Let's make an OTF T-Shirt store together

A couple days ago in one of the comment threads some folks were asking about t-shirts related to OTF, and I've got some good news and bad news on that front.

The bad news? Our old store is no longer in service.

The good news? We can make something MUCH, MUCH BETTER, and if you've got the creative chops to help make it happen, you can make a buck or two along the way, too.

How It Works

We're going to partner up with Spreadshirt.com, a site which allows you to create designs for t-shirts, polos, and all other sorts of apparel and accessories. I've set up a store for OTF in there (http://ontheforecheck.spreadshirt.com/), but so far there's only one product in there, a hack job that I put together of a woman's t-shirt that says "Hey Philly, Match This!".

Why does it look so awful?

Because I have absolutely positively no talent for visual design!

That's where you come in.

With Spreadshirt.com, you can set up your own account, create designs, and place them in their Marketplace. When you do so, you can specify a Design Commission that gets added to the cost of each shirt. I can then select those for inclusion in the OTF Store which will be featured in the sidebar of the site here, and if someone buys a shirt with your design, that commission goes into your account!

Do's and Don'ts

For a tip on color usage, here's a JPG of the current Nashville Predators' logos which you can use as a color guide. NOTE: I can't place any items in the OTF store that contain the official team logo, that's a violation of their trademark & copyright. You can reference those for what colors to use, though.

Want more inspiration? Check out what the gang over at Broad Street Hockey have done, there's some pretty cool stuff in there.

So what are you waiting for? Let's get some good ideas going here... and when you've got a design ready to go, please email me at the.forechecker@gmail.com, so I can check it out. There's no guarantee that every entry will go into the OTF Store, I'd like to make sure we have the best of the best in here.

I know we have some incredibly creative and talented folks in here, so get to work!

NHL Center Ice and the threat of a 2012 lockout

With the threat of a lockout looming ever larger on the horizon for hockey fans, there has been some consideration as to what measures us everyday folks can do to make our voice heard in this squabble between millionaires and billionaires over how to divide their ever-growing pile of lucre.

Should we stop buying tickets? It's now too late for just about anyone who has already renewed their season ticket plans.

Well then, what about TV coverage? One idea that came to mind today was NHL Center Ice, the package which allows you to see a zillion out-of-market games over the course of the season. When I got married back in 1998 and left the state of Michigan, my sole condition for moving to Indiana was that we get satellite TV and the hockey package, so I could satisfy my NHL fix. I've had it ever since, and love it - just not enough to pay for it while no games are going on!

I thought to myself, "I should cancel my package before the automated payments start kicking in, and wait until this whole mess blows over". So I logged into my DirecTV account, and found the following message (emphasis mine)...

This is your first renewal notification for 2012-13 NHL® CENTER ICE®. Because of the potential NHL labor dispute, you will not be charged until there is a confirmed season start date*. This assures that you will not pay for any missed games. Once a settlement is reached, you will begin to see a charge** for NHL® CENTER ICE® and will be set to enjoy another exciting season. If you wish to cancel, you must do so before the season starts; refunds not available after the season starts. *Season currently scheduled to start on 10/10/12 but is subject to change pending the outcome of a new NHL agreement **2012-13 renewal price is 4 payments of $42.95/month. Should there be a delay in the season and games are missed, the price will be adjusted accordingly. This amount will appear on your bill once an agreement has been made.

Follow @Forechecker

I have to say, I'm fairly impressed by this stance (I believe they may have handled this in a similar fashion back in 2004, but still, kudos). It certainly stands in stark comparison to the NHL teams themselves, which are out there furiously selling tickets these days. I just renewed my 12-game pack recently, but made sure only to go for one game in October, given the likelihood that those games might get cancelled.

Now, I found this notice on my DirecTV bill, but what about any of you who subscribe to NHL Center Ice on other outlets? It might be worth checking with your provider...

Milwaukee Admirals announce signing of Foss & Hetényi

The following just came across the wire from Milwaukee:

The Milwaukee Admirals announced today that they have signed defenseman Jeff Foss and goaltender Zoltán Hetényi to American Hockey League contracts.

Foss returns to Milwaukee for his second professional season after splitting the 2010-11 campaign between the Admirals and Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. Last year the Moorhead, MN native posted an assist and 32 penalty minutes in 28 games with the Ads and also skated in a pair of playoff contests. A 2011 R.P.I. graduate, Foss skated in 11 games with the Cyclones, recording an assist, four penalty minutes and +5 rating.

Hetényi, a native of Budapest, Hungary, will make his North American professional debut his year. He began last season with Jokerit of SM-ligga in Finland where he notched a 1.75 goals against average and a .936 save percentage in seven games before being loaned to Kiekko-Vantaa where he tallied a 3.04 GAA with a .912 save percentage in 11 contests. The 24-year old netminder (2/18/1988), has represented his native country many times in international competition and helped Hungary qualify for the top division of the 2009 World Championships, their first appearance there in 70 years.

With Chet Pickard heading across the Atlantic to play in Sweden, Hetényi is presumably the #3 guy for the Admirals behind Jeremy Smith and Magnus Hellberg. I imagine he'll spend most of his time in Cincinnati. Foss was a 6th-round draft choice by the Nashville Predators in 2008.

