are big supporters of the Nashville Predators and the other two could possibly be – and that’s what really matters, right?
Skills Competition Format:
Team Captains Patrick Kane, Alexander Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, and John Scott have yet to choose from the lineup of players who made the All-Star roster as to who will be on their teams & as to who will perform in which competition, but that’ll come soon enough. Right now, we have the All-Star Skills Competition format and I’ve complied some videos to help if you have never seen it before:
Bridgestone Fastest Skater:
Four players from each team will test their speed, facing off against an opponent in a two-skater race. The race track for the head-to-head match-ups is the border of the rink split in half lengthways. Timing devices will record each skater to determine the winner of each match. If a race ends in a tie, each of the teams will be awarded one point. The skater with the fastest time in the head-to-head match-ups will skate a full lap of the outside border of the rink, in the direction of their choosing, in an attempt to break Mike Gartner’s record (13.386). If, at the completion of the event, two skaters are tied for the fastest overall time, both skaters will skate a full lap of the rink in an attempt to break the historical best record.
Points Available: 6 – The winner of each match-up scores one point; the team with the fastest skater scores a bonus point; if the fastest skater is successful in breaking Mike Gartner‘s record an additional bonus point will be awarded.
Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge:
Fans will have two opportunities to exercise their vote in the Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge. While five spots will be determined by team captains, one guaranteed spot in this event will be determined by the fans, who will vote on Twitter as part of the Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge Fan Vote campaign.
The eligible candidates are forwards Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Brandon Saad of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Fans can vote via Twitter for their favorite eligible player by including his hashtag – #NHLBreakawayDuchene, #NHLBreakawayLarkin or #NHLBreakawaySaad. Voting will open on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 12 p.m. ET and close on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. ET.
Each team will provide one goalie to participate in this challenge. Each shooter will attempt two shots, and teams will alternate after each shot. Style, creativity, and flair are encouraged. NHL penalty shot rules do not apply.
As soon as the last competitor completes his routine, fans in-arena and watching on television in the U.S. and Canada will get another opportunity to make their case on Twitter by casting their vote using the hashtag that corresponds to the player of their choice. The shooter with the highest fan vote will be crowned the Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge winner and score one point for his team.
Points Available: 1 – The shooter with the highest percentage of fan votes scores one point.
DraftKings NHL Accuracy Shooting:
Four shooters from each team will participate, with two additional players serving as passers. This event will consist of four head-to-head match-ups, with one shooter from each team per round. The goal is to hit four 15-inch diameter targets located in each corner of the net. The teams will be situated at opposite ends of the rink, and will alternate attempts. The first shooter to hit all four targets wins.
Points Available: 5 –The winner of each match-up scores one point; the player who hits all four targets in the fastest time scores the bonus point.
Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Relay:
This timed relay event – involving 14 skaters and two goalies from each team – will consist of four relays with five challenges each: One Timers, with three shooters and one passer per team; Passing, with one passer per team; Puck Control, with one skater per team; Stick-Handling, with one skater per team; and Goalie Goals, with one goalie per team.
Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next challenge with the exception of one timers, passing and goalie goals in which a maximum of forty-five seconds will be allocated. The goal is to finish all five challenges faster than the opponent.
Points Available: 3 – The team with the fastest time in each heat scores one point; the team with the fastest overall time scores one bonus point.
Amp Energy Hardest Shot:
Four shooters from each team will test their slap shot skill in a head-to-head match-up. Each player will attempt two shots, with teams alternating after each player. One puck will be placed 30 feet from the center of the net. Each shot will be calculated in miles per hour (mph), with the highest speed of their two shots recorded.
Points Available: 5 – The winner of each match-up scores one point; the team with the player who has the fastest speed scores one bonus point.
Discover NHL Shootout:
18 skaters and three goaltenders from each team will participate in the three-round shootout. During each two-minute round, six skaters and one goalie from each team will take the ice. Teams will alternate after each shot with each player having a maximum of 10 seconds to take a shot. Players one and three from each team will be designated Discover puck players, each goal scored by these players will count as two points. NHL shootout rules apply to each scoring attempt.
