Thursday's notes: Chicago celebrates, Nashville ponders

First off, to both congratulate the Chicago Blackhawks and celebrate the awarding of the Stanley Cup, you have to check out this audio montage of the Hawks' playoff run put together by Crazy Charlie from The Thom Abraham Show. Great stuff here...

Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Championship Montage

And now, on to your morning hockey news. While it's party time in Chicago, the Nashville Predators have much to consider regarding their roster this summer...

We're getting close to Father's Day, so here's another Nashville Predators-related idea to help celebrate. How about a Nashville Predators spare tire cover? What better way to cover up that spare on the back of his SUV than with the Preds' logo?

Predators News

Preds On The Glass: Hawks Win the Cup, Toews Passes It to Hossa, and Thursday Thoughts
Buddy sums up the Cup finale, and the coverage afterward.

Tootoo at home - Northern News Service
Upon returning home to Rankin Inlet, Jordin Tootoo announced that he's sponsoring an annual award which provides for a student to fly to Edmonton for an upcoming Predators-Oilers game, including a pass into the Preds dressing room to meet the team.

The Hockey News: THN.com Top 10: Best NHL free agents
John Grigg doesn't have Dan Hamhuis in his Top 10, which calls his entire list into question. Dan Ellis checks in, however...

Hamhuis prepares for free agency, has considered Vancouver - The White Towel
The Canucks could certainly use Hammer's steady two-way play, and he is a B.C. native, after all.

Paul McCann - A Look Ahead... D-Men and Goalies
Paul looks at who's here, who's likely to leave, and where the Preds might go in the draft.

"We Are Nashville" Flood Relief Benefit | Section 303
Patten is organizing a fund-raiser at the Red Rooster in Nashville for next week, so check it out!

Around the NHL

Next Questions for Blackhawks: One-Shot Wonder or Dynasty in the Making? - The Grinder
Craig Custance asks the obvious question. Given the salary cap issues they face, I'll go with "one-shot wonder".

How to conquer a 49 year Stanley Cup drought - The long, painful, and occasionally illustrious history of the Chicago Blackhawks - Habs Eyes On The Prize
Wow, 49 years is a loooooooong time!

Jeremy Roenick is a terrific ambassador for the game of hockey, a legendary player, owns a colorful... - Die By The Blade
In case you missed it last night, this video speaks volumes about how much the players care about winning the Stanley Cup.

Blackhawks Lift Stanley Cup Outside the Box - PuckUpdate
Steven Ovadia discusses the lousy goaltending in this Stanley Cup Final, and how it led to some pretty exciting action.

Congrats To The Chicago Blackhawks....Now The Vultures Circle - PensBurgh
SB Nation's Pittsburgh blog is already casting a covetous eye at some of Chicago's upcoming free agents.

The Ducks Will Pick 29th - Anaheim Calling
Since the Ducks have Philadelphia's 1st-round pick this year, they've been hurt somewhat by the Flyers' run to the Cup Final. The Cup winner automatically picks 30th, and the runner-up goes 29th.

Down Goes Brown: Things to do now that the NHL season is over
"Buy an expensive bottle of wine, light a few candles, cook a romantic meal, and eat it alone in the dark after realizing your spouse left you two months ago."

Junior Hockey 101: Structure - Raw Charge
A good idea heading into the NHL Draft coverage - for any of you unfamiliar with how junior hockey is set up in Canada, here's a quick and handy guide. It's the #1 source of NHL talent, so take a look.

Cheechoo expects a buyout - Silver Seven
There was some discussion on the @PredFans Twitter group last night about whether Jonathan Cheechoo might make a good acquisition for Nashville, a sniper who has fallen on hard times. Personally, I really doubt there's significant value there...

The face behind @NHL, and how she's rewriting the book on social media engagement | ZDNet
A peek behind the scenes of the NHL's social media activities (hat tip to Kukla's Korner).

Puckarinen " Euro League IV: A new hope
Interesting developments are coming out of Europe, where a new super-league might rival the KHL.

Rob Blake retire - All Things Avs
The big defenseman who won a Stanley Cup in Colorado is hanging up the skates, leaving a big void for the San Jose Sharks on the blueline.

SB Nation CEO on how we’re fans of teams, not sports, T.V. shows, not T.V., and what that means for news " Nieman Journalism Lab
This blog from Harvard discusses the rollout of the SB Nation local sites (i.e., SBN Detroit), and what lessons it might hold for other forms of media.

Lastly, what better way to wrap up the NHL season than with CBC's playoff montage? Well, except for the fact that the folks at the CBC didn't seem fit to give the Preds' more than a 2-second clip of giving up a goal (boooooooooo...):