Hating the Preds

[tipetz22 0]

If the Preds move they would still be in our division and one day the Wings could have a rivalry with the team. Plus Hamilton is closer to Detroit so you can drive to away games and the team would be in the same time zone.

With Hitchcock getting things straighten out with the BJ's, Columbus looks like they could turn things around in a year or two. Columbus is the same distance as Hamilton, its a wash!

I have been to the Wings v. Preds game every year since '98 and feel that Nashville does deserve an NHL team because they have built a team the right way (from the ground up). They didn't go out trade their future for old, declining stars (i.e. Atlanta, Carolina- please keep in mind that this is when they first came into the league).

To those who are saying, "they have an great team, but they don't sell out, so they don't deserve a team"- well the Wings sell out but we see the lower bowl and the better part of the stadium empty. (Just something to think about )

Edited June 15, 2007 by tipetz22

[Legionnaire11 0]

pretty good regular season team... funny how when it comes to this, everyone is pretty liberal with calling the Preds a great team, but in the middle of the season where were all of you people at giving them credit??

what has hurt them just as much as the lack of corporate support, is that they really haven't ever done anything notable. Obviously during football season, attendance is going to suffer. But if anyone closely follows the Preds you'll notice a trend of falling off down the stretch. The last month of the season has always been our best for attendance, and our worst on the ice. Not to mention the playoffs. 3 wins, ever... If they could have made a run during the last 3 seasons, I don't think we'd be selling right now.

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

Because hockey belongs in Canada much more than it belongs in Nashville, TN

[eva unit zero 271]

With Hitchcock getting things straighten out with the BJ's, Columbus looks like they could turn things around in a year or two. Columbus is the same distance as Hamilton, its a wash!

I have been to the Wings v. Preds game every year since '98 and feel that Nashville does deserve an NHL team because they have built a team the right way (from the ground up). They didn't go out trade their future for old, declining stars (i.e. Atlanta, Carolina- please keep in mind that this is when they first came into the league).

Atlanta built up with Kovalchuk and Heatley, then traded Heatley for Hossa. Kozlov, Savard, Holik, and most other notable forwards they have had were either free agent signings or acquired for a mediocre prospect. Kozlov was basically traded for a 3rd rounder (Buffalo and Atlanta also exchanged second round picks) that became Tyler Redenbach once it got to Phoenix. He has yet to play in the NHL.

Carolina was not an expansion team, they were an established team that moved from Hartford. And the 2002 Carolina Eastern Conference championship team had 15 players who played in the playoffs who were drafted by the organization and/or had been with the team since Hartford. The 2006 Cup team had nine such players, but many more had been acquired through free agency or trading of low-level prospects or roster players who had been drafted by the Canes or came over with the Whalers.

Also, the Preds have made many deals to acquire veteran players by giving up prospects. Witt and Forsberg are two notable examples of giving up solid prospects and picks for veteran players. Steve Sullivan is another example of this, Mike Sillinger and Cliff Ronning are more examples of the Preds trading prospects or younger roster players for veterans.

That said, they have built a contending team largely on the draft and supplemented with free agency. The fans have provided solid support that has been improving yearly.

Because hockey belongs in Canada much more than it belongs in Nashville, TN

Nashville has enough hockey fans to support a team. Nashville is four hours from Atlanta, the nearest NHL market.

Kitchener is an hour from Toronto and two hours from Buffalo. Hamilton is an hour from Buffalo and half an hour from Toronto. Both are individually smaller markets than Nashville, and already have fans dedicated to the TWO other local teams.

Keep the Preds in Nashville.

[RedFX 48]

There is one thing that really bothers me about the Preds: They have a great team, and extremely cheap tickets compared to the Wings, and they still can't sell out. That really pisses me off. If the Wings had the prices for tickets that the Preds had, I'd be going every game I could. With the way the Wings charge for tickets now, I'd be lucky to make 1 game a season. The Predators fans have no idea how lucky they are with these tickets prices, and yet they don't seem to capitlize on this.

And the fact that the team is great, yet still can't sell out is even more disturbing. I don't like to stereotype, but God damn it. The team is one of the best in the league and they still can't sell out? Why? The team is good, the tickets are cheap, so what's the problem? It really pisses me off seeing things like this. The so called "fans" need to start showing that team some support by going to the games. If they sold out on a consistant basis, and got rid of Jordin Tootoo, I wouldn't have such a problem with them having a team.

Actually, the Preds sell out a decent number of games (19 this season, imcluding all 4 against the Wings, and all three playoff games). The problem is they only have 10,000-12,000 people show up to games such as Phoenix or Los Angeles. If there is a big name team in town, such as Detroit, Colorado, or Dallas, its usually a sell-out. Or if not, it still sells most of the seats.

The last month of the season has always been our best for attendance, and our worst on the ice. Not to mention the playoffs. 3 wins, ever... If they could have made a run during the last 3 seasons, I don't think we'd be selling right now.

Dude, the Preds won 4 playoff games. You should know that...

[Jwo 7]

This should of been a automatic sell-out. A big name club with rich history.