Points Available: 1 point for every goal scored; 2 points for every goal scored with a Discover puck.
If you aren’t a seasoned NHL vet or normally watch the All-Star weekend on television every year, you may think the actual game is the real winner here. Wrong. The Skills Competition is the most entertaining, as you get to see your favorite players (and not so favorite) in a more casual setting where it’s more about having fun than taking everything so seriously. If you can’t make the Skills Competition, it’ll be on NBC Sports at 6PM January 30th.
2016 NHL All-Star Game:
So you may have heard there is a new format to the game than previous years. In the past, the two team captains would conduct a draft, choosing which players to add to their roster. The last guy would end up with a car.
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)
Our own Filip Forsberg won a car last year because he was picked last. How nice. Well, the League has done away with the draft and the two-team system. Now we have four teams and 3-on-3. What? Here, we’ll let the League explain:
* The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will be a three-game tournament played in a 3-on-3 format with a prize pool of $1 million to be paid in its entirety to the tournament’s winning team.
* The tournament will feature four teams, one team representing each NHL Division: the Pacific, Central, Metropolitan and Atlantic.
* Each team will be made up of 11 players: six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.
* The 2016 NHL All-Star Fan Vote will allow fans to vote for one All-Star player from each Division, without regard to position. The top vote-getter from each Division will be named NHL All-Stars, as well as Captain of his respective team.
* The remaining 40 NHL All-Stars will be named by the NHL Hockey Operations Department for a total of 44 All-Star players, with at least one player selected from each NHL team.
* The 2016 Honda All-Star Skills Competition™ returns to a matchup between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Stars on Saturday evening, with the winning conference earning the right to select when their semi-final matchup will be played; first or second on Sunday.
* Each game in the three-game, 3-on-3 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Tournament will be 20 minutes in length.
* Teams will change ends at the 10-minute mark of each game. Games that are tied after 20 minutes will be decided by a shootout.
* The Central Division All-Stars will face the Pacific Division All-Stars and the Atlantic Division All-Stars will face the Metropolitan Division All-Stars in the two Semi-Final games.
* The winners of each Semi-Final game will play each other in the All-Star Game Final to determine the overall tournament champion.
* The four division-leading NHL coaches (best points percentage following the completion of games on Jan. 9, 2016) will be named coaches for each of the four All-Star teams
Make sense? Well, we’ll all see how this will work on Sunday, January 31st at 4PM.
All-Star Roster: I could just link my old post with the roster in it to this post, but that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? In case you haven’t seen who made the list – or you just need a refresher – behold:
Atlantic Division
F Patrice Bergeron (BOS)
Central Division
F Jamie Benn (DAL)
F Jaromir Jagr (FLA)
F Matt Duchene (COL)
F Leo Komarov (TOR)
F Patrick Kane (CHI)
F Dylan Larkin (DET)
F Tyler Seguin (DAL)
F Ryan O’Reilly (BUF)
F Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)
F Steven Stamkos (TBL)
F Jonathan Toews (CHI)
D Aaron Ekblad (FLA)
D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG)
D Erik Karlsson (OTT)
D Roman Josi (NSH)
D P.K. Subban (MTL)
D Shea Weber (NSH)
G Ben Bishop (TBL)
G Devan Dubnyk (MIN)
G Roberto Luongo (FLA)
G Pekka Rinne (NSH)
Metropolitan Division
Pacific Division
F Nicklas Backstrom (WSH)
F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)
F Claude Giroux (PHI)
F Taylor Hall (EDM)
F Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
F Joe Pavelski (SJS)
F Alex Ovechkin (WSH)
F Corey Perry (ANA)
F Brandon Saad (CBJ)
F John Scott (ARI)
F John Tavares (NYI)
F Daniel Sedin (VAN)
D Justin Faulk (CAR)
D Brent Burns (SJS)
D Kris Letang (PIT)
D Drew Doughty (LAK)
D Ryan McDonagh (NYR)
D Mark Giordano (CGY)
G Braden Holtby (WSH)
G John Gibson (ANA)
G Cory Schneider (NJD)
G Jonathan Quick (LAK)
Are you excited? You should be! Also, if you like beer, two local breweries have concocted some hockey brew just for this special occasion in our city:
Yazoo Brewery and Jackalope Brewery have both released special edition brews for your tasting pleasure. Yazoo’s “Winter Park Wheat” and Jackalope’s “All-Star Citra Pale Ale” are available in their taprooms. Check their Twitter handles for more info on where you can grab these puppies.
