Tag: Team USA

Four Preds added to World Cup Rosters

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PicMonkey Collage

The World Cup of Hockey, an international tournament set to start September 17th, announced its preliminary team rosters throughout the day yesterday & some of Nashville’s best got the call.

Pekka Rinne (Team Finland), Filip Forsberg (Team Sweden), Shea Weber (Team Canada), and Roman Josi (Team Europe) will be representing their respective countries in this year’s tournament. Below is a full rundown of each team and its participants:

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TEAM USA
 TEAM POSITION
Ben Bishop Lightning G
Jonathan Quick Kings G
Cory Schneider Devils G
Dustin Byfuglien Jets D
John Carlson Capitals D
Ryan McDonagh Rangers D
Ryan Suter Wild D
Justin Abdelkader Red Wings F
Patrick Kane Blackhawks F
Ryan Kesler Ducks F
T.J. Oshie Capitals F
Max Pacioretty Canadiens F
Zach Parise Wild F
Joe Pavelski Sharks F
Derek Stepan Rangers F
Blake Wheeler Jets F

 

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TEAM CANADA
 TEAM POSITION
Corey Crawford Blackhawks G
Braden Holtby Capitals G
Carey Price Canadiens G
Drew Doughty Kings D
Duncan Keith Blackhawks D
Marc-Edouard Vlasic Sharks D
Shea Weber Predators D
Jamie Benn Stars F
Patrice Bergeron Bruins F
Jeff Carter Kings F
Sidney Crosby Penguins F
Ryan Getzlaf Ducks F
Tyler Seguin Stars F
Steven Stamkos Lightning F
John Tavares Islanders F
Johnathan Toews Blackhawks F

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TEAM RUSSIA
 TEAM POSITION
Sergei Bobrovsky Blue Jackets G
Semyon Varlamov Avalanche G
Andrei Vasilevskiy Lightning G
Dmitry Kulikov Panthers D
Andrei Markov Canadiens D
Dmitry Orlov Capitals D
Artem Anisimov Blackhawks D
Pavel Datsyuk Red Wings F
Nikita Kucherov Lightning F
Nikolay Kulemin Islanders F
Evgeny Kuznetsov Capitals F
Evgeni Malkin Penguins F
Vladislav Namestnikov Lightning F
Alex Ovechkin Capitals F
Artemi Panarin Blackhawks F
Vladimir Tarasenko Blues F

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TEAM FINLAND
 TEAM POSITION
Tuuka Rask Bruins G
Pekka Rinne Predators G
Olli Maatta Penguins D
Rasmus Ristolainen Sabres D
Sami Vatanen Ducks D
Esa Lindell Stars D
Mikko Koivu Wild F
Jori Lehtera Blues F
Aleksander Barkov Panthers F
Mikael Granlund Wild F
Jussi Jokinen Panthers F
Valtteri Filppula Lightning F
Leo Komarov Maple Leafs F
Joonas Donskoi Sharks F
Lauri Korpikoski Oilers F
Teuvo Teravainen Blackhawks F

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TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC
 TEAM POSITION
Petr Mrazek Red Wings G
Michal Neuvirth Flyers G
Ondrej Pavelec Jets G
Radko Gudas Flyers D
Michal Kempny Avangard Omsk (KHL) D
Roman Polak Sharks D
Andrej Sustr Lightning D
Michael Frolik Flames F
Martin Hanzal Coyotes F
Tomas Hertl Sharks F
David Krejci Bruins F
Ondrej Palat Lightning F
David Pastrnak Bruins F
Tomas Plekanec Canadiens F
Vladimir Sobotka Avangard Omsk (KHL) F
Jakub Voracek Flyers F

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TEAM SWEDEN
 TEAM POSITION
Henrik Lundqvist Rangers G
Jacob Markstrom Canucks G
Oliver Ekman-Larsson Coyotes D
Viktor Hedman Lightning D
Niklas Hjalmarsson Blackhawks D
Erik Karlsson Senators D
Niklas Kronwall Red Wings D
Anton Stralman Lightning D
Nicklas Backstrom Capitals F
Loui Eriksson Bruins F
Filip Forsberg Predators F
Gabriel Landeskog Avalanche F
Daniel Sedin Canucks F
Henrik Sedin Canucks F
Alexanders Steen Blues F
Henrik Zetterberg Red Wings F

