NASHVILLE PREDATORS 2008-09 MEDIA GUIDE - NHL.com

Management & StaffYouth & Amateur HockeyCoaches CornerIn an ongoing effort to foster and improve youthhockey opportunities in Middle Tennessee and themid-South region, the Nashville Predators are pleasedto offer support to youth hockey coaches at all levels.Through partnerships with flexxCOACH and USAHockey, the Predators are able to present tools thatany coach can use to improve his or her knowledgeand, in turn, the team’s on-ice performance. TheNashville Predators have teamed up with flexxCOACHto bring coaches and players on-ice drills fromthe pros through complimentary on-line weeklydrills at nashvillepredators.com. USA Hockey, Inc.,is the National Governing Body for the sport ofhockey in the United States. As such, its missionis to promote the growth of hockey in Americaand provide the best possible experience for allparticipants by encouraging, developing, advancingand administering the sport. The Predators host USAHockey Coach Clinics throughout the year featuringPredators coaching staff as guest speakers.Local Hockey RecognitionThe Nashville Predators recognize an ice or inlineplayer and volunteer in the Nashville areas whodemonstrate character skills that make youthhockey a better experience for all involved. Duringthe season, the Youth Hockey Player of the Monthand Youth Hockey Volunteer of the Month arerecognized at a Predators home game. Localcoaches, parents, team managers, friends andrink or league administrators nominate MiddleTennessee individuals for either award. Potentialcandidates are based on the following criteria asdisplayed at the rink, during practices, games andtournaments: sportsmanship, respect, positiveattitude and behavior. In addition to individualrecognition, the Predators also recognize teams thatmake up the Tennessee amateur and youth hockeyscene. Tennessee Hockey Team Spotlight wascreated for ice, inline or street hockey teams thatdeserve to have their story told. Stories are featuredat nashvillepredators.comPredators Get Out And Learn!Hockey ProgramThe Predators G.O.A.L! program presented byDelta Dental of Tennessee introduces the gameof hockey to potential futurePredators, without thefinancial commitment typicallyassociated with the sport. Thisfree introductory programis designed for kids 9-andunderwith no prior hockeyexperience. G.O.A.L! is offeredin weekly sessions throughoutthe year at local rinks. The Predators provide allnecessary equipment, ice time and instruction forkids to sample what it’s like to play hockey, makingthe program ideal for any family. The Predators arededicated to supporting the development of youthhockey at all levels and recognize the need for localskating facilities to be accessible for beginners tohelp grow the sport, beginning at younger ages.Since it’s inception in the fall of 2005, more than600 participants have graduated from G.O.A.L!.Ace’s Got SkillsLaunched in September 2004 and supported by theNashville Predators in addition to the National HockeyLeague and several NHL teams, Ace’s Got Skills ismodeled after the NHL’spopular All-Star SuperSkills Competition andgives boys and girls ages9-12 the opportunity tocome out and test theirskill level in the following key ice hockey categories:fastest skater, hardest shot, accuracy shooting,breakaway shootout and best goalie. Local winnersfrom these league-wide, top-shelf youth ice hockeyskills competitions have the opportunity to competeat the Nationals against qualifiers from other NHLmarkets. Registration fees collected by the programbenefit the Ace Bailey’s Children’s Foundation inmemory of former Boston Bruin “Ace” Bailey who waskilled in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.Hot ShotsThe Nashville Predators Hot Shots hockey clinictravels to schools within the Middle Tennessee areaand aims to educate first to sixth grade physicaleducation classes onthe fundamentals ofhockey. Each schoolyear the Hot Shotsprogram visits morethan 25 schools and5,000 students in Davidson, Montgomery, Rutherford,Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties. PredatorsYouth & Amateur Hockey personnel provideinstruction and necessary street hockey equipmentfor participation in Hot Shots. The clinic includes abrief introduction about the history of the NashvillePredators, an overview of the equipment Predatorsplayers use, and continues with interactive hockeyskills that focus on stick handling and shooting.At the end of the program, students are given theopportunity to ask questions regarding hockey orthe Nashville Predators.Protect Your FangsLaunched in fall 2007, the Nashville Predators andDelta Dental of Tennessee have teamed up forthe “Protect Your Fangs” campaign, an initiativeto encourage the use of mouth guards to preventinjury and maintain oral health. “Protect yourFangs” aims to educate 3,000-plus Tennessee youthice and inline hockey players the importance ofmouth guard use during sports activities, specificallyhockey. Through this campaign, the NashvillePredators will provide “boil and bite” mouth guardsand posters courtesy of Delta Dental of Tennesseeto be distributed to all ice and inline youth hockeyplayers ages 4-17 statewide as they take to the icefor the start of their hockey seasons.nashvillepredators.com 27