Nashville Predators and Sommet Group settle dispute, Preds free to seek new name for arena

From the Nashville Predators:

The Nashville Hockey Club Limited Partnership and Sommet Group of Tennessee, LLC announced today that an agreement has been reached under which the downtown arena will continue to be known as the Sommet Center and the hockey club will be free to pursue a new naming rights partner.

"We are pleased to resolve this dispute in the best interests of both parties, and resume our working partnership." Ed Lang, Predators President of Business Operations, and Brian Whitfield, managing partner of Sommet Group, announced in a joint statement.

Whitfield said the Sommet Group has accomplished its business objectives with the three-year agreement under which the arena was known as the Sommet Center. 

"This has been a very good investment for our company and its products and services and, while the naming rights deal has served its purpose for us, we do intend to maintain some type of partnership going forward," Whitfield said.  "We wish only the best for the Nashville Predators and the arena operation.  It is a great facility and a valuable asset to Nashville."

So... it looks like George Plaster was off by a month. This sounds less like a "kiss and make up" as a "shake hands and agree to go separate ways" arrangement.

What do you think, gang? Can we pool our pennies together and christen it "On the Forecheck Arena" "Forechecker Forum"???

For more on today's news, check out J.R. Lind's article at the Nashville Post.