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TEAM EUROPE
 TEAM POSITION
Frederik Andersen Ducks (Denmark) G
Jaroslav Halak Rangers (Slovakia) G
Zdeno Chara Bruins (Slovakia) D
Roman Josi Predators (Switzerland) D
Dennis Seidenberg Bruins (Germany) D
Andrej Sekera Oilers (Slovakia) D
Mark Streit Flyers (Switzerland)
 D
Mikkel Boedker Avalanche (Denmark) F
Leon Draisaitl Oilers (Germany) F
Jannik Hansen Canucks (Denmark) F
Marian Hossa Blackhawks (Slovakia) F
Anze Kopitar Kings (Slovenia) F
Frans Nielsen Islanders (Denmark) F
Tomas Tatar Red Wings (Slovakia) F
Thomas Vanek Wild (Austria) F
Mats Zuccarello Rangers (Norway) F

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TEAM NORTH AMERICA TEAM POSITION
John Gibson Ducks G
Connor Hellebuyck Manitoba Moose (AHL) G
Matthew Murray Penguins G
Aaron Ekblad Panthers D
Seth Jones Blue Jackets D
Ryan Murray Blue Jackets D
Morgan Reilly Maple Leafs
 D
Sean Couturier Flyers F
Jack Eichel Sabres F
Johnny Gaudreau Flames F
Dylan Larkin Red Wings F
Nathan MacKinnon Avalanche F
Connor McDavid Oilers F
J.T. Miller Rangers F
Sean Monahan Wild (Austria) F
Mats Zuccarello Rangers (Norway) F

If you are confused by Team North America because there is already a Team Canada and Team USA, you aren’t alone. This new team consists of the top players from both the United States and Canada that are under the age of twenty-three.

The fun kicks off September 7th and runs through October 1st in Toronto. The final roster will be announced June 1st.

 

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Preds of the World(s)

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worlds

Now that the season has officially ended (whether we want to cope with it or not), some of the Predators aren’t finished hitting the rinks just yet. Six – thus far – of Nashville’s players will be taking off to the Czech Republic to represent their home countries in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Here’s who we have thus far:

TEAM SUOMI (FINLAND): PEKKA RINNE
Pekka+Rinne+St+Louis+Blues+v+Nashville+Predators+lU_OAyWhMXml

  • Pekka was named to the World Championship All-Star team in 2014 and also won MVP that year as well.

TEAM SUISSE (SWITZERLAND): ROMAN JOSI & KEVIN FIALA
swiss

  • Kevin Fiala may be young, but he is no stranger to Team Switzerland. Fiala has competed for Suisse in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
  • Roman Josi has a number of accolades from participation with Team Switzerland, including IIHF World Champion MVP, Silver Medalist, Media All-Star Team, and Best Defenseman in 2013.

TEAM USA: Seth Jones
hi-res-185715087-seth-jones-of-the-nashville-predators-skates-against_crop_exact

  • Seth Jones, like Kevin Fiala, is no stranger to the IIHF Worlds for Team USA. Jones helped lead Team USA to gold medals in 2011 (WJC18), 2012 (WJC18), and 2013 (WJC). He played alongside teammate Craig Smith last year and helped bring Team USA to 6th place.

tre kronor (sweden): filip forsberg & mattias ekholm
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  • Filip Forsberg has never seen less than second place while suited up for Tre Kronor, winning the silver medal in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Forsberg helped lead his World Juniors team to overall victory in 2012. In 2014, Forsberg was named World Junior Best Forward and MVP. Surprisingly, this will be Forsberg’s first bout away from World Juniors.
  • Mattias Ekholm has had as lucrative of a career with Tre Kronor has Forsberg has, but he did help Sweden collect the bronze medal last year.

Since the tournament officially begins Friday, I do not if any other Predators will be added to their country’s rosters, but who knows.

