Wednesday's news: A night on the town with the Preds - do it for the children!

by Dirk Hoag on Aug 25, 2010 10:36 AM EDT

The Nashville hockey community let out a huge sigh of relief with yesterday's news of the Patric Hornqvist signing, so with the roster almost complete we can start looking ahead to training camp, which is just 3 weeks away.

After the jump we've got a great way for Preds fans to save some money while helping local schools, reports from the World Hockey Summit, and what is surely the worst selection in Puck Daddy's "Mt. Puckmore" series so far...

Over the last few weeks kids around Middle Tennessee have been heading back to school, and that means that school fundraisers are coming around as well. There's one in particular that I'd recommend Predators fans keep an eye out for, the Nashville City Saver book. For $25, you get coupons and discounts from hundreds of businesses in the area, and this year, the Predators are included as well.

On page 279 are two Preds coupons. One is a "buy one, get one free" for Goal Zone seats ($31), offered for any one of 8 specific home games. Also, there's one for a free hot dog & soda with the purchase of a regularly priced ticket. Right there, you've already saved enough to pay for the book in the first place.

You'll also find offers from some of the places featured in our discussion of best places to go in Nashville before and after a Preds game. Otter's Chicken, for example, is in there, as well as McFadden's. If you like to grab a bite on your way to a hockey game, there are tons of "buy one, get one free" options available.

In the interest of full disclosure I was sent one of these books and asked to help get the word out, but I've bought them in the past. They're a great bargain, particularly for couples & families.

Predators News

Patric Hornqvist thrilled to stay in Nashville for three more seasons - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond spoke with Hornqvist shortly after his new deal was announced.

Preds and Zanies team up for "Bumps & Bruises" encore… | Section 303
By all reports this was a dynamite evening last year, so mark September 26 on your calendar and get ready for a fun night of hockey humor.

Paul McCann - Hornqvist and Random Notes
Paul has a variety of links up this morning, including one on former Pred defenseman Bob Boughner.

Preds On The Glass: Predators Almost Ready for Camp with Hornqvist Signing
Buddy has his morning links up, which includes his appearance on RLD Radio.

Red Light District: Fantasy Top 5: Breakout Players
Ryan pegs a Pred for one of the top candidates to make an impact this year.

Central Division Shakedown - Predlines
I think it's safe to say that the Preds had the best signing in the Central this week (unless you count Chicago catapulting Cristobal Huet and his contract across the Atlantic).

Around the NHL

Reports: Devils and Kovalchuk need to go back to work again - Fire & Ice
New Jersey is still having trouble getting a Kovalchuk deal approved by the NHL, at least one they can fit within the salary cap.

Mount Puckmore: The four faces of the New York Rangers - Puck Daddy
For anyone who took issue with my selections for the Nashville version of Mt. Puckmore, you ought to see this one. The Jaromir Jagr selection might be the worst in this entire series.

Pro Athletes' Tweets Give PR Staff Nightmares - SB Nation Tampa Bay
Clark Brooks has no problem calling out Dan Ellis for his over-the-top Twittering from last week. Patting yourself on the back is one thing, but ridiculing the fans who pay your lofty salary is another thing entirely.

Down Goes Brown: Should the NHL keep going to the Olympics?
DGB gets into the pros and cons of sending your favorite stars to the Winter Games. I like "Pro: Russian players were humiliated in a blowout loss to Canada in Vancouver; in 2014, it's only fair that they get a chance to be humiliated by the Canadians in front of their home fans, too."

Top 10 moments, trends, complaints about World Hockey Summit - Puck Daddy
Greg checks in from Toronto with his view of the proceedings.

IIHF president Fasel lays smack down on NHL Europe expansion - Puck Daddy
Since when has the IIHF's Rene Fasel actually mattered to anyone? The NHL and KHL are the heavy hitters on today's hockey scene.

Cox: Summit turns deaf ear to NCAA - thestar.com
The World Hockey Summit didn't have room to invite a representative from the US collegiate ranks? Bad, bad form.

European Power Play - Puck Worlds
If the NCAA were there, they'd probably agree with the European federations which complain about Canadian junior hockey taking too many of their players.

Low risk, high reward for Canucks in Raffi Torres signing - Puck Daddy
A good, bargain signing for Vancouver with lots of upside here.

A return to San Jose for Owen Nolan? It's possible, and why it makes sense for the Sharks - Fear The Fin
Do the Sharks really need the old graybeard?

Chris Mason, Marty Turco among NHL's top five free agent bargains - SI.com
Allan Muir opens up the mailbag, and I wholeheartedly agree with his take on Sergei Kostitsyn.

The Rink Episode 64 Part 2: Classic All Over | The Rink Podcast
Another fine hockey podcast to get you through the workday.

Canes Now - Aaron Ward announces retirement
This guy was fun to watch in college, as he and Chris Tamer used to brutalize opponents at Michigan.

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World Hockey Summit

NHL.com has articles about the World Hockey Summit, with a focus today on youth hockey – interesting read. The article brings up the point that per USA Hockey, 44% of USA Hockey youth players stop playing the game before they reach the age of nine. The article focuses that the game isn’t fun anymore for the kids – and while this is a valid concern – they just mention that the expense is also a factor – but don’t expand on that point. Truly, I think that cost is a LARGE factor – I don’t know about other youth hockey leagues, but the increase in costs from Termite to Mite rankings may be a very large factor for most families, considering the fee increase alone, not to mention the cost of equipment for those growing children.

by XVIII on Aug 25, 2010 11:28 AM EDT reply actions

The cost factor is huge

I got one of my sons into the game with the GOAL program and some clinics during the summer two years ago, but we just couldn’t pony up for the leagues. It absolutely kills me as a father, because I’d love to give him that opportunity, but it’s just too expensive, about $1000 for the league and that’s before equipment and other costs.

He can play baseball for about 10% of that figure.

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Aug 25, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

i just signed my son up for this upcoming GOAL program. After that, he can play a season of Termite – from what I see, those fees are about what they are for football. But that jump to Mite is a killer – too bad we don’t have frozen ponds here in middle TN during the winter where kids can play pickup games like I used to when I was a kid in PA. Maybe – just maybe, if Jeff Cogan can get those, how does he put it, fan factories, in place in the next few years the costs can be a bit more affordable.

by XVIII on Aug 25, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Do these leagues not have fundraising opportunities for families that don’t have the means to pay the full tuition?

by Predaceous on Aug 25, 2010 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t know if there are fund raisers or not. However, the point I’m trying to make is that youth sports are recreational. Comparing other youth sports, say, soccer, baseball, basketball or even football for that matter, the cost for youth hockey is higher than those other sports mentioned – league fees alone are higher, and then you also have to factor in the equipment costs. For an average middle class family that probably would not qualify for any fundraising opportunities anyway, the cost is too high.

by XVIII on Aug 25, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions