Tuesday's Dump & Chase: Boomer's Close Call

Nashville Predators News

Blake Geoffrion's father: 'We're lucky that he's alive' | The Tennessean
Danny Geoffrion provides some amazing details on Boomer's injury & recovery.

Our pal Amy's family needs your help. | Woody & Jim - 107.5 The River
Please take a look at this personal view of the struggle people are facing recovering from Hurricane Sandy, and how the hometown of one local radio personality (as well as Nashville Predators prospect Anthony Bitteto) needs your help.

Hockey Night in Nashville: Preds hosting pizza party Tuesday night in Franklin
The Preds are leaking out word of pizza & surprises at A-Game tonight through a few of the local blogs.

Day in the Life of an Admiral: Jon Blum - JSOnline
Wheee... Hurricane ride!

SMASHVILLE HIT - Nashville Predators
The Preds take the intermission band stage to the next logical step, with a singing competition that anyone can enter, and an artist development deal going to the ultimate victor. You know, when we actually have games again.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Hall of Fame quartet represent the tail end of an era - The Globe and Mail
Big names like Sakic, Bure, Sundin & Oates are few and far between these days.

Gary Bettman's speech at the Hockey Hall of Fame was ... awkward - SBNation.com
Yup, he actually went ahead and spoke last night.

How great a set-up man was Adam Oates? WOWY numbers of gunners Hull, Neely, Bondra make a Hall of Fame case | Edmonton Journal
A good case for just how much Oates meant to some big-time snipers.

Lockout Lit presents: an excerpt from H.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Two Fehrs' - Lighthouse Hockey
Ah, nothing like a little riff on Grishnákh and Uglúk to put things in perspective...

Grange on CBA: Peculiar negotiation tactics - sportsnet.ca
This, to me, is the most maddening part of the impasse right now - if the owners get a relatively quick move to 50/50, it strikes me as purely vindictive for them to also demand a longer path to free agency and arbitration rights.

Spector on NHL lockout: Don't get greedy, Gary - sportsnet.ca
Three league executives contacted Monday all gave the same general answer when we asked why Gary Bettman should care how the players' money gets split up, as long as he gets them to 50-50 with the players. To a man, the three voices echoed the same sentiment (and we paraphrase): "Get rid of the back-diving contracts, because those work against the spirit of the cap. After that, player contracting rights matter very little to me."

Sabres' employees head to class during lockout - Buffalo - Business First
Well, it sounds like the Buffalo organization has found an interesting way to keep the office folks busy.

Monday's Dump & Chase: Patric Hornqvist Heads Back to Sweden

Nashville Predators News

Difs dream solicitation - Patric Hörnqvist clear - Expressen.se
Djurgårdens lands their prize, as Patric Hornqvist joins his old team on a one-month contract. He may well hit the ice later today for his new/old team.

Nashville Predators prospect adjusts to fit team's needs | The Tennessean
Josh Cooper updates us on the progress of former 1st-round pick Austin Watson, who is enjoying his first full season of AHL action.

Paul McCann - Sunday Shots - Alumni Take The Ice in Front of Packed House
Paul has photos from Friday night's festivities at A-Game.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

McKenzie: On Day 57, do you know where your CBA is? - TSN
Uncle Bob examines the NHL's recent PR assault on Don Fehr.

Contracting rights create impasse in NHL labour talks - The Globe and Mail
At least the two sides are talking, but boy, progress is exceedingly slow. James Mirtle breaks down the weekend's developments.

Sunday's Dump & Chase: Will the Players & Owners Keep Talking?

Nashville Predators News

Preds fans turn out in droves, donate $3,300 to Sandy victims… | Section 303
It sounds like a good time was had by all last night at A-Game for the Preds vs. Blues Alumni Game.

Jeremy Smith: A Pitcher with No Run Support | The Predatorial
This sounds similar to Pekka Rinne's start last season...

Milwaukee beats Beach-less Hogs 4-2 | Admirals Roundtable
The Admirals are on a roll!

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

The final hurdles in NHL talks | Hockey | CBC Sports
Elliotte Friedman drops a well-placed ColecoVision reference. Hey, I dug that old thing!

Larry Brooks: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman not willing to withdraw any of proposed changes to players’ contract rights - NYPOST.com
The initial part of Brooks' column is interesting (how the demands of the owners haven't changed much), but the rest is petulant big-market whining.

Allen: NHL must negotiate with Fehr, not attack him - USA Today
Is Don Fehr the NHLPA's Jordin Tootoo?

NHL's owners, players must put anger aside and get back to the table | StarTribune.com
Will the sour mood from Friday carry over into future sessions?

The Quiet Room: Blake Geoffrion | Backhand Shelf
Jo always has fantastic background information on hockey injuries, and here she breaks down the type of skull fracture Boomer suffered (for the latest updates on his progress, check our friends in Montreal).

Reading Royals go super patriotic, Toledo Walleye honor Captain America with special Veterans Day jerseys (PHOTOS) | Puck Daddy
The Toledo Walleye instantly jump to the top of the Best Hockey Jersey Ever heap. Incredible!

First Time Wreck: Game 5 – It Gets Better | Jerseys and Hockey Love
Congrats to James on his first rec-league goal, that's one you never forget!

Saturday's Dump & Chase: Admirals Bombard Chicago

Nashville Predators News

Milwaukee offense shells Lack, Climie in 7-4 win | Admirals Roundtable
The Admirals loaded up the highlight reel last night, so here we go:

AHL Chicago Wolves at Milwaukee Admirals
More Hockey

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Fetisov's global plan for KHL could shake up NHL - Toronto Sun
Slava Fetisov has pretty grand ambitions. The only NHL jersey I own with a player's name & number bears his #2 from his days in Detroit.

Even with locked-out NHL stars, KHL still a mess - The Globe and Mail
Then again, the KHL has much work to do before trying to take over the world.

Kontinental Hockey League - Official Website - YouTube as Litmus Test
Hey, but at least the KHL is big on YouTube.

Gloves are off in NHL labour talks | Hockey | CBC Sports
There was a whole lot of petty nonsense thrown around last evening, with "sources" alleging that Donald Fehr isn't openly communicating with the players (which is hard to believe, since players are in the negotiations with him). Either way, yesterday wasn't a good one for the talks, and it appears there will be more posturing and delay in the hope that time causes one side or the other to crack.

Putting error bars on NHL equivalencies | NHLNumbers.com
What we really need is a Wave Equation for hockey players...

Gone But Not Forgotten: NHL's Atlanta Flames - Litter Box Cats
The very first NHL game I saw live featured the Atlanta Flames & Detroit Red Wings, so here's a retrospective.

How Backhand Shelf’s editor would coach a pro hockey team | Backhand Shelf
I would just bark like Peter Horachek - "no more fancy dancin', shoot the puck!"

NHL figures and their Pokemon counterparts | Backhand Shelf
I'm guessing maybe my kids can explain this one to me.

Nate Silver's broken the TV ceiling for statistics people in politics, but will sports networks follow suit? - Awful Announcing
I'm going to guess "no". I know I, and a few other folks, dig the insight which advanced stats offer into sports, but most folks couldn't care less.

Hurricane Sandy Supply Drive Hosted at Bridgestone Arena This Weekend

Please consult the following list for items that are needed for the relief effort, and consider stopping by to help the cause.

Hurricane Sandy Supply Drive Needs

Cleaning supplies

Bleach

Work gloves

Contractor garbage bags

Tools

Warm gloves

Hats

Packaged underwear

socks

GENERATORS

Fuel

Children’s books

School supplies

Personal hygiene supplies

Diapers

Baby food (no glass)

Baby formula

Plastic baby bottles

New toys

Coffee

Sternos

Sugar

Cardboard boxes

Bowls with lids

Paper plates

Hamburger and hot dog rolls

Emergency packs

Cleaning supplies

Sliced cheese

Breakfast foods

Mashed potato mix

Heavy mens gloves

Raincoats

Mens rain boots

Salt for roads

Hats

Non-perishable foods

Pet food, especially wet can food for cats

Only new packaged clothes

Cleaning supplies, especially bleach

Socks

Heavy duty work gloves

Hand/Toe Warmers

New Crew Socks

New Boxer briefs

Hand Sanitizer

Fruit

Power Bars

Energy Drinks

Gatorade

Foot Powder

Tarps

Rubbermaid Bins

Cardboard boxes

Packing Tape

Sharpies

Razors

Hot Food/Large Containers of already made coffee/Baked Goods

Surge Protectors

3 volt Lithium Batteries

D batteries

4X4

Rolled Gauze

Sterile Water

Saline

Latex Gloves

Stethoscopes

Blood Pressure Cuffs

Bandaids

Tongue Depressors

Glucose Tubes

Comp Pads

Occlusive Dressings

Ice Packs

Heat Packs

Nasal Canulas

Non Rebreather Masks – Adult, Child, Infant Sizes

Comp Tubes

Sheets (for Stretcher)

Blankets (for Stretchers) – Hospital Blankets

Pillows (for Stretcher)

Oxygen Tanks

Splints – Various Sizes

Cravats

Alcohol Prep Pads

Pulse Oxometer

Backboards

DeFib

Suction Machine

Hospital Grade Disinfectant wipes

Tape

Infant Seat

Nasal Airways – All Sizes & Lubricant

OPA’s – All Sizes (Oral Airway)

Valve Bag Masks – Adult, Child, Infant Sizes

Scissors

Spider Straps or Quick Clips

Head Blocks & Immobilizing Straps

Neck Collars

Batteries

Cleaning supplies

Air mattresses

Friday's Dump & Chase: Rockets Reunited

Nashville Predators News

Defenseman brings toughness to Predators - The Tennessean
While reading this I hear the Jetson's theme music... Meet Scott Hannan!

