What Are the Best Nashville Predators Animated GIFs?

The gang over at SB Nation has lots of fun with animated GIFs on a regular basis, and since they get to cover the entire sporting world, there's usually a bounty of material to select from each week. Take, for example, this cool cucumber of a catcher in San Diego:

So here's my challenge to you, Dear Reader - as we approach the final months of 2012, what kind of animated GIFs can you dig up related to the Nashville Predators from this year? There will be an End of Year GIF Tournament coming up, and I'd like to see what we can do to get the Preds represented.

I know we have at least this one to offer...

But what else can you come up with? Round up what you can and share them in the comments below, and remember - make sure you use the Title line on your comment so people can collapse the images!

This post is sponsored by Jack in the Box.

Have You Got the Lockout Blues? Hockey is Only Two Hours Away!

Background

The UAH Chargers are the only NCAA Division I hockey program located in the southern United States.

The ice hockey program began as a non-varsity club in the late 1970s. Joe Ritch organized the inaugural Charger team in 1979 and served as its head coach. The Chargers defeated Emory University 11-4 in its first game on October 26, 1979. They dominated in its first three seasons, winning three Southern Collegiate Hockey Association championships. The Chargers also won its first of three National Club Hockey Championships in 1982, defeating Southern Methodist 14-2 in the title game. For the 1982-83 season, Doug Ross became head coach as the Chargers moved to the Central States Collegiate Hockey League. That season, the Chargers hosted the U.S. National Collegiate Club Hockey Championships for the second time, where they defeated Auburn, Arizona, and Penn State en route to their second consecutive national championship. The Chargers claimed their third straight title in 1984.

In the 1985-86 season, the program was upgraded to varsity status as a member of the NAIA, becoming a full NCAA Division II member in 1986. With the NCAA scratching the Division II championship the following season, UAH moved its program to Division I as an independent beginning with the 1987-88 season. The Chargers would then return to Division II in 1992, and in 1994, the Chargers hosted its first Division II national championship series. The 1995-96 Chargers team went undefeated and beat Bemidji State 7-1 and 3-0 at the Von Braun Center to claim its first NCAA championship in any sport.

The NCAA eliminated Division II hockey following the 1998-99 season, forcing UAH to move its program back to Division I and become a charter member of College Hockey America. The Chargers won CHA regular season championships in 2001 and 2003. The 2006-07 UAH team earned the school's first CHA tournament title and NCAA Division I tournament bid. In Doug Ross's final game as head coach, UAH faced off against No. 1 seed Notre Dame at the Midwest Regional, taking them to double overtime before losing 3-2. Danton Cole would take over as the team's third coach thereafter.

In 2009, following the announced departures of several universities from the conference, the UAH applied for membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. However, their application was denied, and they remained in the CHA for another year before the conference eventually folded. UAH did manage to win the final CHA tournament, beating Niagara 3-2 in overtime for its second berth in the Division I tournament. Cole left to coach the United States National Development Team at the season's conclusion and was replaced by Assistant Coach and former NHL player Chris Luongo.

The following season, the Chargers were forced to remain as the lone independent hockey program in Division I. UAH was the host institution for the 2012 Frozen Four, played in Tampa, Florida on April 5 and 7, 2012. Representatives from UAH met with conference officials, athletic directors and administrators of other universities in attendance to discuss the possibilities of a conference affiliation. UAH will continue to play at the NCAA Division I level for the 2012-13 season, and the school has instituted a campaign to raise funds for the program to realign the Chargers with a conference. With the Big Ten forming its own hockey conference and stealing some schools from the WCHA, the WCHA is hoping to have 10 teams starting in the 2014-15 season. Currently, UAH is banking on the possibility of joining them.

A Fresh Start

The Chargers have won a total of 5 national championships, and right now, their prospects could not look better. On September 25, 2012, Kurt Kleinendorst was hired as the team's fifth head coach. Kleindendorst indeed has quite the resume. He coached the Under-18 team of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, leading them to a Gold Medal at the 2010 IIHF U-18 World Hockey Championship. He also served as an assistant coach and scout for the New Jersey Devils for nine years, guiding the Devils to victory in the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. Kleinendorst most recently was the head coach of the Binghamton Senators in the American Hockey League where he led that team to a conference championship in 2011.

The Chargers have developed notable players over the years, including Jared Ross, Scott Munroe, and Cameron Talbot. You may also be familiar with the Geoffrion family, one of hockey's most storied lineages. Blake "Boomer" Geoffrion, a Hobey Baker Award winner, played with the Predators until this past year. Though he may be gone, some other members of his family are still around. His younger brothers Brice and Sebastian currently play for the Chargers, with Sebastian serving as the team's co-captain. A couple of other key returnees will look to lead the Chargers, starting with last year's top scorer, Kyle Lysaght. Lysaght, entering his sophomore season, finished with 13 points off seven goals and six assists. He will get help from Justin Cseter and Lasse Uusivirta, who were also in the top four in points scored last season. Team co-captain Curtis deBruyn is a key defensive contributor, along with Graeme Strukoff. Meanwhile, John Griggs and C.J. Groh, both returners, will look to secure the role of starting goaltender.

