Nashville is staying?

[lfd250 1]

The new jerseys will be black. Home - black, Away - black. Everyone knows that black is the sign for death. All these new owners did was waste a year. As much as I like Nashville, it's not a hockey city. Do you invest your money in a losing cause?? No. But it should make for a fun year of watching to see if they meet the attendance mark. Good luck Legionnaire11 and Nashville others. You're going to need it.

[hockeytown9321 0]

Good news for the Wings if Nashville stays. It keeps our manifest destiny(moving east) alive, and anywhere they might've moved in the West would be meant a longer trip for us.

[Legionnaire11 0]

haven't seen it posted anywhere yet...

The rally yesterday was a HUGE success. Predictions were 2500 in attendance and 300 seasons tickets sold...

actuall attendance was 7500 and at last count they were closing in on 800 season tickets sold!!!

It was an awesome day, 14 straight hours of hockey talk on the radio, capped off by the rally which was an unbelievable atmosphere, great speakers, great message, great reception by the fans. Every hockey city should have one of these in mid-summer just to celebrate the game during the offseason.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

de Vries should help to replace some of the veteran leadership void left by Timonen. and seeing as he's a bigger, more defensive defenseman, it might be a nice change of pace to have him as the rolemodel instead of the offensive minded Timonen.

as for the top players producing, you're totally correct. We need our top 6 to be healthy and producing all season. I'm confident in all of them to do just that except for Sullivan, which is why I think our final aquisition (the third line LW we need) should be a guy who can step up to a scoring line as an injury fill in for a while.

This team will be grittier and more of a defensive team like the one that played the wings in the 04 playoffs, except a lot more talented than that squad.

Nashville grittier than last season? That's a damn scary concept quite frankly. Tootoo, Nichol (although I hate those 2 bastards), De Vries, Arnott, Weber, yeah there's still some pretty tough boys to play against.

going back to our old sparring topic, do you think they'll expand Toot's role this year and that we might see some of that offense you suggested he might possess?

[Legionnaire11 0]

going back to our old sparring topic, do you think they'll expand Toot's role this year and that we might see some of that offense you suggested he might possess?

actually, I think he has less of a role this season. in past seasons it seemed like the coaches always wanted to give him a try at times. But I don't see anything more than 4th line duties this season and I think he'll be splitting time with Smithson. maybe a half season split right down the middle.

Of course, there is probably another trade to be made, and there are always injuries. But I don't see him playing as much as he did last season. He's obviously not going to be cracking the top 6, and to get on the 3rd line he'd have to outplay Fiddler, Smithson, Nichol, Ortmeyer and Hordichuk. Honestly, the only player in that list he is better than is Hordi.

I really think Tootoo would best fit on an expansion team, he would be able to get second line time and would be like scott walker was for the preds.

[Kcjacoby 10]

The best part of the Pred's rally last night...

[Wing Nut 19 0]

If the Preds do move how does this affect the alignment of the divisions? Would that put Toronto back in the Central Division where they belong?

If so pack the preds up and send them packing.

[Legionnaire11 0]

try to keep up. they're not going anywhere.

[RedFX 48]

BTW, I hate those new jerseys.

[Legionnaire11 0]

Looks like the Letter of Intent will be signed today.

It also looks like Del Biaggio is going to be joining the local team in this purchase.

This gives us a huge financial boost, and also the certainty that as long as the local group is part of the ownership circle, that the team will stay in Nashville.

Now, if things don't improve and we continue to struggle with corporate support, then it would seem that Del Biaggio would have an option to buy the local's share of the team and move them. If it gets to that point, then i'd say we don't deserve the team anyway. If we go through this whole ordeal, and the business community in Nashville still doesn't wake up to what the Preds mean for downtown Nashville, then why should the team stay? It's sad to think of that happening one day as a die-hard preds fan. But at least for the next few years it looks like a sunny forecast!!!

[Winged Scooter 0]

Looks like the Letter of Intent will be signed today.

It also looks like Del Biaggio is going to be joining the local team in this purchase.

This gives us a huge financial boost, and also the certainty that as long as the local group is part of the ownership circle, that the team will stay in Nashville.

Now, if things don't improve and we continue to struggle with corporate support, then it would seem that Del Biaggio would have an option to buy the local's share of the team and move them. If it gets to that point, then i'd say we don't deserve the team anyway. If we go through this whole ordeal, and the business community in Nashville still doesn't wake up to what the Preds mean for downtown Nashville, then why should the team stay? It's sad to think of that happening one day as a die-hard preds fan. But at least for the next few years it looks like a sunny forecast!!!

That's good news legionnaire, congrats, I'm glad you get to keep enjoying your team.

( I do so hope the Wings beat them by 10 goals every game this year though! )

[Kcjacoby 10]

Glad to hear that!!!