Since these are AHL contracts, they don't count against Nashville's 50-man reserve list limit (which you can check out at CapGeek).

Preds ready to launch, but may get stuck on the runway: Saturday's notes

As the Nashville Predators enjoy their day as the featured team in NHL.com's "30 for 30" series, a troublesome business issue rears its ugly head. After having dealt with a crooked minority owner and a fraudulent arena sponsor in recent years, now the team's air charter is spiraling out of control...

I Pity The Fool who doesn't save 20% on hockey equipment this weekend | Hockey Gear HQ
If you're not saving 20% on hockey equipment this weekend, you can't blame me for not trying to help!

Nashville Predators News

Predators' travel plans up in air with Swift Air bankruptcy, lawsuit | The Tennessean
Yikes, it looks like not only the Preds, but other NHL teams as well could be affected by the business troubles of a charter air service. This season, the Preds' are scheduled for the 11th-most travel miles based on the way the schedule plays out. Thanks to Charlie Jones on Twitter, for pointing out that Swift Air is owned by former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes. No wonder, then!

30 in 30: Nashville Predators still confident with Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne extensions - NHL.com
As today's featured team at NHL.com, the Preds are getting their time in the spotlight.

Nashville Predators' depth should overcome lineup losses - NHL.com
The host of developing young players should prevent a big step backwards due to the departure of Ryan Suter.

Nashville Predators build talent pool without No. 1 picks - NHL.com
Cue the Who - "the kids are alright..."

Defenseman Ryan Ellis must do more for the Nashville Predators - NHL.com
Things are certainly set up for him to play in a sheltered role on the right side behind Weber & Klein, and contribute on the power play.

Pekka Rinne, Colin Wilson among Nashville Predators' six questions - NHL.com
Yes, Yes, Yes, No, Yes, Yes.

Top Shelf Prospects: Nashville Predators | Last Word On Sports
A thorough look at three young Preds working their way up through the ranks.

Five Sleepers for 2012-13: The NHL's Western Conference - Angus Certified
One observer pegs Roman Josi for a big year.

Paul McCann - The "L" Word
Paul is redirecting his planned road trip for the upcoming season...

Top Moments From 2011-2012 – #8: Vancouver Rollercoaster Comeback | The Predatorial
This was one of the wilder games of the season.

A Dangerous and Deceptive Third Line: Matt Halischuk | The Predatorial
More love for the Bottom Six.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Source: NHLPA Plan B involves KHL games - sportsnet.ca
These sound pretty interesting, but forget about anything close to here.

NHL: Players, Owners have every reason to agree to new CBA on time - ESPN
Scott Burnside says the "fans should bolt if CBA halts season". Fat chance that'll happen. Remember, we're "fans", not disinterested consumers purchasing a commodity.

What will the NHLPA’s counter offer look like? | Edmonton Journal
If I were in the NHLPA, I'd go for UFA status after 5 years, 2 year ELC's, and offer a concession with the players' share being cut to 55% of hockey-related revenues.

The threat of a future lockout is partially my fault. - Battle of California
Partially? I'm putting ALL the blame on Earl.

Brandon Dubinsky: From Blueshirt to Blue Jacket - The Hockey Writers
Get familiar with an opponent we'll see six times a season now.

Dan Ellis Summer Training Video - The Goalie Guild
The former Predator is working his way back to regular NHL duty.

After Doan, teams may hunt Stars' Morrow - sportsnet.ca
Next on the pecking order of veteran physical wingers who can score...

Quick Has 'Minor' Back Surgery (Or: Don't Trade Jonathan Bernier, Part Deux) - Jewels From The Crown
Well, he did carry that team to the Stanley Cup.

The "Dave Tippett effect" | NHLNumbers.com
How much can defensive scheming by coaches affect goaltending numbers?

NHLnumbers Podcast: All About Tracking | NHLNumbers.com
It's too bad volunteers have to track data like scoring chances and zone entries. Can't we just fast-forward to 5 years from now when the NHL does this job well and makes the data publicly available?

Pythagorean expectation, or, maybe the Oilers aren’t horrible after all | Backhand Shelf
I love this kind of stuff.

Love, Loss, and the Lockout: Qasa’id for Hockey Fans | Backhand Shelf
Hockey, we just can't quit you.

OHL Announces Fines / Sanctions - OHL Network
The Windsor Spitfires got the smack dropped down on them. I wonder if this has to do with Mojo accounts?

Source says Phoenix Coyotes sale to Jamison is done

Congratulations to the hockey fans out in the Phoenix area, as our SB Nation colleagues over at Five For Howling are passing along information indicating that the sale of the team to Greg Jamison's group will indeed go through, although a formal announcement won't likely come for a few weeks. These guys don't toy around with tossing rumors and reports out there, so it's unusual

A source that has worked with the Coyotes management team for years has passed along some very exciting news, telling Five For Howling that the sale of the team to Greg Jamison is done. This source had normally been very cautious about their statements regarding this whole thing, part of the reason we're confident this is indeed the real deal.