NHL wants 64-game schedule if new CBA is reached quickly - Nashville Predators Examiner
A conference-only schedule starting in early December? It's better than nothing, I suppose.

Nashville Jr. Preds U12 Elite Team To Play In The World Championship Of Peewee Hockey - Nashville Predators
Look, it's nice that people want to send their kids to Quebec to play in a peewee tournament, but for me it really underscores the financial barrier that prevents many kids from playing the sport in the first place.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

'04-'05 NHL Lockout Enters Ninth Year | The Onion
Ouch!

NHL, NHLPA avoid meltdown in negotiations - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN
They're still talking, so we'll take it.

NHL players to get rid of if the CBA allows for amnesty buyouts - National Post
If teams get to walk away from a contract as part of the new CBA, who might the Preds choose? I doubt it would be SK74, since they just signed him to his deal.

Pass or Fail: AHL Rockford IceHogs’ Mexican fiesta Los IceHogs jerseys | Puck Daddy
Put your sunglasses on before clicking this one.

How Often Does Rebuilding Work? | NHLNumbers.com
The line for Columbus in the table here is just sad.

HockeyAnalysis.com " Using goalies to estimate zone start impact on corsi
An interesting approach to the zone start question, but I have trouble buying the idea that we should just ignore the first 10 seconds after each faceoff.

Revenue Sharing, Playoffs, and the Nashville Predators

Players Want More Money in the Pot, and So Should Nashville

The easiest point to grab onto is that the NHLPA wants to see an increase in the overall level of revenue sharing, $260 million as compared to $150 million from last season. The owners have proposed going up to $200 million, but just adding $50 million may not make much of a difference to teams which currently receive a handout, because it seems very likely that new teams will be added to the mix such as the Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and Anaheim Ducks.

Under the now-expired CBA, teams in the largest media markets were excluded from receiving revenue sharing funds, but that restriction is likely to be done away with. So if the owners simply toss $50 million more into the pot, the bulk of that could get soaked up by the four teams mentioned above, leaving the current beneficiaries right where they were before.

The High Cost of Making the Playoffs

Mirtle then goes on to explain how the funding model which generates those revenue sharing funds is also open to debate, and this is where things get interesting for a team like the Nashville Predators:

If you look at the details of the NHL's last proposal, it spells out that "at least 50% of the revenue sharing pool will be funded by the Top 10 revenue grossing teams."

What's interesting is that it then goes onto say that "the remainder of the revenue sharing pool will be funded from league- and playoff-generated revenues," which is similar to how this part of the agreement functioned in the last CBA.

What the players' side doesn't like about this is that you run into a situation where a team like Phoenix, which loses a bundle, has to contribute more and more money to the revenue sharing pool when it does well on the ice.

--- James Mirtle, Globe & Mail

The way this worked under the 2005 CBA was that teams would calculate a value for a "theoretical, fully-priced, sold-out regular season game" for that season, and depending on where your team ranks in revenues earned for that season, you would pay a percentage of that figure for each home game held during the playoffs.

Under this model, a Top 10 revenue earner would pay 50% of that figure for each home game, a Middle 10 team would pay 40%, and a Bottom 10 (such as the Preds assuredly are) would pay 30%. Based on ticket sales information I've received from the Metro Sports Authority, I'd put a rough estimate of $900,000 for such a theoretical sold-out game (there was a game last year which netted $886K after taxes & fees, with about 333 tickets "comped").

Based on that figure, the Preds had to pay about $1.35 million (5 home games x $900K x 30%) into the revenue sharing pool based on their playoff success, making for a significant financial headwind for a team trying to push past the break-even point with a post-season run.

If the lower-revenue teams were exempted from having to make those payments into the fund, where might that money come from? Let's get back to Mirtle:

How would this be fixed? Well what Fehr is arguing in those meetings this week is that all that new money to the owners that's generated by cutting the players' share from 57 to 50 per cent should be used on this program.

The rough math on how much that is? Just take 7 per cent of last year's $3.3-billion ($230-million) and you've got an idea how much more the owners may be putting into their jeans each season in a new agreement.

So, the NHL wants to increase revenue sharing by $50-million but take roughly $230-million from the players in doing so?

And that figure rises as league revenues do.

You see the problem.

This has been a tenet of the NHLPA's position all along - that if they are going to give back on salary, much of that money should go towards revenue sharing, and help the financially struggling teams. They've been willing to yield ground for the benefit of Nashville, Florida, Carolina, etc., but see no reason why they should take a cut just so teams like Toronto, Philadelphia, and Boston should fatten up.

Will they succeed? Who knows, but this aspect of the CBA negotiations is worth special attention here in Nashville.