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20062007/GS020915.HTM

Edited June 15, 2007 by Jwo

[RedFX 48]

This should of been a automatic sell-out. A big name club with rich history.

http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20062007/GS020915.HTM

Yeah, I don't think they sold out Toronto either. Montreal was also Forsberg's second game in Nashville, so I thought alot of people would show up.

[OsGOD 3]

Yeah, I don't think they sold out Toronto either. Montreal was also Forsberg's second game in Nashville, so I thought alot of people would show up.

Aye, that is exactly why people did not show up Din' din' din'... thar is your answer.

[Barrie 900]

Hamilton is a half an hour from Toronto.

At 2:00am that's true. During rush hour, it's a good 2 hours.

Aye, that is exactly why people did not show up Din' din' din'... thar is your answer.

Yo OsGOD, you gotta quit with the pirate talk, haha. It's tough to read. I'll get through a few lines, then just skip to the next post.

[OsGOD 3]

Yo OsGOD, you gotta quit with the pirate talk, haha. It's tough to read. I'll get through a few lines, then just skip to the next post.

Arrr, but then you will be missin' out one some great reads.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

Listen I hate the preds just as much as everyone else on this board, but why would anyone want to see them go. They are exactly what we need, we have the Wings who are the cleanest team in hockey and in the same division the Preds who are arguably the dirtest. Its nice to have a complete oppsite that we hate, its like a the good vs bad, yes if they move things might be the exact same, but who cares. Let them just stay there it really doesn't hurt us in anyway, so I was just curious why everyone seems to want them to move?

Because its another team in a terrible southern market. Get them into Canada or another "hockey" market where fan support will be stronger.

As for the rivalry aspect, yeah having a rival is awesome. But before we were ever rivals with Nashville there was Colorado. Before Colorado there was St.Louis. Before St.Louis there was Chicago. Frankly, after the Preds there will be another rival.

Plus, any sort of move that makes a potential move for the WIngs from the Western to the Eastern conference is a blessing.

Imagine 8 games a year against the Maple Leafs or the Canadiens? If you want some rivalries then you should be all for them moving.

Bottom line, people outside New York love the Rangers. People everywhere love the Redwings. Almost nobody outside Nashville gives a patoot about the Preds. Hell, most of the people in Nashville don't care about the Predators or hockey in general. Now hard-core Preds fans will argue that until they are blue in the face but reality is reality. We wouldn't be talking about moving the Preds if people down there cared about them. That market is a bust and doesn't deserve another 3 years to try and make it special.

s***, look at Columbus, that team has stunk rotten ass since day one and they sellout a boatload of their games. I haven't followed them the past 2 years much but when I did I remember that they were selling out like every single game. But the market is there and people actually do like hockey in Ohio so its a good market. Nashville is not.

[Barrie 900]

Arrr, but then you will be missin' out one some great reads.

[ltgator333 3]

I'd just like to see them go because I really think the city of Nashville doesn't deserve them.. I feel badly for the fans they do have there but it's been said time and time again they get no support from businesses. They're a good hockey team, dirty or not dirty they're good, and I think they deserve some more recognition in their home town.

[RockyMountainWingGal 108]

I think it's absolutely hilarious that the same people who feel it was a travesty Winnipeg, Minnesota, and Hartford lost their teams think that teams like the Preds, Hurricanes, Thrashers, Coyotes, and Panthers should move because of low attendance.

Just the same, if teams such as the above mentioned (Winnepeg, Quebec) are moved, why should teams like the Preds by exemp from moving? Sure I'll feel bad for Preds fans if their team moves, but I also felt bad for North Star and Whaler fans.

Also, the Preds would still be the same team - just in Hamilton instead of Nashville. Any rivalry would carry over. I think it's going to be tough to re-sign their players and get FAs though with the impending move...

[RedFX 48]

Just the same, if teams such as the above mentioned (Winnepeg, Quebec) are moved, why should teams like the Preds by exemp from moving? Sure I'll feel bad for Preds fans if their team moves, but I also felt bad for North Star and Whaler fans.

It's because of that mass exodus in the 90's that Bettman starting putting more effort into protecting current markets. The last two CBA's have put more money into Revenue sharing to prevent that from happening again. This was actually started by that giant scare in Pittsburgh in 2000.

Also, the Preds would still be the same team - just in Hamilton instead of Nashville. Any rivalry would carry over. I think it's going to be tough to re-sign their players and get FAs though with the impending move...

Try telling the fans in Nashville that...

Edited June 16, 2007 by RedFX

[eva unit zero 271]

Plus, any sort of move that makes a potential move for the WIngs from the Western to the Eastern conference is a blessing.

Nashville moving to Ontario makes the Wings moving to the Eastern Conference LESS LIKELY.

There are currently 14 teams that are further East of Detroit, plus Atlanta which geographically makes much more sense to be in the Southeast division. Hamilton or K-W would make that 15 plus Atlanta, meaning that even if the NHL expanded by two teams in Western cities, Detroit still would have zero chance of moving East because there would be 16 teams in each conference.

[MaynardJKeenan 1]

At 2:00am that's true. During rush hour, it's a good 2 hours.

Yo OsGOD, you gotta quit with the pirate talk, haha. It's tough to read. I'll get through a few lines, then just skip to the next post.

what gives w/ the pirate s***? Is this guy a little mental?