Thursday's news: Raising the curtain on the 2009-10 NHL season

Hello out there, were on the air
it's hockey night tonight!
The tension grows,
the whistle blows,
and the puck goes down the ice. - Stompin' Tom Conners, "The Hockey Song"

Finally, we're here - Opening Night of the 2009-10 NHL Regular Season. It seems like it's been a long, long summer (longer in those cities that missed out on the playoffs), but we can finally put the Jim Balsillie's and the Dany Heatley's behind us, and focus on the action.

After the jump, we've got a look at the Preds Opening Night roster, some wrap-up on the Phoenix situation, and, of course, a smattering of predictions about what the new hockey season might bring. Drop the puck, already!

Predators News

Preds On The Glass: Finishing off the Summer Business on Opening Day
Buddy kicks off the season by tap-dancing on the grave of Jim Balsillie's Phoenix gambit, and taking an exhaustive look around the blogosphere.

What's Next For The Ads? - Admirals Short Shifts
Eric lines up Milwaukee's depth chart as the Ads prepare to begin the season. With Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer sent down this week, Milwaukee boasts a pretty amazing AHL defense corps.

Nashville Predators reveal 09-10 opening night roster… | Section 303
Jeremy provides his overview of the Preds' starting roster, taking a look at the various battles and how some of them were won in surprising fashion.

Around the NHL

The REAL Story: ESPN and Their NHL Power Rankings - Hockey From the Cheap Seats
A sneak peak at how the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports comes up with its NHL rankings.

ESPN.com's Top 10 lists ... rookies, sophomores and players with something to prove
Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun with more "Top 10" NHL silliness.

For the NHL’s Sake, Let’s Hope This is The Great One-And-Done (Part 2 of 2) " Pull My (Fang)Finger
AJ takes a swing at all the Gretzky apologists portraying the Great One as a victim of undeserved criticism...

Gaffe-Prone NHLPA Stumbles Again; Hires Alan Eagleson's Friend to Criticize Kelly - Hockey Or Die!
The NHLPA keeps tripping over its own shoelaces in an attempt to manage itself.

Pat LaFontaine Q&A: Chatting with one of the best - Lighthouse Hockey
Dominik lands an interview with one of America's all-time greatest hockey players.

Seat Already Warm for Some Coaches -- NHL FanHouse
Kevin Schultz already has 3 Central Division coaches in hot water unless their teams get off to good starts, can you guess which?

Puck Daddy's 2009-10 Western Conference staff prognostications - Puck Daddy
Another day, another round of pundits calling for Nashville to fall short of the playoffs...

Keep It Classy, SooToday - Western College Hockey Blog
A Sault St. Marie Greyhound player was recently sent home from his junior team, and eventually traded. SooToday.com then crosses the line with a cheap shot at said player, running a picture alongside the article announcing his trade that nobody would want to see in print. The editorial staff at SooToday.com should be ashamed at treating an 18-year-old kid like that.

Why Balsillie went ballistic - Business - Macleans.ca
Another retelling of Jim Balsillie's obsessive drive to bring an NHL team to Hamilton, and how he's burned numerous bridges along the way.

Season Review: Jone S. Hillguere, the two-headed netmonster - Battle of California
Earl Sleek examines the most critical question facing the Anaheim Ducks this year, which goaltender is going to take charge - J.S. Giguere, or Jonas Hiller?

Pens claim Chris Bourque off waivers, lose Paul Bissonnette to Phoenix - PensBurgh
Unable to resolve their Michael Nylander headache, the Washington Capitals had to put Chris Bourque on waivers, only to see him picked up by rival Pittsburgh.

Post Panel: Answers to the 2009-10 NHL season's burning questions
The hockey writers from Canada's National Post chime in on a variety of questions to be answered this season, and include a few Predators references.