Okay, so I hope I covered everything. If not, you can always visit the official NHL All-Star site for more information. Actually, do check that website or the Predators because events are subject to change if something happens. Also, if you are not from Nashville and have questions regarding the city or whatnot, please contact me via @Lady_Preds on Twitter & I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
After starting off the road trip 1-0-0 on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, the Predators moved onward to “Oil Country”, hoping to extend that victory streak. Though two wins in a row doesn’t sound like a big deal, Nashville hasn’t notched a back-to-back win since December 19th against the Wild and December 21st against the Canadiens. That’s over a month. Not fun. But the Predators were in the right frame of mind last night, tackling the Edmonton Oilers 4-1. Considering the last road trip ended 0-3-1, which was two weeks ago, last night’s win against the Oilers may be the boost Nashville needs to power out of their rut. Let’s hope so.
Goaltending has been a concern as of late for Nashville as they struggle to find the source behind this immeasurable rut and Pekka Rinne’s performance – or lack thereof – has been a bit of a head-scratcher. Of course, goalies are subject to losing their “groove” just like any other player would, but goalies tend to fall under the microscope the most, given that they are the last line of defense for your respective team. If your goaltender is struggling, the rest of the team has to step up by a ten fold. Unfortunately for Nashville, the Predators are notorious for counting on Rinne to erase their mistakes (i.e. the nickname “The Eraser”), so when he’s down, so too, can the team. While Carter Hutton is a decent backup, if the Predators continue to rely so heavily on his (Rinne) performance, it might be time to start the process of prepping a solidified backup. Juuse Saros and Marek Mazanec are both lying in wait, but one of them – preferably Mazanec – will need to be conditioned before making the transition from the AHL to the NHL for good.
But, to everyone’s relief, Pekka Rinne found his groove last night and stopped 23 of 24 shots-on-goal, giving Nashville the 4-1 victory. Again, if we are feeling relieved when Rinne does well, does that ultimately mean the organization knows there might be a goaltending issue?
But, let’s not jump too far down that rabbit hole just yet. Perhaps we are just slapping a band-aid over a gaping wound, but for now, it suffices. However, this issue will have to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Moving onward, Mattias Ekholm led the charge last night, scoring two of the four goals – one that tied the game and one that gave Nashville the lead. With those two goals, Ekholm reached a career high in points (7g, 13a), something this Swede undeniably deserves.
Speaking of Swedes, Filip Forsberg also hit a milestone by notching his 100th career point (he gained 17th assist on Ekholm’s power play goal and notched the empty-netter). Rounding out the goals, Mike Fisher collected his sixth of the season on the 4×4.
As I mentioned previously, this road trip is turning out to be much better than the last (even if they lost the last two games, it’d still be a better outcome) with this 2-0-0 count. The Predators now move onward to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night at 9PM (lots o’ coffee for Wednesday).
In a trade that took “weeks“to develop, the Nashville Predators traded defenseman Victor Bartley to the Arizona Coyotes for fellow defenseman Stefan Elliott. You may be wondering, “How could this trade – of all trades – have taken weeks?” Well, it involves multiple players and more than just Arizona and Nashville.
Wanting Jarred Tinordi and Stefan Fournier from the Montreal Canadiens, the Arizona Coyotes configured a deal with Nashville (Elliott for Bartley) and then traded Victor Bartley and John Scott to Montreal for Tinordi and Fournier. Make sense?
Per Yahoo! Sports NHL, newly acquired Stefan Elliott has 82GP, 8G, 24PTs, and 16 PIM. Eh, not too shabby of a pick up with the luck Nashville has been having lately. Any goals would be wonderful, am I right?