The Chargers are prepared for a much more successful season after a disappointing onelast year, finishing 2-27-1. The Chargers have a tough slate of opponents ahead of them, with teams such as the University of Alabama, Northeastern University, and Boston College highlighting their schedule this year. Their 2012 campaign opens this weekend, welcoming the Alabama Frozen Tide to the Von Braun Center for a Saturday and Sunday matchup. The Frozen Tide are undeniably an SEC powerhouse and will immediately put the Chargers to the test on Saturday.

There will be free general admissions tickets to Saturday night's game, but tickets can be purchased at the Von Braun Center ticket office or on www.ticketmaster.com. Paul McCann, the PA of the Nashville Predators, will be announcing for the games this weekend, so we encourage you to come down and cure your sweet tooth for some hockey as we wait for this lockout to end!

Saturday's Dump & Chase: ESPN2 to Broadcast Alex Ovechkin KHL Game

Nashville Predators News

Predators fans react to Preds Pride Day with mixed emotions after NHL cancels games - Nashville Business Journal
Continuing with Preds Pride Day during the lockout certainly isn't going to smooth things over completely, but at least the Preds are doing something. Following a discussion with my fellow SB Nation hockey bloggers, I'd say the Preds are doing a lot more than most teams in the league in terms of fan outreach these days.

NewsChannel5 also had this report on how the Lockout is flying under the radar in general sports coverage here:

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

And then there's this... seriously, stay for the end, it's a doozy:

I'm looking forward to a future episode in which Stu goes to town on a malfunctioning printer (or fax machine?)...

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Alex Ovechkin will play KHL hockey on ESPN2, with Barry Melrose on the mic | Puck Daddy
The plans have changed for ESPN's KHL coverage, which now includes a debut next week on ESPN2.

Gary Bettman, Bill Daly hold secret meeting with NHLPA brass - CBC.ca
This may be the first bit of encouraging news we've had in a while - the two sides met, unannounced, to see if progress could be made.

Blogs With Balls preview: Where the bloggers have won
Man, I wish I was in Toronto hanging out with the cool kids.

Get to know… Elitserien and Allsvenskan (Sweden) | Hockey Gal Milwaukee
Skol!

Marx Spector | mc79hockey.com
When someone touts the notion that the league can't play while they negotiate a new CBA because the players might go on strike right before the playoffs, they're out of touch with the modern reality of the game.

NHL lockout: Twitter-savvy Allan Walsh agent of change for players: Feschuk - thestar.com
If you're on Twitter at all, I'm sure you've seen the hyper-vigilant Walsh advocating for both his clients, and players in general this summer.

Junior hockey player puts opponent through the glass, then scores natural hat trick (VIDEO) - Buzzing The Net
Well, that's a full night's work right there.

White Cover Magazine: The MLB Wild Card vs. The NHL Shootout
An interesting question - is MLB's Wild Card 1-game knockout the absurd endgame for the mentality which brought us NHL shootouts?

NHL Lockout 2012: Games Cancelled Through October 24th

Today, the NHL has wiped out the first two weeks of games, spanning Opening Night October 11th, through October 24th. For the Nashville Predators, this cancellation affects 7 games, including a 4-game home stand featuring St. Louis, Colorado, Vancouver & Pittsburgh.

How Long Will This Last?

Both sides are taking a stand here, and negotiations have basically ground to a halt over the Big Issue, the split of Hockey Related Revenues. The NHL is taking the position that things can't move forward until the NHLPA makes a move in their direction, but that isn't likely to happen soon.

I can see why the players are angry. Just months after Craig Leipold complained publicly about how can't make money despite rising revenues (a notion which is hard to believe), he signed Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to contracts with a combined worth of $196 million.

Now, he and the other owners want to immediate roll back the value of those, and every other existing contract in the league. It's a remarkably bald-faced turnaround to slap guys on the back and speak about how proud you are to bring them on board, then demand that the rest of the deal gets cut by a significant percentage before the ink has even dried.

Will Fans React?

Of course, what both sides are ultimately fighting over is the money showered on them by rabid hockey fans and the corporate sponsors who want to reach them.

The question from two weeks ago is every bit as relevant today - are you angry enough to do something about the NHL Lockout, or will you just wait things out and show up with cash in hand whenever they're ready to drop the puck?

Nashville Predators & Their Business Partners Keeping Fans Engaged

Friday is "Preds Pride Day"

Once again, the team is declaring Friday to be "Preds Pride Day", with the idea being for Predators fans to wear something team-related in order to

Things get started with a free cup of coffee to begin your day (and a visit to a major team sponsor), as told by team COO Sean Henry:

.@predsnhl fans it's time to show your pride and win! Fri -wear gold 2 any MAPCO store and get FREE coffee. bit.ly/QQwNUV #predspride

— PREDSident (@PREDSident) October 4, 2012

(just look at the outstanding "." technique with that tweet!)