At this point we do not have a definitive time table, although we have heard that the announcement won't be made until later, probably closer to the Coyotes training camp. Additionally, another close source has said that the "Coyotes weren't going anywhere," and if you were waiting to buy a new Yotes sweater you won't have to wait long.

Here at Five for Howling, we do our best to steer clear of the rumor mill, even more so adding to rumors. With much debate, we have decided to come forth with information that we feel confident enough to report on.

I'm optimistic that with the right management team in place, hockey can work out there. Jerry Moyes was a terrible owner, paying Wayne Gretzky millions to be one of the worst coaches in the league, and basically burning the organization to the ground trying to run his bankruptcy gambit with Jim Balsillie. The hockey operations group led by GM Don Maloney and head coach Dave Tippet have done an incredible job making the playoffs three straight years amid all these distractions, and deserve a standing O from fans around the league for the work they've done.

Instead of rummaging through a collection of hockey notes this morning (there isn't much other than CBA hand-wringing), let's just give our congratulations to the folks in Phoenix.

The Lucky 13 Club: Who is the greatest #13 in Nashville Predators history?

The Nashville Predators jersey series moves on to lucky 13. We only have two contenders this time, and we can definitely say at least one of these players has proven to be quite instrumental in the Predators structuring a successful team built around young players.

Jere Karalahti

This Finnish defenseman packed a punch on the ice when he played his first season in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings in 2001-2002. Karalahti had a booming slap shot , and his checks were no less explosive. Nevertheless, Coach Andy Murray found Karalahti to be lacking in discipline and quickly made him a healthy scratch (off-ice issues with drugs became a troubling issue for him).

Karalahti was soon after traded to the Nashville Predators for veteran center Cliff Ronning, on March 16, 2002. After only 15 games with Nashville, with a total of 1 assist (yet a whopping 12 PIM), Karalahti decided to return overseas to rejoin his former club team in Finland. On the international stage, Karalahti's résumé is more impressive: he is a two-time member of Finland's World Junior team (1994-1995) and a six-time member of its World Championship team (1998-2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005).

Nick Spaling

Spaling has proven to be the quintessential center that provides the necessary depth the Predators have striven to achieve in the last couple of years. At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Spaling was selected in the second round, 58th overall, by the Preds. He made his debut with the Milwaukee Admirals the following season and did very well, accumulating 12 goals and 35 points, as well as a +6 rating, in 79 games. He was then reassigned to the Predators the next season. He appeared in only 28 games with them, in which he registered only three assists. Eventually, he was moved back down to Milwaukee for the rest of the season, where he scored 7 goals and 17 points in 48 games.

Spaling once again made it back to the Predators lineup in the 10-11 season, and this time, he was determined to stay. Spaling scored 8 goals and 14 points in 74 games, yet he was a horrible -10 that season. He did prove to be an important asset in the first two rounds of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as he was a +3, and he amassed 2 goals and 6 points in the 12 games the Preds spent in the postseason. That subsequent offseason was especially important for the young center, as Spaling signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators worth $2.1 million. This past year, Spaling continued to improve. In 77 games during the regular season, he scored 10 goals and 22 points (though he was still a -7 by the end of the season). In the Playoffs this year, he had 3 assists in 10 games and was a +4.

Spaling most recently played on the fourth line, often centering Brandon Yip and Craig Smith. Since the Predators still have some voids to fill in their roster, Spaling's role may change pending further roster moves.

Poll

Who is the greatest #13 in Nashville Predators history?

• Jere Karalahti
• Nick Spaling

  368 votes | Results

Bettman plays the "Lockout" card: Thursday afternoon notes

The words weren't a surprise to anyone, but it is sobering to see NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman finally come out and state that if a new CBA isn't in effect by September 15, the owners will indeed lock out the players. After weeks of cordiality and pleasantries, it looks like trench warfare is finally about to get underway between the NHL and NHLPA.

Updates from the CBA negotiations dominate your afternoon hockey notes, but hey, there's some good news in here, too.

48-Hour Sale knocks 25-40% off NHL apparel | Hockey Gear HQ
This is the perfect sale to jump on if you're looking for back-to-school hockey items like hoodies, t-shirts, or other team-related gear. But hurry, it expires on Friday at 11 a.m. Central.

Nashville Predators News

Looks like the Predators are close to signing Mike Fisher to a contract extension.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) August 9, 2012

Well, here's one piece of good news they could trumpet whenever the Skate of the Union Town Hall meeting gets scheduled.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman updates CBA talks - ESPN
Yup, the tone is turning sour...

The Beginning of the Long, Slow March - The Spin
Damian Cox has written off the first quarter of the season already.

Spector on NHL: Dispelling some CBA myths - sportsnet.ca
Mark Spector bursts a few bubbles.

Why having character guys in the dressing room matters | Backhand Shelf
In case you didn't know.

Dominik Hasek, still looking for NHL contract, begins training with Czech club Pardubice | Puck Daddy
The Dominator rages against the dying of the spotlight.

10 bold predictions for the NHL season – USATODAY.com
Warning - this guy

Hockey at The Movies: Slap Shot | The Hockey Writers

Seriously, if you haven't seen this yet...