To sign up for United Games... click the ad!
It was a busy hockey weekend in and around Smashville as training camp got going with a full head of steam. It was a packed Centennial Sportsplex on Saturday to see both practice sessions, catching up with friends, seeing folks you haven’t seen since development camp… all fun off the ice and all business on the ice. The practice had a great pace and balance between some obvious fun and some deadly serious business... to this observer, one thing is abundantly clear.
This is a motivated bunch of NHL players.
It has been a feeling I have gotten just talking to the players over the past two weeks as camp approached… I got a real sense of unfinished business and excitement about the changes in the offseason. I’ve been observing this team for a long time and I have never gotten the sense of excitement and “can’t wait to get out there” that I am getting from this group, and it is not just the younger players… the veterans are excited and can’t wait. There is a palpable feeling of something special developing with this group.
Now… that is easy to say on day four of training camp and there is certainly miles and miles to go in the marathon that is the NHL regular season, but it does increase my level of impatience to get this season going!
Sunday saw the first scrimmage of training camp at Ford Ice Center and once again… the place was packed as fans were 6 to 8 deep on the glass and every seat filled. The rosters had very few of the players expected to be on the opening night roster for the Preds… I counted seven players that saw time in Nashville last season on the rosters yesterday but it was a good chance to see some of the development of the youngsters like Kevin Fiala, Juuse Saros and Vladislav Kamenev. Team Gold beat White 3-1 on the strength of goals from Eric Robinson, Tyson Spink and Jack Dougherty. Colton Sissons scored the lone goal for Team White.
The scrimmage was a fairly uneven affair, typical for the first one of camp, but Kevin Fiala showed flashes of the growth that Milwaukee coach Dean Evason has been touting and Juuse Saros looked pretty solid in net. My eye was drawn to the Spink twins who connected on a goal for Team Gold.
This week sees the return of Pekka Rinne to the fold after Finland’s elimination in the World Cup, Filip Forsberg and Matias Ekholm are also on their way back after Sweden’s surprising elimination. Roman Josi is still in Toronto as the final series between Team Europe and Team Canada begins tomorrow.
The Predators hit the road today for a trip to Florida for a double header tomorrow against the Panthers. Game times are 2:30 and 6:00pm… The Voice of the Predators Pete Weber and the Coach Brent Peterson will be bringing you all the action on 102.5 the Game. The rest of the week’s schedule goes like this…
Wednesday – On ice sessions at Centennial Sportsplex – Group A @ 10:45am, Group B @ 12:45am… goaltenders are on ice one half hour before their group.
Thursday – Game @ Columbus
Friday - On ice sessions at Centennial Sportsplex – Group A @ 10:45am, Group B @ 12:45am… goaltenders are on ice one half hour before their group.
Saturday – Game @ Bridgestone Arena – 7pm faceoff vs. Tampa Bay
Sunday – Off day
Season is almost here!
--------------------------------
Random Notes
- Countdown to hockey… 5 days to Preds first home preseason game… 9 days to the season premiere of SlapShot Radio… 18 days to Predators season opener.
- SlapShot Radio is busily prepping for the first show of season nine… pre-season ad packages are available… please reach out to me for information.
- Team Europe / Team Canada for the World Cup… this one is over already. Canada is way too powerful, this one should be done by Thursday.
- Interesting story developing in Winnipeg as star defenseman Jacob Truba as asked for a trade. He is an RFA and apparently wants to play the right side on the blueline to “realize my potential.” The 9th overall pick in 2012 is holding out and not attending training camp.
- First preseason action is in the books as St. Louis beat Columbus twice in their twinbill yesterday, piling up 12 goals in two games. Former Pred Eric Nystrom scored in the nightcap. Nystrom is on a PTO with the Blues. Carter Hutton got a period in the first game, shutting out Columbus on only two shots on goal.
- Twelve games today in preseason action, six of them as part of doubleheaders or split squad games.
- Today’s World Cup of Hockey schedule – Dark – Game One of the best of three final is tomorrow night.
---------------------------------
-------------------------------------
SSR’s season nine premier is Wednesday October 5th on 102.5 the Game. SlapShot Radio is the longest running hockey show in the mid-south and Pete Weber and I can’t wait to get it started again. SlapShot Radio has been delivering great hockey talk to the most energetic and engaged fans in radio and advertising with us drives results. Our premier sponsors include day one sponsor
Dr. Jane Bacon at Hermitage Family and Cosmetic Dentistry … make your appointment at (615) 872-7762, and Mark Lonsway at ReMax Fine Homes, call him for all your real estate needs at (615) 207-7799.
Advertisers… reach out to me for preseason specials in order to access our activated listener base via email at paul(@)slapshotradio(dot)com
You can also keep up with all the goings on with SlapShot Radio by following the show on Twitter @SlapShotRadio1 … Also... make sure to "like" SlapShot Radio on Facebook... here's the
link.
-------------------------------------
KINDLE USERS: Please subscribe to Predators Buzz, a one-stop feed for all things Predators-related on HockeyBuzz. Your subscription includes a free 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month thereafter. For more information,
click here.
Nashville Predators Blogger •Predators Radio Network • 
Join the Discussion:
»