Beyond Nashville trading defense for defense, there’s the fact that the Pacific Division All-Star Captain has been traded off to the Atlantic Division. What does that mean for John Scott and the All-Star Game? Surprisingly, not much. There’s a good chance he’ll just play out his role as Pacific Division Captain whist listed on the St. John’s IceCaps roster; both Scott and Bartley will join Montreal’s minor league affiliate.
Speaking of Victor Bartley, it’s been real. Placed on waivers by Nashville back in November, a trade featuring the 27-year-old defenseman was bound to happen. Originally an Undrafted Free Agent, Victor Bartley bounced around Sweden before signing his first NHL contract with the Predators in 2011. Of course, Bartley will probably be best remembered for his rendition of “Gangnam Style” with the Milwaukee Admirals:
Ah, good times.
Moving forward, let’s here what the Predators had to say about their newly acquired defenseman from Arizona:
Elliott, 24 (1/30/91), has skated in 82 career NHL games, posting 24 points (8g-16a) in parts of five seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defenseman has spent the 2015-16 campaign with Arizona, notching six points (2g-4a), 10 hits and 16 blocked shots in 19 games.
The native of Vancouver, B.C., was Colorado’s second-round selection (49th overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft.
After losing their fourth game in a row, the Predators organization made some moves today to hopefully spice up the lineup a bit. At least, we hope it will.
Poile: "We're now past the halfway point of the season and we're not where we want to be. Because of that, it's time to make some changes."
Earlier today, it was released that center Cody Hodgson was being placed on waivers. With only three goals and eight points in 39 games this season, it was time to free up his roster spot with someone else. As Adam Vingan pointed out, Hodgson notched 20 goals in 72 games during the 2013-14 season. However, in the two seasons since, he’s only managed nine goals in 117 games. Needless to say, David Poile gambled that perhaps Hodgson would regain that momentum under new leadership (i.e. Mike Ribeiro). Unfortunately, despite being a really great guy, it just didn’t work out in the end.
Along with Hodgson being placed on waivers, left wing Viktor Arvidsson has been reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals, thus freeing up yet another spot with the team. Ardvisson has three goals and two assists in the 24 games he has played with Nashville this season, but as of late, he has looked a bit lost on the ice at times. Being only 22-years-old, Arvidsson has plenty of time to re-coop in Milwaukee to hone his skills.
Freeing up yet another roster space – if but temporarily – is the announcement that Colin Wilson has officially been placed on the Injured Reserve after suffering a lower-body injury.
So, what moves did David Poile make this afternoon?
Poile on recalling Fiala: "I would’ve been happy to leave Kevin in Milwaukee all year, but desperate times call for desperate measures."
Well, from this little teaser and the headline, you probably guessed that the little Swiss spitfire that is Kevin Fiala was recalled from the Admirals to join the big boys. Fiala, who has been making quite a name for himself in the AHL, was notably upset when he was cut from the training camp roster back in September. Since then, Fiala has been playing rather well, but has had his share of controversy, including a two-game suspension back in November. So he has a bit of a temper, which most equated due to his discontent with being in the minor leagues. However, if the kid wanted any kind of chance to prove himself, this is it. Here’s a little bit from the Predators regarding Fiala’s recall:
Fiala, 19 (7/22/96), has 12 points (4g-8a) in his last 13 games, and is tied for the Admirals team lead in assists (15) and ranks third in points (21) in 34 AHL games this season. The St. Gallen, Switzerland, native has appeared in a pair of contests for the Predators – a 3-2 overtime win against Montreal on March 24, 2015, and in Game Four of the 2015 Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. Chicago, the longest game in franchise history. Nashville’s first choice, 11th overall (first round), in the 2014 Entry Draft, Fiala started the 2014-15 season with HV-71 of the Swedish Hockey League before being assigned to Milwaukee (AHL) following the World Junior Championship, recording 17 points (9g-8a) in his first 26 AHL games.