As I mentioned, the tournament kicks off Friday with Team Latvia vs. Team Canada (4:15PM) and Team Czech vs. Team Sweden (8:15PM) in the O2 Arena and Team USA vs. Team Finland (4:15PM) and Team Russia vs. Team Norway (8:15PM) in the CEZ Arena. Let me elaborate on those puck drop times, too. Those times would be relevant to those within the Czech timezone; the Czech Republic is seven hours ahead of the Central Timezone. Needless to say, the first games would start at 9:15AM our time, and the second games would start at 1:15PM. Here’s a TV listing of where you can view the games:

Date Game Network Game time (CT)
Fri., May 1 Team USA vs. Finland NBCSN (live) 9 a.m.
Sat., May 2 Team USA vs. Norway NBCSN (delay at 10 p.m.) 1 p.m.
Mon., May 4 Team USA vs. Russia NBCSN (live) 9 a.m.
Thur., May 7 Team USA vs. Belarus NBCSN (live) 9 a.m.
Fri., May 8 Team USA vs. Denmark NBCSN (live) 1 p.m.
Sun., May 10 Team USA vs. Slovenia NBCSN (delay at 2 p.m.) 10 a.m.
Tue., May 12 Team USA vs. Slovakia NBCSN (live) 10 a.m.
Thu., May 14 IIHF Quarterfinals NBCSN (live) 8 a.m.
IIHF Quarterfinals Live Extra app, TV TBD 9 a.m.
IIHF Quarterfinals Live Extra app, TV TBD 10:30 a.m.
IIHF Quarterfinals Live Extra app, TV TBD 12 p.m.
IIHF Quarterfinals Live Extra app, TV TBD 1 p.m.
IIHF Quarterfinals Live Extra app, TV TBD 10:30 p.m.
Sat., May 16 IIHF Semifinals Live Extra app, TV TBD 8:30 a.m.
IIHF Semifinals Live Extra app, TV TBD 12 p.m.
Sun., May 17 IIHF Bronze Medal Game Live Extra app, TV TBD 11 a.m.
IIHF Gold Medal Game NBCSN (live) 1:30 p.m.

I’ll update this list if anything changes or if any new players are added to their country’s rosters.

Poile, P. Weber Hospitalized

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Photos courtesy: Zimbio.com

Photos courtesy: Zimbio.com

Today just wasn’t a good day for the Predators organization. Both the Predators GM & one of the Predators TV broadcasters were hospitalized today in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Pete Weber, the long-time TV broadcaster alongside the colorful Terry Crisp, suffered a heart attack last night and spent the day in a St. Paul hospital today recovering. The news of his heart attack came just a few hours after the news that David Poile, too had been sent to a St. Paul hospital. Thankfully, once the news was released, Weber was already relaxing and recuperating nicely in his hospital room & made certain to let everyone know via Twitter that he was in his usual high spirited mindset (even while attached to IVs and in a gown):

As you may guess, Pete will not be joining Terry Crisp on the television coverage tonight, rather radio broadcaster Willy Daunic will be his replacement.

Though Pete’s condition is good, David Poile’s condition is relatively unknown. While watching the Predators morning skate at the Xcel Energy Center, an errant pass from Shea Weber ricocheted the puck off a wall and into David Poile’s face. The puck hit just above Poile’s eye, though it did not knock him out. In fact, Poile was said to have walked over to a chair to sit down, but was hurried over to a stretcher and sent to the hospital for further evaluation. Shea Weber was quick to make certain his GM was alright after the accident.

For what we know of right now, David Poile will be staying overnight in the hospital and is said to have a fractured orbital bone, which needed 30-40 stitches. He was scheduled to fly out to Sochi, but per recent tweets, it doesn’t look like he will be going any time soon.

We are praying for quick and full recoveries for both Pete Weber and David Poile.

Shea Weber added to Team Canada Roster

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BdZIk-bIAAE_eCSIf you follow any of our social media outlets, we mentioned Shea Weber being named to Team Canada but we neglected to add it here! My bad.

Any who, from the headline, you now know that Shea Weber will be representing both Canada and Nashville in the 2014 Winter Olympics. He, along with Roman Josi and Simon Moser will be the only Predators heading off to Sochi in February.

In the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Predators had six members represent their countries, which included:
Ryan Suter – USA – (Minnesota Wild)
Shea Weber – Canada
Martin Erat – Czech Republic (Washington Capitals)
Patric Hornqvist – Sweden
Marcel Goc – Germany (Florida Panthers)
Alexander Sulzer – Germany (Buffalo Sabres)

Don’t be put down by the number difference here, though. Out of the list above, the only other player besides Weber going to the Olympics this year is Ryan Suter. Heck, Germany isn’t even participating in this year’s Olympics; well, at least that we’ve found.

