From Slam! Sports Hockey <http://www.slam.ca/Hockey/home.html>...

Jordin Tootoo settles in Predators' camp

By DONNA SPENCER -- Canadian Press

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CP) -- For a fourth-round NHL draft pick, Jordin
Tootoo has generated a lot of ink and video this year.

  Major media outlets travelled to nearly the top of the world this
summer to profile the barrel-chested Inuit kid who skates like
lighting, hits like a load of lumber and heaves harpoons into beluga
whales.

  First it was USA Today, then it was Sports Illustrated and then it
was CTV seeking Tootoo out in his hometown of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut,
which is 1,770 kilometres north of Winnipeg, just south of the
Arctic Circle, with a mostly-Inuit population of about 2,500.

  The combination of his pinball style of hockey and his unique
lifestyle has proved an irresistible story. Tootoo, 20, has been
able to draw attention to northern communities and the Inuit culture
with the extensive media coverage.

  Tootoo hopes the chapters he adds to his story now include the NHL.
He will skate with the Nashville Predators rookies on Wednesday
before the veterans report on Thursday.

  "I think it's time that I proved to everyone why all this hype's
been going on about me," Tootoo said at the Predators' practice rink
Tuesday evening. "I just want to play hockey now and prove to people
why everyone's so excited about me."

  He didn't tire of the steady stream of cameras and microphones at
his door earlier in the summer.

  "Here I am in Nashville, trying out for the Preds and this is
something I've been waiting for a long time and by having a lot of
these (media) people around killed a lot of time for me," he said.

  "At the same time I spent quality time with my parents, my sister
Corinne and I can't wait to see them at my first professional game."

  The five-foot-nine, 197-pound right-winger has a good chance of
cracking the Predators' lineup, but he will have to earn it. The
Predators, who drafted Tootoo 98th overall in 2001, signed him to a
three-year contract in May.

  "This is another step in my journey," he said. "I know for a fact
I'll be playing pro this year either here or in Milwaukee.

  Tootoo skates fast, hits hard and has a hard shot, but his size
makes him an underdog.

  "At this age I think it's a perfect time for me to step into the
NHL and prove to a lot of people that you don't have to be six-foot-
five to play in the NHL," he said.

  Nashville's climate is stifling compared to the average
temperatures in his hometown, but Tootoo hopes to stay in the steamy
southeastern U.S. and become the first Inuk to play in an NHL game.

  The Predators open the 2003-04 regular season game Oct. 9 at home
against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. More than a few of his neighbours
would fly thousands of kilometres to see it if Tootoo is in it.

  "I get phone call almost every day asking me if I'm playing in that
game," he said.

  Tootoo is proud of his heritage and promotes it with every third or
fourth sentence. He has a flair for dropping attention-grabbing
tidbits such as "eating all that raw meat has made me wacko" and the
thing is, he really has eaten a lot of raw meat.

  "People are so fascinated by it that it puzzles me sometimes,"
Tootoo said. "I give myself thumbs up educating at least someone
every other day."

  Tootoo, whose father Barney is Inuk and whose mother Rose is
Ukrainian, had been a hero in the Inuit community and also in
Brandon, Man., where he played junior hockey for a long time, but he
rose to national prominence in Canada over the last year for reasons
both happy and tragic.

  His brother Terance, a 22-year-old minor pro player, committed
suicide just over a year ago after he was charged with impaired
driving.

  The brothers were close, "like peanut butter and jam" as his junior
coach put it.

  In spite of the tragedy, Tootoo had the best season of his career
with the Brandon Wheat Kings and last spring, he attained the
ultimate in sports pop culture recognition when the Wheat Kings
distributed Tootoo bobblehead dolls at a game.

  At the world junior hockey championship in Halifax, he was a fan
favourite on the Canadian team for knocking opposing players down
like bowing pins. The thousands of fans there called his name any
time he stepped on the ice.

  The Predators could stand some of that. Plant Tootoo in the Music
City where ice hockey was unheard of until a few years ago and where
new fans are looking for something to latch onto after five years
out of the post-season and look out. There's the potential for him
to be the fan favourite again.

  "It's a great place to play hockey in my mind," said Tootoo. "The
fans are starting to get into it and no better place to start off,
for me to come to a young team and excite the fans and get more
people into it, is something I love doing."

