According to TSN, apparently so.
I’m pretty thrilled about the news. The team has really been able to accomplish a lot since its inception as an expansion team in 1998.
Nashville is a great city and as we know, not particularly known for its sports. Granted the Titans are there and have enjoyed relatively good success since they moved to the city, but let’s face it, the last few seasons have been pretty pitiful. I think that the local businessmen who are buying the Predators have an excellent opportunity to instill that this team truly does belong to the community and to expand the image of Nashville beyond being known as the “Music City.”
It’s going to be a world of work for them, of course. Hockey is still running a distant fourth behind football, basketball and baseball (at least in the United States). Don’t believe me? Look at the tabs on any sports site. Yeah, it’s pitiful. As a biased fan and career hopeful, I can definitely say that hockey is much cooler (haha, yes, pun intended) than any other sport. But, that’s neither here nor there. What matters is that the new owners will have to do the following:
1. Increase their visibility as owners. - Hiding behind desks and writing checks is all well and good, but to actually be seen at the forefront, supporting this team in all facets is going to speak volumes about why they made this investment.
2. Invest in the team - Drafts, trades, signings. Nashville has managed to put together a pretty solid team the past few seasons. It’s important that that success is continued. Upon Leipold’s intent to sell, the team was really gutted to eliminate costs. That’s not going to spell Stanley Cup championships down the run.
3. Bring in the fans - The team needs an average of 14,000 people per game to collect on its revenue-sharing entitlement from the CBA. This season, the team only managed an average of 13,815, which really isn’t that bad when you think about it. It can be done. But, they’ll have to do several things, #2 mainly, but also they’ll want to increase the Predators play within the community. Ah yes, I’m talking community relations, my half reason of being when it comes to pursuing a career in the NHL. (The other being, media relations). The players do a lot as it is, but that can always be amped up.
I don’t expect things to immediately work themselves out. It will be a trying season of transition, but if the new owners are definitely committed to this team and its city, they’ll do whatever it takes to win.