[irishtemper14+25 11]

yea i didnt think they would be gone, i mean they are a good team...or at least were last yr and from what i saw there was not too many seats to be had at the games

[eva unit zero 271]

Amusing as hell.

Balsillie and Del Biaggio both attempt to purchase the same franchise, Balsillie eventually backs out without a binding agreement, and Del Biaggio ends up as a minority investor.

[/font]

That's twice in as many teams this has happened...

Edited August 1, 2007 by eva unit zero

[Legionnaire11 0]

some more possibly good news. There's small whispers that maybe AEG will take over the arena management from Powers Management.

AEG is the company that runs the KC arena and who Boots has a deal with to bring a team to KC. However, if they take control of the Sommet Center, then moving the Preds to KC would still leave them with an empty arena in Nashville. So, there's the small chance that this would eliminate Boots and AEG's interest in moving the preds to KC and instead AEG would focus on getting an expansion or NBA team into KC.

Nothing solid to back up that theory, just passing along the rumors.

[drsingle 0]

some more possibly good news. There's small whispers that maybe AEG will take over the arena management from Powers Management.

AEG is the company that runs the KC arena and who Boots has a deal with to bring a team to KC. However, if they take control of the Sommet Center, then moving the Preds to KC would still leave them with an empty arena in Nashville. So, there's the small chance that this would eliminate Boots and AEG's interest in moving the preds to KC and instead AEG would focus on getting an expansion or NBA team into KC.

Nothing solid to back up that theory, just passing along the rumors.

If I were to throw out a conspiracy theory, something I would never do mind you, I can definitely see how this would get Boots his team (partially) while also taking KC out of the running for expansion (with Boots tied to the Predators and AEG running the Sommet Center) and open the door to Las Vegas and Hamilton/Waterloo/etc for expansion.

Like I said, though, I don't toss out conspiracy theories. Even masterful ones like this.

David

[lfd250 1]

Hope you guys can sell your tickets, bacause it sure sounds like you guys just got backdoored. (SP)

[OsGOD 3]

Supposedly they are looking to announce it tonight at the Pred's fan rally... along with revealing their new uniforms...

Pardon my ignorance on this subject...I am a wings fan through and through... please enlighten me as to what this "fan rally" is you speak of...

We don't get the privledge of having those in Detroit, if they are what I think they are.

Edited August 1, 2007 by OsGOD

[vangvace 12]

Pardon my ignorance on this subject...I am a wings fan through and through... please enlighten me as to what this "fan rally" is you speak of...

We don't get the privledge of having those in Detroit, if they are what I think they are.

...think dead Wings giving cars away.

[BlakChamber 8]

Glad to see it looks like the Preds will be staying in Nashville

[Winged Scooter 0]

...think dead Wings giving cars away.

Ahh those were the days, I remember STACKS of complimentary tickets sitting on the counter of our local Big Boy...

they were so truly bad back then....

[Legionnaire11 0]

haha, far from dead wings. "Our Team" says that we should make it to 11,000 season tickets by the start of the season. By the time single game tickets start selling, it looks like we may only need 1000-2000 actual walkups to each game next season to hit 14k. Last year we averaged nearly 4000 walkups per game.

The rally was to let the NHL, Hamilton and KC hear our voice. It was actually a lot of fun, and it would be cool if every NHL city did this every summer as a show to the whole sports world that we're here and we care. It was 14 hours of non-stop hockey talk on the radio, arena was open all day, players were there, preds dancers were there to show people available seats, a big ticket sales push was on all day (over 700 new season tickets sold, that's huge, don't let canada fool you into thinking it's not), lunch was served, merchandise was sold, new jerseys were revealed, Eklund made a public appearance, the new owners were on hand, even the governor and first lady were there with their support. And unbelievable day of hockey celebration in the music city. It would only have been better under different circumstances. In a city like Detroit it would simply be an all day hockey party, and you know that yall would be all over that in the middle of a slow summer. I could just imagine what kind of rally cities like Edmonton and Calgary could put on.

[OsGOD 3]

Ahh those were the days, I remember STACKS of complimentary tickets sitting on the counter of our local Big Boy...

they were so truly bad back then....

Oh i get it... kinda like how the Entertainment Book had tickets in there for buy one get one free and such.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Nashville grittier than last season? That's a damn scary concept quite frankly. Tootoo, Nichol (although I hate those 2 bastards), De Vries, Arnott, Weber, yeah there's still some pretty tough boys to play against.

going back to our old sparring topic, do you think they'll expand Toot's role this year and that we might see some of that offense you suggested he might possess?

They'd have to teach him how to skate with a puck on his stick first.

My guess is he'll stick to running at everything not wearing a Pred's jersey (at the cost of defensive responsibility), with the occasional cheapshot and his old standby the mugging fight technique (having the gloves off and throwing at least three punches before your opponent even knows you want to fight him).

[Kp-Wings 3]

Good for you guys.