  The Predators understand the appeal of Tootoo. He is one of about
five Predators scheduled to be on the team's flagship radio station
Wednesday afternoon, promoting the upcoming season.

From Slam! Sports Hockey...

Pens sign Simpson, Berehowsky

  PITTSBURGH (CP) -- Free agents Reid Simpson and Drake Berehowsky
have signed with the Penguins, the NHL club announced Friday.

  Simpson, a left winger, joins his ninth NHL team in 13 pro seasons.

  Simpson, 34, of Flin Flon, Man., had one assist and 56 penalty
minutes in 26 games with the Nashville Predators last season, and
also played for their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.

  He previously played in the NHL with Philadelphia, Minnesota, New
Jersey, Chicago, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Montreal. In 299 career
games, he has 36 points (18-18) and 821 penalty minutes.

  Berehowsky, 31, a defenceman from Toronto, played for Pittsburgh
briefly in 1994-95. He's also played for Toronto, Edmonton,
Nashville, Vancouver and Phoenix.

  Last season, he played only seven games, missing 59 recuperating
from knee surgery. In 493 career NHL games, he has 125 points (31-
94).

  He had his best years with the Predators, earning 73 points (20-53)
in two-plus seasons, 1998-2001.

Predator Fans are welcome to join my fantasy hockey league on Yahoo.

ID#: 4778
password: Legwand

Should be alot of fun for those fans who think they know so much
about the coolest game on earth as well as getting your fix before
the season starts.

From "Justice: Cujo in Boston" by Mike Ulmer, Toronto Star...

...

  The Bruins and Wings will talk trade this week and, if consummated,
this deal will send Joseph to the team most widely associated for
lacking a commitment to winning.

  The Nashville Predators have a better chance of making the Stanley
Cup final than do the Boston Bruins.

  The Bruins, you will remember, are the patrons of what Adam Oates
called the "Ray Bourque salary cap."

...

Anyhoo...

I am really surprised at the Timonen deal, given the fact that the
current players' contract expires in one year, and almost everyone
agrees that the next one must be far less friendly to the players
and large markets. Kimmo has been my favorite defenseman since his
arrival, but I don't think this is a responsible move, especially
given that Nashville is one of those teams whose survival depends on
a reworking of the CBA next summer. -NF

Preds, Timonen agree to 4-year, $10.5 million deal
By JOHN GLENNON
Staff Writer

The Predators avoided an arbitration hearing with Kimmo Timonen,
agreeing to a four-year, $10.5 million contract with the defenseman.

The two sides completed the deal about midnight on Thursday, using
candlelight after the power outages in Toronto.

Timonen is scheduled to make $2 million this season, $2.5 next year
and $3 million in the third and fourth years of the deal.

It will mark the first time the Predators have paid a skater as much
as $2 million in a season. Defenseman Jason York also has a $2
million salary, but his old club, Anaheim, is paying half of it.

The 28 year-old Timonen finished as the Predators' second-leading
points producer last year, totaling six goals and a team-high 34
assists for 40 points.

If you want to get back to real Predator discussions (the way this
forum used to be) try Hockey's Future at
http://hfboards.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=33

--- In nashvillepredatorsclub@yahoogroups.com, "Joe Thordsen"
<jthords@h...> wrote:
> Who will replace him for pre and post-game?
>
> Joe
>
> ---------------------------------------------
>
> WGFX to air afternoon sports talk
> By Terry McCormick, tmccormick@n...
> August 05, 2003
>
> According to sources, local radio sportscasters Willy Daunic and
> Darren McFarland will finalize a deal this week to join WGFX-FM
104.5
> and bring an afternoon sports talk show to the station, which would
> revamp its format to include both news and sports talk.
>
> Daunic and McFarland resigned Friday from their evening sports
> show "The Total Sports Experience" on WWTN-FM 99.7, and since both
> were working without contracts at that station, were free to
> negotiate a deal anywhere in the market without penalty or time off
> the air.
>
> WGFX currently airs a classic rock format except for the mornings
> when it runs the syndicated "Rick and Bubba Show." The station is
> owned by Citadel Broadcasting, which also holds the flagship rights
> to the Tennessee Titans games.
>
> Daunic and McFarland had worked the 7-10 p.m. shift together at WTN
> for 16 months, but apparently will be on from 3-7 p.m. on WGFX,
with
> a best-case scenario of Aug. 11 as a launch date. That would put
them
> head-to-head with WTN's "SportsNight," now hosted by Blake Fulton,
> Joe Biddle and Nashville Predators play-by-play man Pete Weber.
>
> Also, former "SportsNight" anchor George Plaster is expected to
join
> Daunic and McFarland on the new WGFX show as soon as any
contractual
> issues with his former employer Gaylord Entertainment are resolved.
>
> Plaster last month declined to have his contract assigned to
Cumulus
> Broadcasting, which purchased WTN and WSM-FM from Gaylord for $65
> million, and thus left the station and "SportsNight."
>
> Also, Daunic is giving up his duties as pre-game and post-game host
> of the Nashville Predators' broadcasts on WTN