Some of the businesses which work with the Predators are getting in on the act, too. Harlow Salon services the Preds Dancers & Ice Girls, and they are offering a special deal tomorrow as well:

Friday is #PredsPride day at Harlow Salon! Wear your @predsnhl gear into the salon & get 20% off cuts & colors! #Preds polish & makeup too!

— Harlow Salon (@harlowsalon) October 4, 2012

Scavenger Hunt Coming on Oct. 13

Next weekend was supposed to see the launch of the regular season, including the home opener on Friday night against St. Louis. Which the first two weeks of games cancelled, the team is getting creative with ways to keep fans energized, with a Scavenger Hunt set for Saturday from 10:00 to 2:30.

I have to say, this looks pretty cool. It's free to enter, and the winners get a pretty cool prize - season tickets to the Preds, along with tickets to concerts at Bridgestone Arena for the rest of 2012. It's a chance to get out for a day of running around the city and competing with fellow fans.

And to top it off, there will be a plaza party with a beer garden, food, a live band, etc.

For all details, check the Preds site, and you can register here (remember, the scavenger hunt is FREE). Football Saturday shouldn't get in the way (Vanderbilt doesn't play until 5:00 p.m., and Tennessee plays at 8:00), so you'll have plenty of time to sit in front of the TV all evening and drown your sorrows.

Are we frustrated with the NHL Lockout? Absolutely. But give the Predators credit - they're working the Service Recovery angle hard. They recognize that people aren't happy, and are trying to provide recurring opportunities to bring fans together, not only to connect with the team but to activate those business partnerships as well.

Even though they're calling it "Preds Pride Day", it seems instead to be characterized by a welcome dose of humility from a pro sports franchise that may not have games to play, but is still hard at work.

Friday's Dump & Chase: Minor League Hockey Takes Center Stage

Nashville Predators News

Ads Drop Pre-season Opener To Rockford In A Shootout | Admirals Roundtable
Lajunen and Bang were your goal-scorers in a 3-2 loss.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS RENEW AFFILIATION WITH THE CINCINNATI CYCLONES - Nashville Predators - News
I can only assume the all-caps headline means they're REALLY EXCITED about this.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

NHL should look to the success of revenue sharing in other pro leagues - The Globe and Mail
A Michigan economics professor makes the case.

Locked-Out NHL’ers Continue to Play | All Habs Hockey Magazine
Former Pred Francis Bouillon is spotted here.

Season ticketholders weigh in on their plans - USA Today
Fans from a variety of NHL cities weigh in on the big question - whether to ask for a refund from their local team.

Uni Watch " Uni Watch Book Club: The Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys
While away the days without games by checking out a new book which shows how the look of hockey has evolved over the years.

Interview with Mike Danton: "Vick, Tyson, and Heatley all got breaks, where’s my break?" | Backhand Shelf
Having completed his prison term and parole, Mike Danton works to resume his playing career.

This Is How Your Bleacher Report Sausage Gets Made - Deadspin
Using data & analytics to determine what your audience will be interested in reading? Brilliant. Farming out keyword-driven assignments to legions of writers who have little insight to offer just in order to fill out all the various headline permutations? That's where Bleacher Report descends into the muck.

Bauer takes on sagging minor hockey enrolment - The Globe and Mail
In Canada, youth hockey numbers have stagnated - while the sport is growing here in the South, it's a very tough sport to commit to as a parent. I have three kids, and would love to be able to have my oldest son play, but the expense and time commitment would crowd out anything else for him, and impact the others as well.

There have been so many videos made about the Lockout, but these two latest are doozies:

(found at Puck Daddy)

And of course, Down Goes Brown & Bloge Salming have an entry:

Thursday's Dump & Chase: Will You Enjoy a Shortened NHL Season?

Nashville Predators News

Nashville Predators' Colin Wilson is no stranger to tedium of lockout | The Tennessean
Wee Willy saw this act before.

Nashville Dentist Reminds Parents about Mouth Guards - Yahoo! News
Especially for you parents who have kids just starting out in hockey, pay attention to this. Mouth guards are an often-overlooked, but critical piece of protective equipment.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

One-on-one with Donald Fehr - The Hockey News
As hard as it is to identify with the salaries which many pro hockey players make, you can certainly sympathize with their position, given the way the owners have proceeded so far.

NHL owners would do well to listen to players - The Globe and Mail
As I said in my last video, the players' proposal is built upon a business model recommendation for the league, which I can't imagine the owners will take very seriously.

NHL: We're still waiting for new union proposal - The Globe and Mail
The league contends that it's up to the players to make the next move, and apparently they want to hear the word "uncle".

Players awash in rainy-day funds - The Globe and Mail
They may be under siege, but the players have plenty of supplies to wait out a long fight.

Another Reason Not To Hope - The Spin
Damian Cox lays out how the NHLPA is so much different than in previous lockouts, and how that stiffens their resolve as an organization.

KHL: Lev Prague Parts With Injured Hudler | Sports | RIA Novosti
So... Jiri Hudler plays 4 games for Lev Prague, suffers an abdominal injury, and gets released. At least in the NHL the players have guaranteed contracts!

Do some players elevate their game in the playoffs? | NHLNumbers.com
Oh, I know some of you will hate this one...