In regards to Patric Hornqvist’s snub by Sweden, he has been quoted as saying he is disappointed by the decision & Trotz has said he has “no idea what the Swedish team was thinking”. Honestly, we don’t either, except for the fact that Sweden is a powerhouse when it comes to producing talented hockey players. Hornqvist wasn’t the only talented Swede left off that Tre Kronor roster.

So, in a nutshell Preds fans, we’ve only been given three (one that may hardly know a.k.a. Moser), but be proud of those three! Congratulations to Josi, Weber, and Moser!

 

2014 Winter Olympics Team USA Roster

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Ryan Suter – 2010 Winter Olympics – Getty Images

The official roster for Team USA was announced this afternoon following the 2014 Winter Classic, in which the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a SO 3 to 2. 105,491 was the official attendance in today’s Winter Classic, by the way… and the average temperature was 13°, with a wind chill of -1°

Any who – back to Team USA – So, who got the call to represent the United States in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia? Here’s the list:

David Backes – St. Louis Blues
Dustin Brown – Los Angeles Kings
Ryan Callahan – New York Rangers
John Carlson – Washington Capitals
Justin Faulk – Carolina Hurricanes
Cam Fowler – Anaheim Ducks
Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
Ryan Kesler – Vancouver Canucks
Paul Martin – Pittsburgh Penguins
Ryan McDonagh – New York Rangers
Ryan Miller – Buffalo Sabres
James van Riemsdyk – Toronto Maple Leafs
Brooks Orpik – Pittsburgh Penguins
TJ Oshie – St. Louis Blues
Max Pacioretty – Montreal Canadiens
Zach Parise – Minnesota Wild
Joe Pavelski – San Jose Sharks
Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings
Kevin Shattenkirk – St. Louis Blues
Paul Stastny – Colorado Avalanche
Derek Stepan – New York Ranger
Ryan Suter – Minnesota Wild
Blake Wheeler – Winnipeg Jets
Jimmy Howard – Detroit Red Wings
Phil Kessel – Toronto Maple Leafs

As you may have heard (especially if you’re a Predators fan), the Nashville Predators General Manager, David Poile, was named the Team USA GM over the summer. So, are you surprised no Predators made the roster? Seth Jones & Craig Smith were the only players that popped up on the radar and were expected to make the list, but as we now know, neither one apparently quite made the cut. Since Jones is still a young NHL-er, his roster-miss is not as surprising as Craig Smith’s, especially after his outstanding performance in the IIHF World Championships this past Spring.

Notable other players absent from the roster list include Ottawa’s Bobby Ryan, Phoenix’s Keith Yandle, Columbus’ Jack Johnson, and Islanders’ Kyle Okposo among many others that you could make a solid argument for.

So, there you have it. Will you put your differences aside and cheer for the likes of Ryan Kesler, Ryan Suter, and Patrick Kane to push Team USA to gold? We will… but just for this time.

Filip Forsberg to Play for Team Sweden in WJC

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Image Courtesy: Zimbio.com

After much talk, the Predators officially announced this afternoon that Filip Forsberg would be loaned to Team Sweden for the 2014 World Junior Championships, which are scheduled to begin on the 26th. Sweden, who have already established themselves as a contender for gold, will only reap the benefits of adding Forsberg to their lineup.

Last year, Forsberg notched three goals and two assists in just six games, though Sweden would finish in second behind Team USA (and Seth Jones). This year, we suspect he will see even more success with his homeland team.

Here is the official release from the Nashville Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has loaned forward Filip Forsberg to the Swedish National Team for the 2014 World Junior Championships, taking place Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Malmo, Sweden.

Forsberg, 19 (8/13/94), has posted five points (1g-4a) in 12 games with Nashville, and eight points (3g-5a) in seven games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals in 2013-14. The Ostervala, Sweden native helped Sweden win gold at the 2012 World Junior Championships, and captained the Swedes to a silver medal at the 2013 World Juniors, being named to the tournament’s All-Star Team in the process.

As you may recall, Filip Forsberg was just recently removed from the IR and sent down to Milwaukee to get some ice time, but some time with a more familiar setting my do the trick of getting back into the swing of things. However, in his first game back on Friday, Forsberg scored two goals and the Milwaukee Admirals won 4-0.

 

Hockey Season Officially Ends for the Predators

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Surely SK74 and Patric Hornqvist aren’t going at it? Picture from the 2010 Olympics.