Who will replace him for pre and post-game?

Joe

---------------------------------------------

WGFX to air afternoon sports talk
By Terry McCormick, tmccormick@...
August 05, 2003

According to sources, local radio sportscasters Willy Daunic and
Darren McFarland will finalize a deal this week to join WGFX-FM 104.5
and bring an afternoon sports talk show to the station, which would
revamp its format to include both news and sports talk.

Daunic and McFarland resigned Friday from their evening sports
show "The Total Sports Experience" on WWTN-FM 99.7, and since both
were working without contracts at that station, were free to
negotiate a deal anywhere in the market without penalty or time off
the air.

WGFX currently airs a classic rock format except for the mornings
when it runs the syndicated "Rick and Bubba Show." The station is
owned by Citadel Broadcasting, which also holds the flagship rights
to the Tennessee Titans games.

Daunic and McFarland had worked the 7-10 p.m. shift together at WTN
for 16 months, but apparently will be on from 3-7 p.m. on WGFX, with
a best-case scenario of Aug. 11 as a launch date. That would put them
head-to-head with WTN's "SportsNight," now hosted by Blake Fulton,
Joe Biddle and Nashville Predators play-by-play man Pete Weber.

Also, former "SportsNight" anchor George Plaster is expected to join
Daunic and McFarland on the new WGFX show as soon as any contractual
issues with his former employer Gaylord Entertainment are resolved.

Plaster last month declined to have his contract assigned to Cumulus
Broadcasting, which purchased WTN and WSM-FM from Gaylord for $65
million, and thus left the station and "SportsNight."

Also, Daunic is giving up his duties as pre-game and post-game host
of the Nashville Predators' broadcasts on WTN

Daunic, McFarland leave WTN
Posted: August 1, 2:15 p.m. CT
Popular night time sports talk show hosts Willy Daunic and Darren
McFarland resigned Friday from WTN-FM 99.7 and their show "The Total
Sports Experience," which airs on the station weeknights from 7 p.m.-
10 p.m., The City Paper has learned.
By Terry McCormick, tmccormick@...

Fan Favorite Drake Berehowsky might be coming back to the GEC.  The
Tennesean had this to say.  "His agent has called me and told us that
Drake would be very interested in coming back," Predators General
Manager David Poile said Friday. "But right now we're just watching
and waiting to see what else happens around the league, and we
probably won't make any moves for a few more weeks."  I guess we'll
just have to wait and see.

If Pete Weber joins the show, the Preds will get some well-deserved
air time on their flagship statiion. Pete seems to be extremely
knowledgeable about all sports as well. He is also a super-nice guy
for those of us who have met him!

Joe

-----------------------------------
Tennessean staff reports


Veteran radio talk show host George Plaster will no longer be
associated with WWTN-FM and the popular, long-running Sports Night
show that airs from 4-7 p.m.

Mike Dickey, general manager for Cumulus Broadcasting in Nashville,
said Plaster's attorney, Jack Waddy, informed him yesterday that
Plaster will not transition his contract from Gaylord Entertainment
Co. to Cumulus.

Cumulus has purchased WWTN and WSM-FM from Gaylord Entertainment and
hopes to officially close the reported $65 million transaction on
Friday.

''We are sorry that George has chosen not to join the Cumulus team,
but that decision was his,'' Dickey said.

Plaster did not immediately return phone messages left by The
Tennessean.

