Thursday's notes: Honoring Veteran's Day

We here at OtF want to recognize the sacrifice made by members of the armed forces and their families to make possible our comfortable lives in the U.S. I'd like to draw your attention to a charity we've featured here before, Not Alone, which provides "provides programs and services for warriors and families impacted by combat stress and PTSD. " Please consider making a donation to Not Alone today, and help our veterans cope with the day-to-day struggles which can continue long after they come home from the battlefield.

In the meantime, follow after the jump for salutes to our military from around the hockey world, starting, of course, here in Nashville...

The Preds return to Bridgestone Arena Saturday against the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, so take advantage of the OtF discount and save money on Nashville Predators tickets for this, or any other home game. 

Nashville Predators News

The View from 111: Standing in the Breach
Mark paints an inspiring picture of the commitment to duty that makes the military so essential to our continued peace and prosperity.

A Veteran’s Day message - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond reminds us that especially on this day, it's a good idea to reserve the language of war for actual soldiers, not athletes.

Paul McCann - Veteran's Day Game Night
While recapping last night's SlapShot Radio podcast and looking ahead to tonight's game, Paul also thanks the members of his family who have served our country.

SlapShot Radio - Podcasts
You'll want to catch last night's super-sized show, a tribute to the greatest hockey movie ever made.

Game Preview #14: Predators Play St. Louis In Central Division Showdown - Predlines
Should I be concerned that the lead question here is "Will the offensive potential of Marcel Goc, Jordin Tootoo and Sergei Kostitsyn live up to expectations?" Among those three guys the best career year belongs to Goc, with 30 points. No wonder the Preds are desperate for scoring right now.

Preds On The Glass: Preds and Blues Both Hope to Bounce Back Tonight and Thursday Thoughts
Buddy looks ahead to a battle between two battered teams tonight.

section303.com’s 303:30 nominated for Best Podcast… | Section 303
Congrats to Jeremy & Codey, who are up for an AIR Award for best local podcast.

Hockey Night in Nashville: Blues Get Hammered;Thursday Thoughts
Robby reconsiders his "must win" assessment of tonight's game. It is great to see people so emotionally charged up early in the campaign, though.

Nashville Predators' intensity runs high vs. St. Louis Blues - The Tennessean
Josh Cooper writes of the nastiness in the two previous games between these division rivals, and what it means for tonight.

Tough times and an 'Entourage' moment - Predators Insider
Colin Wilson's latest blog covers what he needs to do to earn ice time, and how he met up with an actor on the West Coast.

To keep up with all of our coverage of the Nashville Predators, you can follow us on Twitter (@Forechecker, @predatweeter, @SLakePreds & @AdsRoundtable) and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at the.forechecker@gmail.com.

Around the NHL

Where the words mean most | Habs Inside/Out
In case you wonder why so many Canadians wear poppies on their lapel in the leadup to today (called Remembrance Day up there, but basically the same as our Veteran's Day), here's your answer.

Greatest Hockey Legends.com: War And Hockey History
Joe Pelletier highlights two NHL players who died during World War II.

Remembering Canadiens and Bruins 1940's Wartime Support Efforts - Habs Eyes On The Prize
When a Montreal blogger reaches across the divide to commemorate the Bruins, you know it's a special day.

Hobey Baker: Princeton hockey star, decorated American pilot | Hockey Independent
A fitting Veteran's Day remembrance of an early hockey star who also served as a pilot in World War I.

Versus adds to its NHL, hockey coverage - USATODAY.com
Versus is adding a new one-hour hockey show on Monday to Thursday nights at 10:00 Central. Replacing Jenn Sterger with hockey talk? Maybe the NHL is moving up in the world, after all.

Introducing Sochi and Hockey Arena That Will Host 2014 Winter Olympics - Fear The Fin
Very cool stuff here to get you thinking ahead to the next Winter Olympic Games.

2010-11 International Season Kicks Off - Puck Worlds
It's tourney time across the pond...

Savard to join Bruins for practice - Boston Globe hockey news
As he recovers from a concussion suffered last March, Marc Savard is still estimated at 6-8 weeks from returning to the Boston lineup. This serves as a cautionary tale for just how long these injuries can keep guys (like Matthew Lombardi) out.

Turf Wars: Jackets, Blues Clash Off Ice (Puck-Rakers Blog)
Scandal! Apparently there was a brouhaha last night before the St. Louis/Columbus game when R.J. Umberger trod too closely to the Blues' pre-game soccer scrum. Oh, the calamity!

Peter Forsberg will attempt new NHL comeback | All Things Avs
What? This isn't April 1!

And lastly, the highlight of the night has to go to Ilya Kovalchuk in New Jersey, as he faced a must-score shootout attempt. Ouch...