With Slovakia ending the Czech Republic’s run at the championship 3-1 in the semifinals, all of Nashville’s players have been eliminated from the IIHF World Championship. The Predators had a good amount of players who jumped on board after the post season, despite going into Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Here’s a final rundown of who played for who:

Team Belarus – Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn
Team Switzerland – Roman Josi
Team Sweden – Patric Hornqvist
Team USA – Craig Smith
Team Czech – Martin Erat

Andrei, Sergei, Roman, Craig, Martin, and Patric

Team Belarus and the Kostitsyn brothers were first to be knocked out of the tournament, falling to Team Canada 5-1 on Tuesday, May 15th. Sergei Kostitsyn did manage to collect a goal during his short run in the tournament. Also on Tuesday, Craig Smith and Team USA eliminated Roman Josi and Team Switzerland 5-2. On Thursday, Team Finland overthrew Team USA to advance 3-2, knocking out rookie Craig Smith.  Martin Erat, who notched a goal against Team Sweden, eliminated Patric Hornqvist and Tre Kronor 4-3.

As of yesterday’s game between Team Slovakia and Team Czech, Marty “Party” Erat was the only Predator left in the running for the gold. Unfortunately, Erat was sidelined early in the semifinal game, leaving the ice during the 1st Period after a shoulder check by Slovakia’s Libor Hudáček. Here’s the video from the game:

It was announced by Czech GM Slava Lener that Martin Erat does have a concussion, which could potentially affect the Predators in the upcoming season. Although the 2012-13 season is a little over five months away, concussions are a bit of mystery when it comes to treating them properly. That, and Martin Erat’s history of concussions is virtually unknown, so the way his body handles the healing process of a concussion will be on a day-to-day basis.

Martin Erat, though his a bit more serious, was not the only player injured during the World Championship. Sergei Kostitsyn dislocated his shoulder during the match between Team Canada after being hit by Kris Russell, a currently St. Louis Blues defenseman. As stated, although not as serious as Erat’s concussion, Kostitsyn will have to sit back a while to let it properly heal.

UPDATE ON ERAT CONDITION:
Martin Erat’s agent, Mike Deutsch has just announced that, despite what Czech GM Slava Lener stated earlier, Erat did not suffer a concussion and is simply suffering from a ‘stiff neck’. Good news for both Martin Erat and the Nashville Predators, but we will keep you updated in case the story changes once again. 

Hockey has officially ended for Smashville, but hockey altogether is still chugging along, wether our favorite players are on the ice or not. Now that all is done, it’s now time for the part of the off-season everyone dreads: Who stays and who goes…

Martin Erat being helped off the ice.

Predators seek Ice Time in IIHF World Championship

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Roman Josi will hit the ice with Team Switzerland.

The playoffs and hopes of a Stanley Cup in Nashville are over for the Predators, but for some of the players, a chance at a championship isn’t quite over. As teams have slowly but surely been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, NHL players have been packing up and heading to Europe to compete with their country’s national team for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship.

Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit), Yevgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh) quickly joined up with Team Russia once eliminated, along with notable Boston Bruin Zdeno Chara joining Team Slovakia. Corey Perry (Anaheim), Duncan Keith (Chicago), Patrick Sharp (Chicago) and Alexandre Burrows (Vancouver) hopped aboard Team Canada, along with Jimmy Howard (Detroit) and Bobby Ryan (Anaheim) joining Team USA.

With sixteen countries represented, almost all have some support from an NHL player, minus France, Latvia, Italy, and Kazakhstan. If you’d like to check out who’s representing who, check out the IIHF website. However, since being eliminated on Monday night by the Phoenix Coyotes, members of the Nashville Predators have been stepping up for their respected national teams and continuing their time on the ice.

The rookies have proven they aren’t ready for off-season, with defenseman Roman Josi jumping on board with Team Switzerland and forward Craig Smith joining Team USA. Martin Erat is in the works with joining Team Czech Republic, along with Andrei and Sergei negotiating with Team Belarus. More Predators players are suspected to join their respected countries as the week goes on.

The IIHF World Championship tournament is going on now until May 20th, in both Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.

Update: Just as we expected, another Predator has joined the IIHF for the World Championship. Patric Hornqvist has hopped on board with Team Sweden. We will keep you updated as new players join their country’s team.