''We are excited about going forward with the lineup we have and are
confident that Joe Biddle and Blake Fulton will carry on the
tradition of Sports Night,'' Dickey said. ''We're talking with a
highly respected member of the broadcast media and hope to have that
person join our Sports Night team in the near future.''

Speculation centers around Predators play-by-play man Pete Weber to
replace Plaster. He was a guest host Thursday, Friday and yesterday.

WWTN serves as the flagship station for the Nashville Predators and
is under contract to continue that relationship, Dickey said.

Plaster has been part of what is currently the highest-rated sports
talk show in Nashville for a number of years. He joined the show when
it was broadcast on WSIX-FM and hosted by Duncan Stewart and Biddle.
Plaster and Biddle made the transition to WWTN-FM when the station
was in bankruptcy for several years before being purchased by Gaylord
Entertainment.

emrys wrote:
> Damn. I was hoping we could somehow keep Cale. He's
> the only aggressive defenseman we had, and one of the
> fan-friendlier players. I'm gonna miss seeing him
> stand up other players or knock them down. He was
> irritating as hell to other teams - Forsberg even took
> a swing at him. Oh well, I sure hope these new young
> guys have some grit. We need it.

I think the team expects Tomas Kloucek to replace Hulse
in that department. He only played three games for us
last year, but I was VERY impressed by what I saw during
those games. I actually think he'll be better than Hulse
ever was...

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."

Damn. I was hoping we could somehow keep Cale. He's
the only aggressive defenseman we had, and one of the
fan-friendlier players. I'm gonna miss seeing him
stand up other players or knock them down. He was
irritating as hell to other teams - Forsberg even took
a swing at him. Oh well, I sure hope these new young
guys have some grit. We need it.


--- beautypersoni <no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> From Slam! Sports Hockey...
>
>  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (CP) -- The Phoenix Coyotes
> signed free agent
> defenceman Cale Hulse to a multi-year deal Thursday.
>
>
>  "Cale is a rugged performer, someone that players
> do not like to
> play against," said Coyotes vice-president and
> executive general
> manager Mike Barnett. "His physical play brings to
> the team an
> element that we felt got away from us last year.
>
>  "It has been a priority for us to add this type of
> defenceman since
> our season ended."
>
>  The six-foot-three, 220-pound Hulse recorded two
> goals, six assists
> and 121 penalty minutes in 80 games with the
> Nashville Predators
> last season.
>
>  The 29-year-old native of Edmonton, Alberta has
> played eight
> seasons in the NHL with New Jersey, Calgary and
> Nashville,
> collecting 71 points and 814 penalty minutes in 498
> career games.
>
>  Hulse was originally drafted by the New Jersey
> Devils in the third
> round, 66th overall in the 1992 entry draft.
>
>
>


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
http://sbc.yahoo.com

From Slam! Sports Hockey...

  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (CP) -- The Phoenix Coyotes signed free agent
defenceman Cale Hulse to a multi-year deal Thursday.

  "Cale is a rugged performer, someone that players do not like to
play against," said Coyotes vice-president and executive general
manager Mike Barnett. "His physical play brings to the team an
element that we felt got away from us last year.

  "It has been a priority for us to add this type of defenceman since
our season ended."

  The six-foot-three, 220-pound Hulse recorded two goals, six assists
and 121 penalty minutes in 80 games with the Nashville Predators
last season.

  The 29-year-old native of Edmonton, Alberta has played eight
seasons in the NHL with New Jersey, Calgary and Nashville,
collecting 71 points and 814 penalty minutes in 498 career games.

  Hulse was originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third
round, 66th overall in the 1992 entry draft.

>Damn you,
> Patrick Roy! If he hadn't retired, maybe Colorado wouldn't have made
> the deal for Skratch. ;-)

Without Roy in net they may need Skratchy more than we would have!

We moved a guy we picked 230th overall for a 3rd round pick. Not a bad
choice on Poile and his scout's side. I hate to see him go but I'm
glad he's going somewhere that he might get to shine. May his only bad
games come against us and his best against the Wings!

