Turcotte and Houlder react to Predators sale

Darren Turcotte seen here coaching the Nashville based Southern Ice Lightning in an exhibition game against the North Bay Trappers at Memorial Gardens in the fall of 2002. Photo by Chris Dawson.

It seems like every second day there’s a new rumour regarding the Nashville Predators since the team was tentatively sold to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie in late May.

Rumours include the team being re-located next season to Hamilton or possibly the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

The news of the sale of the Nashville franchise hits home with a pair of local players who once laced up the skates for the franchise when it first hit the ice.

Bill Houlder ended his 15-year career in Nashville playing his final four seasons of pro hockey in the Music City.

“Going to Predator games was the thing to do back then,” Houlder said recalling what it was like in 1999.

But like a country song, hockey was never able to stay on the top of the charts long enough with Nashville sports fans.

“They were one of the better draws in the league back then but as it wore on there’s just not a culture of hockey down there,” he said.

Darren Turcotte was with the franchise in its inaugural season in 1998.
He retired from game the following year and got involved in youth hockey in Nashville where he became the founder and head coach of Nashville’s first ever Midget Triple A program.

Turcotte won’t admit it but he probably saw the demise of hockey in Nashville just over a year and a half ago when he lost his job and was forced to re-locate all of his players after the arena he was working out of was sold and the Triple A program that he started was dissolved.

“I tried my best and things didn’t work out so I moved on,” said Turcotte.

While the Predators helped out with beginner hockey programs Turcotte feels the team didn’t do enough to support minor hockey at all levels in the area.

“They didn’t do it they way they could have and a lot of people involved in minor hockey were corporate people,” said Turcotte.

“If kids played for the ‘Little Predators,’ that would have changed focus towards the big team,” added Turcotte noting NHL teams in Atlanta, San Jose, Philadelphia and Columbus support minor hockey from the ground all the way up to Midget.

That could be partially the problem in Nashville as the Predators 4,000 corporate accounts in 1998 have dwindled down to 1,800 in 2007. It was those sagging corporate numbers that owner Craig Leopold stated was his reason for selling the team.

It has already been reported that Balsillie has had discussions with the city of Hamilton to move the team from Music city to Canada’s Steel City.

Houlder says he would feel bad to see the Predators leave.

“I do believe there is a fan base down there,” Houlder said.

“But it’s always great to have more teams in Canada. The game is already deeply entrenched down there (Southern Ontario). The passion for hockey is here at the grass roots.”

For Turcotte the potential franchise re-location is not such a big deal.

“I think it’s not a good thing for Nashville and minor hockey but it wouldn’t bother me at all if they left,” Turcotte said bluntly.

So it seems hockey’s tune in Nashville has went from Tim McGraw’s “I like it I love it,” to Shania’s “That don’t impress me much,” and it may take another “Music City Miracle,” to keep the franchise in Nashville for more than just another year.