Bass, 29 (1/7/87), played in his first two games for the Predators on Dec. 1 vs. Arizona and Dec. 3 vs. Florida, going scoreless while averaging 6:31 of ice time. In 21 games for the Admirals this season, the Owen Sound, Ontario, native has five points (1g-4a) and 50 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 205-pound center has appeared in 51 career NHL games with Nashville, Ottawa (where he was a teammate of Mike Fisher) and Columbus, posting five points (2g-3a) and 71 penalty minutes. Ottawa’s third choice, 95th overall (fourth round), in the 2005 Entry Draft, Bass helped the Binghamton Senators win the 2011 Calder Cup as AHL champions, in addition to winning the 2011 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, as presented annually to the AHL’s man of the year for service to his local community.
Ah yes, the Predators also called up center Cody Bass as well. Bass has obtained one goal and four assists in 21 games this season with the Admirals, so this be a good shot for 29-year-old, too.
So, will these roster moves be the saving grace the team needs to regain the momentum needed to gain entry into the post-season? There’s only one way to find out.
Everyone likes Fridays, but this one was a little extra special for Predators fans as newly acquired “savior of all things offense” Ryan Johansen would be making his debut in Nashville gold against the Colorado Avalanche. While we certainly didn’t expect Johansen to come out guns a blazing, the kid had other plans:
FIRST PERIOD:
Ryan Johansen decided 2:35 was the best time to show off his skills, notching his first shot as a Predator and his first goal (7th of the season) on the power play. Mattias Ekholm (10) and Mike Ribeiro (22) notch the assist on the new Predator’s goal. What beautiful patience.
Roman Josi would block a shot from captain Gabriel Landeskog shortly after Johansen’s goal, sending him to the locker room. Luckily, Josi would return to the bench.
Jarome Iginla would collect his 601st goal of his career (12th of the season) at 14:50 on the power play, tying the game at one.
A few minutes later, at 17:45, Cody McLeod would notch his seventh goal of the season, ending the first period 2-1 in favor of Colorado.
SECOND PERIOD:
Ryan Ellis would light the lamp early at 2:45 with a wicked wrister, tying the game at two. Mattias Ekholm (11) and Colin Wilson (12) collect the assists on Ellis’s fifth goal of the season.
Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog would give the Avalanche another lead at 7:40 for his 10th goal of the season.
Filip Forsberg would notch his 11th goal of the season at 16:37, tying the game once again. Roman Josi (22) and Ryan Johansen (21) would pick up the assists. Note, this is Johansen’s first assist with the Predators.
Despite Rinne’s exceptional moves, Tyson Barrie’s power play goal at 11:00 gave Colorado the lead once again.
Jack Skille would notch the empty-netter with just two seconds left in the match, sealing the game in favor of Colorado.
Despite the back-and-forth scoring between both clubs, the Predators could not regain the lead after Ryan Johansen’s initial goal in the first period and fell to the Avalanche 5-3. Though Johansen’s goal should have given Nashville a boost, it seemed as if the team did not respond well to the advantage. Penalties ravaged both clubs, with the Predators managing to tally six of the nine during the match. Within those six penalties, Colorado was able to score on three, essentially costing Nashville the win. However, looking at the bright side, Ryan Johansen looked great in his debut, collecting two points overall (1 G, 1 A).
Nashville will have to lick their wounds on the way to the airport as they take on the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night in Phoenix.
LT: The full list of fastest goals by player making Predators debut: J.P. Dumont (0:39) Mikko Lehtonen (1:41) Ryan Johansen (2:35)
Know these faces? Apparently, the rest of the country does not. So that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it did make for some good laughs on social media when it was first announced. Just for those who are not from the Music City, a lot of locals couldn’t name these fellas either because – news flash – we listen to more than just Country here. But two guys on here (that I know from experience) are big Preds fans: Dierks Bentley (first picture) and Vince Gill (last picture). Vince Gill has had season tickets since the get-go and Dierks? I’m not sure, but I’ve seen him at a more than a few games over my fandom. I’ve seen Charles Kelley, too (second picture) and I’m sure Chris Young (third picture) has made it to the ‘Bridge a time or two for a game.
Lady Preds 