On the other hand I'm surprised that we got a little more for Delmore
than we did for Skratchy. (When you figure where the Avs pick will be
vs. the Sabres pick Delly brought more. Or was that somebody else's
pick we got from Colorado?) We got what we gave for Delmore, which is
fair enough. He got to show off his offensive side here more than he
did in Philly but he never learned how to think behind himself. His
whole game seemed to go towards the other team's net and his first job
is going towards ours. I am glad I've seen him step forward to take a
puck that ended up going by him (along with an opposing player)
instead of backing up for the last time on our behalf.
Hurry October!
Scott

What an unpleasant surprise! They traded my favorite Predator! IMO,
Karlis Skrastins was, along with Kimmo Timonen, the core of our
team's defense. This now leaves the Predators with only three
regular defensemen from last season - Timonen, Jason York and Mark
Eaton. (However, I am glad that Eaton's starting to get the respect
he deserves.)

I was also somewhat disappointed that they didn't offer Vitali
Yachmenev a qualifying offer; but I was kind of expecting that. I
was surprised they bought out the last year of Oleg Petrov's
contract, though.

Anyhoo, it still hasn't sunk in that Skrastins is gone. Worst of
all, he's now with my most hated team - the Avalanche. Damn you,
Patrick Roy! If he hadn't retired, maybe Colorado wouldn't have made
the deal for Skratch. ;-)

Anyhoo...

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."

>> Nashville, Tenn. (June 27, 2003) – Nashville Predators Executive
Vice President/General Manager David Poile announced today that the
club has acquired a third-round selection in the 2004 NHL Entry
Draft from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Andy Delmore.

>> "We have made the decision that our defense is an area we need to
rebuild," said Poile. "Andy has had two productive seasons in
Nashville, but we we will start the rebuilding process from within
with some of our young and promising prospects.

>> "Mark Eaton, who we just re-signed, has earned a spot," added
Poile. "Tomas Kloucek, another player we recently signed, will be
given an opportunity to make our club, and several other young
prospects, like Dan Hamhuis, Robert Schnabel, Curtis Murphy and
Andrew Hutchinson, will be in the mix." <<

Wow! I'm not too surprised that we traded Delmore, but I'm very
surprised about how little we got in return...

Who would have traded for him when he becomes a UFA on Tuesday? Why
give up something you can get for free?

--- In nashvillepredatorsclub@yahoogroups.com, "tdaviscreative"
<tdaviscreative@y...> wrote:
> Seems to me that the Preds should have packaged Hulse during the
draft
> in hopes of getting something in return. As is stands now, we may
not
> get anything if they decide not to re-sign him. This is very unlike
> the management to do this...maybe there's something that we all
don't
> know yet

Seems to me that the Preds should have packaged Hulse during the draft
in hopes of getting something in return. As is stands now, we may not
get anything if they decide not to re-sign him. This is very unlike
the management to do this...maybe there's something that we all don't
know yet

Hey Folks,
I'm a new member of the group and here's a wish for a type of player
that I would love to see in a Predatrors sweater. A 25-30 goal
scorer that skates well, plays two-way hockey, is gritty, and is a
leader on ice and off. Michael Peca was available a couple of years
ago and fit that bill well, and I believe that him or that type of
player would be be a PERFECT fit for Nashville. If Craig Leipold
would free up around $5-6 Million for David Poile to find that type
of player, would he fo it? This offseason will go a long way to
letting Predator fans know if the franchise is serious about
becoming a playoff team. I'm not saying, go after Selanne, LeClair,
or Jagr, but go after a proven player with alot left to give a team.
In regards to Ryan Suter, of what I have seen of him, he plays like
a Phil Housley who will bang a little bit. If he puts any numbers up
like Housley has over his career, he will be an outstanding Predator.

Thanks,
Chopper in Chattanooga

Well, it looks like neither Houlder nor Hulse will be back this
coming season. It will be interesting to see who takes their place.
Assuming that Timonen, Skrastins, Delmore, York and Eaton will all
be returning, and the team continues to play seven defensemen...

Tomas Kloucek has 95 NHL games under his belt... Robert Schnabel
almost made the team last season... Other possible minor-leaguers
include Dan Hamhuis, Andrew Hutchinson and Alexander Riazantsev...
We just traded for Curtis Murphy, the AHL Defenseman of the Year...
Ryan Suter and Andrei Mukhachev were just drafted... And if Ryan
Suter manages to make the team, his uncle Gary could come out of
retirement...

Some interesting possibilities!

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."

