Welcome New OTF Staff!

We’ve got some new staff on board here at OTF!

After posting a want ad a few weeks ago, we were overwhelmed with the amount of super talented folks that want to be a part of the crew. It took some time to go through all the applicants, but after scrutinizing our choices and making some tough decisions, we are pleased to announce 14 new hires!

Current staff includes myself, Marya, Bobby, and Hayley, with a host of other folks who contribute content when they can: Caroline, Link, Bryant, and Dan.

But enough about the oldies, here’s a little about the newbies, in order of the roles they will play.

Dump & Chase Contributors

If you’ve visited in the last few days, you’ve probably already seen a few of these folks. They will be helping bring you juicy links and even juicier commentary on those links.

Tucker Batson: Tucker is a big time movie-goer, who claims that Goodfellas is the best movie of all-time (dont @ him). He hails from Old Hickory. His favorite hockey moments are “anytime we’ve eliminated the Ducks” so he has exactly three favorite hockey moments.

Ben Sundock: A Nashvillian! Ben has been a Preds fan for his whole life, having attended at least one playoff game every season since that fateful 2003-04 season.

Laura C: All the way up in Louisville, KY, Laura has been a Preds fan since the plaza drive. She claims to be a lifetime Penguins fan, though her favorite hockey moment is the 3OT game from 2016... so, I think we know the truth. She likes Gone With The Wind, Bon Jovi, animated stuff, the Cincinnati Fountain Square, and the 80s.

George Woodard: George is from Bowling Green and he is a recovering OTF commenter. His hobbies are reading and bingeing television shows like Breaking Bad. He is a big fan of 90s grunge and his favorite hockey moment is when the Preds clinched a visit to the Cup Final this year. SMELLS LIKE PREDS SPIRIT TO ME.

Shaun Smith: Shaun grew up in rural Kentucky, but now lives in Murfreesboro. Over the years he grew more and more interested in hockey, but he has always had an interest in writing. He teaches high school english (eeeek... been there done that) and loves learning more about the sport every day.

Gameday Contributors

You may not hear from these folks for a while, but they will be here. They will primarily be helping with gameday coverage, previewing and recapping games during the season.

Nick Frias: Nick lives in Atlanta and, when he’s not writing about hockey, studies journalism at ASU. His favorite team is the Perds, but his favorite hockey moment is when Jaromir Jagr swept the Thrashers in their only playoff series as a team.

(Jagr had seven points in four games, including the empty-netter seen above)

Corey Adams: Hey! Another Nashvillian! Corey’s favorite hockey moment was Game 6 of the 2017 Western Conference Final. He’s also a fan of Luke Combs, though I can’t say I am familiar. Regardless it’s nice to have a fellow Nashville resident among the group.

Carson Cashion: Carson lives in Orlando and plays the trumpet. Neat! His favorite hockey moment was Mike Fisher’s OT winner against the Sharks and he enjoys the dulcet tones of Childish Gambino. Don’t we all!

Rachel K: Another (almost) Nashvillian! Rachel lives in Fairview and enjoys running and reading, though presumably not at the same time. Her favorite hockey moment is either Viktor Arvidsson’s OT goal or Kevin Fiala’s OT goal—both playoff game winners. She’s a big Harry Potter fan and she likes NPR and Grey’s Anatomy.

Staff Writers

These folks are ready to bring you some of the best hockey commentary and analysis you’ve ever seen. All of them have incredible talent to go with a sincere desire to bring you the best Predators coverage in the business.

Kate R: You’ve actually already seen Kate’s work so far, it’s great stuff. But we never really had a formal introduction for her, so here it goes:

Kate lives in Tucson, AZ and is theoretically writing a novel. She has a desk job with a long commute and a cat with a presumably short commute. She is a Preds fan, though she occasionally roots for the Caps and Sharks. One of her favorite hockey moments is Calle Järnkrok's shorthanded goal to win OT last season against the Canucks. She enjoys Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Chris Brooks: Chris is a former sports writer for the Tennessean and USA Today, and is a long time member of OTF. He will be helping out with our gameday coverage, including covering the games at Bridgestone. His favorite hockey moment is Game 6 of the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinal, when the Preds beat the Ducks the first time. He likes to play golf and his favorite movie is Blazing Saddles. “Send a wire to the main office and tell ‘em that I said ‘Ow’”

Brooks Jones: OTF now stretches from coast to coast, y’all. Brooks comes to us from Los Angeles, CA. When he’s not doing yoga, eating vegan food, and making music, he’s writing about hockey (no really, that’s what he says he does— I didn’t just Google “things they do in California”). He was there to witness Wayne Gretzky record five assists against the Predators in 1999. Brooks used to write for PredLines, but he will now bring in-depth analysis and commentary to OTF.

Bryan Edwards: Bryan lives in Murray, KY, where he covers Murray State University Athletics for the Murray State News, both as a writer and as a play-by-play announcer. He will be helping provide feature stories on players and coaches, maybe even nab an interview or two. His favorite hockey moments are numerous, but Colton Sissons’ hat-trick to clinch the Western Conference Final is among them.

Eric Dunay: Eric lives in Syracuse, NY and he will lead our draft/prospect coverage. He drives a Zamboni in his free time. While the Preds are his #1 hockey team, he also roots for Kolner Haie (of German DEL) and Gatineau Olympiques (of the QMJHL). His favorite hockey moment is getting a puck signed by Jaromir Jagr & Mario Lemieux back when his cousin dated Craig Patrick's son. He also can’t stop listening to Lorde's new album.

Wrap-up

There are a few folks that will have more minor roles on the site, but I feel the need to mention them. Ryan Troskot (AngryPredsFan) has already helped provide great insight into the Preds draft prospects. He provided us with this wonderful draft recap and grade of the Predators 2017 class, among other great work. He will work closely with Eric, letting us know who the next great Preds star will be. Alex Eichner, Shaee Flatt, and Bo Kennedy will provide content from time to time, depending on schedules and context. I can tell you this: they are all three great writers and will not disappoint.

Finally, Hunter Hatfield, aka pacatrue, will always be ready to give you #fancystats in a very digestible and meaningful way. He will be here, occasionally dropping truth bombs like this: “If I shoot the puck 10 times and score 1 goal, but you shoot the puck 10 times and score 2 goals, your shots are better than mine.”

This is all in addition to the people who make OTF the thriving tableau of Predators fandom that it is. Yes, I am talking about YOU, dear reader and commenter. Without you, this place flat out stinks. The good content-generators of OTF, new and old, are here to give you a platform to dance on.

So dance away.