A lot of what makes professional sports so much fun to watch is a personal investment in the outcome. You have a your favourite team and players, but on the other side of the ice you have a team that gets all of your hate for 60 minutes. They stand in the way of a big win for the team and players you love, and that unleashes such vitriol that it brings about a minor feud, a brief hatred and…
An Instant Rivalry.
Today on “The I.R.” – The Nashville Predators
Represented here by their most famous player
(She’s wearing a jersey and is always on camera. How could she not be on the team?)
Championships seem to be the first thing fans point to when discussing one teams dominance, so let’s get that out of the way first, shall we?
Stanley Cups – Nashville: 0 / Vancouver: almost 3
The Canucks have lost three Stanley Cup finals, while the Predators haven’t made it that far yet, so naturally the edge goes to Vancouver.
RECENT HISTORY:
The teams haven’t played since January 23rd, but the story looks similar to Canucks fans in mid-March. Vancouver carried a 1-0 lead into the 3rd period when Nashville rallied and scored two goals.
Final Score: Nashville 2 – Vancouver 1
Canucks fans had no idea that the January struggles wouldn’t get better. Those that claim they did are witches that have cursed this team.
(It’s the only explanation that makes sense, aside from blaming GMMG)
THE BIG STORY:
Both teams have had their postseason hopes go up in flames recently (not by losing to the Flames, mind you), so there really isn’t a whole lot on the line here.
Pride?
Respect maybe?
In my opinion the winner should receive Shea Weber’s contract. Seriously the guy got zero points the last time they played and was still NHL.com’s first star. That’s crazy. The Canucks need crazy.
(Pictured: Crazy)
Canucks fans know that while Brad Richardson returns to the lineup, Chris Tanev is now shut-down for the season with a broken hand. He joins Ryan Kesler, Mike Santorelli, Daniel Sedin and probably 5 or 6 other guys on the Canucks injured list. It’s not a good story, but it’s the biggest one we got.
Actually, the real big story tonight is the Canucks for Kids Fund telethon. The annual charity drive is for an awesome cause and if you can help out, it would really make a difference.
CLICK HERE for all the information.
EX-CANUCKS BEHIND ENEMY LINES:
None. In fact, I don’t know if there has ever been an ex-Canuck on the Predators. Actually, there has.
Cliff “f’ing” Ronning played there after leaving Vancouver.
(and from the looks of things, he was thrilled about it)
BEST MOMENT IN CANUCKS VS. PREDATORS HISTORY:
Going back to the 2011 playoffs for this one. Back when the Canucks were dominant, Lu was in net and Kesler was Nashville’s daddy.
Maury Povich was even brought in to verify this claim and announce the results of the paternity test, and, well… “In the case of the Nashville Predators hockey franchise, Ryan Kesler….”
(Can’t believe they got him. So many people have been inside that arena)
There is another great Kesler vs. Nashville moment below in “Fun Facts”.
MASCOT COMPARISON:
The Canucks have Fin, the anthropomorphic Orca Whale who eats saber tooth tigers for breakfast.
(Tastes like 12th place)
The Predators have Gnash, an anthropomorphic sabre tooth tiger who is blue and has the most judgemental stare of all the NHL mascots.
(He totally knows what’s in the “Tax Stuff 2012″ folder on my computer)
FUN FACTS:
- Offered a $20 million relocation bonus (pronounced “bounty”) in 1995 to any team that was willing to re-locate to Nashville. New Jersey almost did, but couldn’t get out of their lease.
- After a failed attempt to steal the New Jersey Devils with $20 mil on the end of a string attached to a stick, Nashville was awarded an expansion franchise in 1997.
- The franchise had a fan vote to determine the team name. From 75 submissions, the final three options were “Nashville Fury”, “Nashville Attack” and “Nashville Ice Tigers”. Team Owner Craig Leopold submitted his own name, the “Nashville Predators” which won the contest and crushed the hopes and dreams of Ice Tigers fans everywhere.
- They jerseys have a piano key pattern on the inside of the necklines, both to honour Nashville’s music heritage and because the jerseys were designed by Jacobim Mugatu.
- They have had only one coach in franchise history: Barry Trotz.
- They have also never made it past the second round of the playoffs, yet still employ Trotz. That’s job security John Tortorella can only dream about right now.
- On April 3rd, 2004 the Predators clinched their first ever playoff berth. How did it happen? The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers, eliminating them from contention and clearing the way for Nashville. You’re welcome, Preds.
- Nashville Predator defenceman Shea Weber once shot a puck through the net while playing for Team Canada. Fulton Reed in the “Mighty Ducks” movies did it too, but he is a fictional teenager while Weber is a real man. If you need evidence of that, just ask the net he shredded.
- Ryan Kesler has zero respect for the Nashville Predators net, and will use it as a shortcut if need be.
- In a bit of delicious irony, Jim Balsillie (Chairman and Co-CEO of Research in Motion back when they made money) attempted to buy the Predators back in 2007 and move them to Hamilton, Ont. He was so brazen about it that to show the NHL there was an untapped market in Hamilton, it was announced that Ticketmaster would be selling season ticket deposits for the “Hamilton Predators” on June 14th. That takes some huge Balsillie.
- The person who did eventually buy the troubled Predators franchise, William “Boots” Del Baggio III (perhaps the most regal cowboy ever) was investigated by the FBI for acquiring funds to purchase the team through fraud. He was then sentenced to 97 months in prison, where he is probably known by William “Peaches” Del Baggio III.
- The Predators have done more for the colour yellow than mustard and Dustin Brown’s spine combined.
- Section 303 of the Nashville Bridgestone Arena is known as “The Cellblock” which claims to house “the loudest fans in the loudest arena in the NHL”. They even have a banner. Meanwhile, the Canucks have a guy that heckled the opposing goalie once AND vocally disagreed with a penalty call. That’s about as loud as it gets here.
- Aping the Detroit Red Wings, instead of throwing an octopus on the ice, fans will occasionally throw a catfish on the ice. It got really awkward the night they threw some creep pretending to be a 16-year-old girl on the internet out there.
CELEBRITY DOPPELGANGERS:
Patric Hornqvist kinda looks like Anthony Michael Hall
Mike Fisher kinda looks like vampire Stephen Dorff from “Blade”.
(Both suck)
Head Coach Barry Trotz kinda ABSOLUTELY looks like a Goomba from “Super Mario Bros.”
(Un…canny)
COMPLIMENT SANDWICH:
I like that the Predators made a strong claim for the colour yellow. Sports teams that are synonymous with one colour (like the Flyers with orange, the Seattle Seahawks with lime green or the Phoenix Coyotes with dirt) have my respect for some reason.
I don’t like how they show Carrie Underwood on TV so much. That isn’t just during Predators games. That goes for all of television, I just associate her with the city of Nashville.
I like how they will eventually make Wyatt Arndt the happiest Canucks fan in all the land by trading Shea Weber to Vancouver. It’s going to happen. It needs to.
(Our No.6 Weber just ain’t the same)
You can follow j.Bow on Twitter (@jBowmancouver). If all goes according to plan, 4/1/14 against the Rangers will be a good one.