According to The Tennessean, the following players will become
unrestricted free-agents if not offered qualifying offers - Kimmo
Timonen, Andy Delmore, Andreas Johansson, Rem Murray, Denis
Pederson, Domenic Pittis, Todd Warriner, Clarke Wilm and Vitali
Yachmenev. (They also listed Mark Eaton, but he's been re-signed.)

Re-signing Timonen is a must. Along with Karlis Skrastins, Timonen
is, IMO, the core of the team's defense. I'd also consider Delmore
and Johansson to be priority signings.

Based on his pre-season play, Pederson was looking to be a good goal-
scorer for us. Unfortunately, he never seemed to find his groove
with the team, before his injury 12 games in or after his return.

Rem Murray, Vitali Yachmenev and Clarke Wilm played consistently
well for us, but didn't stand out in any way. Murray is probably
more of a disappointment in that respect. I'd hate to see Yachmenev
move on after five decent years with the team.

Despite missing most of the season with injuries, Pittis was a point
a game player in Milwaukee. I'd like to see him play a full season
in the AHL before letting him go. We didn't see enough of Warriner
to get much of a feel for him.

Anyhoo...

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."

The Predators just signed (re-signed) defensemen Mark Eaton and
Tomas Kloucek and forwards Libor Pivko and Timofei Shishkanov. I
hope the re-signing of Eaton means he's truly cemented his position
in Nashville. And I'm excited about Shishkanov. We'll see how he
fares in AHL Milwaukee, but I predict he'll become a decent
offensive producer in the NHL; hopefully soon. Great name, too!

Anyhoo...

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."

Concerning Bill Houlder and Cale Hulse, I expect to see at least one
of them returning this fall. And I'd have to say it'll be Houlder.

As it is, IMO, the foundation of our team's defense lies with Kimmo
Timonen and Karlis Skrastins. Despite his defensive shortcomings,
Andy Delmore will be staying, and Jason York earned his keep this
past season.

As usual, I'd like to see Mark Eaton claim a permanent position on
the blueline. Again, he's defensively sound and consistent; he's
dependable. (I also think he could contribute offensively if given
the opportunity.)

Robert Schnabel impressed a lot of people in training camp last
season, being the last defenseman cut. I wouldn't be surprised at
all to see him in the line-up to open 2003/2004.

I think the team is hoping for another pleasant surprise (a la
Skrastins) with Andrei Mukhachev. He's an older player (he turned 23
on draft day) who was a regular in the Russian Super League.

And Tomas Kloucek played 52 game with the Rangers two seasons ago,
so he should get some consideration as well.

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."

Holder and Hulse could both leave the Preds by July 1 if not resigned.
In my opinion, I would try to resign Hulse to a 2 year deal and let
Holder go (if he wants) or he may agree to less money and stay. Don't
think that the Preds can afford to let go of 2 seasoned D-men. If
Holder were to go, that would open up a D-man spot during training
camp which would be fantastic to see which player would step up for
this opportunity. In my opinion, the players who could:

1. Tomas Kloucek - 6 foot 3, 203
2. Peter Smrek - 6 fot 1, 215
3. Robert Schnabel - 6 foot 5, 233
4. Dan Hamhuis - 6 foot, 208
5. Andrei Mukhachev - 6-foot-4, 196 (if the Preds sign him by July 15)
6. Andrew Hutchinson - 6 foot 2, 198

Draftees not likely to make the team, but worth mentioning and
watching at Prospect Camp this week:
1. Ryan Suter (D)
2. Kevin Klein (D)

Please let me know if any of the following is incorrect...

NASHVILLE PREDATORS - 2003 N.H.L. ENTRY DRAFT

1r7
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
D Ryan Suter (U.S. National U-18)

+ 2r35
Buffalo Sabres
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [TR:Jun22/02]
F Konstantin Glazachev (RUSSIA Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)

2r37
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
D Kevin Klein (CHL/OHL Toronto St. Michael's Majors)

+ 2r49
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [compensatory]
D Shea Weber (CHL/WHL Kelowna Rockets)

3r76
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
D Richard Stehlik (CHL/QMJHL Sherbrooke Castors)

+ 3r89
Washington Capitals
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [TR:Jun22/02]
F Paul Brown (CHL/WHL Kamloops Blazers)

+ 3r92
Toronto Maple Leafs
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [TR:Jun22/02]
D Alexander Sulzer (GERMANY Hamburg)

+ 3r98
Detroit Red Wings
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [TR:Jun22/02]
F Grigory Shafigulin (RUSSIA Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)

- 4r109
Nashville Predators
Montreal Canadiens [TR:Mar03/03]
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
F Andreas Valdix (SWEDEN Malmo)

+ 4r117
Los Angeles Kings
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [TR:Mar16/02]
G Teemu Lassila (FINLAND TPS Turku)

- 4r119
Chicago Blackhawks
Nashville Predators [TR:Mar13/02]
ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS [TR:Jun22/03]
D Nathan Saunders (CHL/QMJHL Moncton Wildcats)

+ 4r133
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [compensatory]
G Rustam Sidikov (RUSSIA HC CSKA Moscow)

- 5r144
Nashville Predators
DALLAS STARS [TR:Jun29/02]
G Eero Kilpelainen (FINLAND/JR Kalpa)

- 6r174
Nashville Predators
LOS ANGELES KINGS [TR:Jun22/03]
F Esa Pirnes (FINLAND Tappara)

- 7r204
Nashville Predators
COLORADO AVALANCHE [TR:Mar11/03]
F Linus Videll (SWEDEN/JR Sodertalje)

+ 7r210
Los Angeles Kings
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [TR:Jun22/03]
D Andrei Mukhachev (RUSSIA HC CSKA)

+ 7r213
Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings
NASHVILLE PREDATORS [TR:Jun22/03]
G Miroslav Hanuljak (CZECH/JR Litvinov)

- 8r237
Nashville Predators
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS [TR:Jun30/02]
F Shaun Landolt (CHL/WHL Calgary Hitmen)

9r268
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
F Lauris Darzins (FINLAND/JR Lukko)

What a show. Score a big one for the Music City.

In light of the news Canada will alow gay marriage the Calgary
Flames announced today they will now be known as the Flamers.

nashvillefan wrote:
>
> Rob, thanks for joining the forum, and we will be happy
> to welcome you to Nashville in a couple of months.
>
> I was simply astounded at the Ducks' turn of events this
> year that landed them in the finals, and I supported them
> all the way. It was so disappointing to watch the surging
> team fall just a little bit short.

I really enjoyed Anaheim's run for the Cup... especially
since I picked them to be the dark horse team in the West
before the playoffs began. :-)

I was most disappointed for Steve Thomas and Adam Oates.
Hopefully Anaheim will continue to challenge, and not fall
apart like Carolina did.

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."

Rob, thanks for joining the forum, and we will be happy to welcome
you to Nashville in a couple of months.

I was simply astounded at the Ducks' turn of events this year that
landed them in the finals, and I supported them all the way. It was
so disappointing to watch the surging team fall just a little bit
short.

How does the Ducks' run compare to the Preds' potential? Hmmm...

> Point is if you have a great GM

Check.

> and coach

Check.

> and the team is performing well

Check.

> and ownership backs it with being able to make additions to the
team for a playoff drive

Well, 3 out of 4 ain't bad...

It probably won't happen in the upcoming season, because I'm quite
certain our owner will wait till after the new CBA to see how big a
check he will get from the large markets to pay for any necessary
talent upgrades.

But the Ducks' Cinderella story (ahem) does give us a little more
hope here in Nashville that it can happen. -NF


--- In nashvillepredatorsclub@yahoogroups.com, "Rob Williams"
<robkw@m...> wrote:
> I'm a Mighty Ducks fan living in SoCal but moving to Nashville in
August. Here is
> something to keep in mind. Two seasons ago the Ducks finished at
the bottom of the
> Western Conference,last year they finished 25 points out of the
playoff race and this
> year we went to game 7 of the Finals. Point is if you have a great
GM and coach and
> the team is performing well and ownership backs it with being able
to make additions
> to the team for a playoff drive like the Ducks did with adding
Sandis Ozolinch,Rob
> Neidermeyer,and Steve Thomas. Then anything can happen remember
all you have to
> do is make the final 8 and once that happens anything can happen.
I don't think the
> Predators are that bad of a team and could be a playoff team this
coming year. I
> would certainly love to see that.
>
> Rob