Calling all Middle TN hockey fans!

Hello, fellow Pred-heads, we’re less than 20 hours away from the first Nashville Predators #NHLtweetup!

Thanks to Michael DiLorenzo at the NHL office in New York and the Predators’ very own Gerry Helper, I’m pleased to bring you the following items which we will give away at the tweetup tomorrow:

Stick autographed by C #19 Captain Jason Arnott

Predators puck autographed by W #29 Joel Ward

Predators puck autographed by D #5 Greg "Iron Man" Zanon

NHL hat autographed by several of the Nashville Predators

25 goodie bags, each with a 2009 Winter Classic commemorative magnet, a 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs commemorative puck, and a coupon for 20% all merchandise at Shop.NHL.com

In addition to these great giveaways, Jeremy Gover, co-host of the 303:30 podcast, will be donating a puck autographed by W #71 J.P. Dumont, I will be donating a yellow toboggan hat autographed by D #6 Shea Weber, and the NHL will be giving away a complimentary one-year subscription to NHL GameCenter Live! Remember, you can’t win if you aren’t there!

Buddy and Jackson Oakes will also be live on location doing their first live remote podcast of Preds On the Glass, and they will be looking to talk to all of us about the Preds, the playoffs, and the greatest sport on earth!

As an additional reminder, you do not need to be a Twitter user to attend, but personally I encourage you to click here to sign up for your free account…and once that’s done, make sure you follow @PredFans. If you’re already on Twitter, please remember to use the hashtags #NHLtweetNSH and #NHLTweetup when tweeting about or from the event! If you have a camera, bring it along so you can upload and tag the photos later, or if you can use TwitPic from your mobile device, please do so (just remember to tag your uploads)!

I want to give special shout-outs to @AmyPredsfan, who wrote our press releases and served as our media contact, @mollypearson, who helped me pound the pavement to find a venue for #NHLtweetNSH, @Forechecker of OnTheForecheck.com, who reached out to Gerry Helper for us to cultivate support for #NHLtweetNSH at the Nashville Predators (and who will be providing nametags tomorrow so we all get to know each other by more than just 140 characters), @brandon_felder, who brought us the most comprehensive post-game coverage on the web after every Preds game this year, and last (but certainly not least), Predators Radio play-by-play man Tom Callahan (@predsradio), who plugged #NHLtweetNSH live on the air during the Predators second-to-last game of the season against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Without the help of all these people, this event would not have been possible.

I’m really looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow, so get your sweaters on and head to The Closing Bell Wall St. Pub at 1524 Demonbreun Street in Nashville tomorrow at 5:00pm…I’ll see you there! GO PREDATORS!!!

Calling all Middle TN hockey fans!

Hey Preds Fans, just wanted to give you all a quick update from Nashville Predators PR Director Gerry Helper (via email) about our NHLTweetup at The Closing Bell Wall St. Pub on Demonbreun Street: next Wednesday, April 15 at 5pm

Thanks for your note and continuing interest in spreading news/information about the Predators and the NHL! It’s this kind of grass roots involvement that will keep fans involved and help attract new fans!

We will be glad to provide some giveaways/prizes to support the event! I can give you specific items early next week, but you can count on our support.

WOW! You heard it here first, Preds fans, more opportunities to win prizes! You now have one less excuse to miss this great event!

Also, please remember that being a Twitter user is not a prerequisite for attending — but sign up is free, and it’s a great way to connect to other fans (especially if you can’t make it to a game)!

We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday, April 15 at 5pm at The Closing Bell! GO PREDS! DOWN WITH THE MINNESOTA MILD!

Calling all Middle TN hockey fans!

What is a “Tweetup,” you might ask? The answer from @Forechecker:

Basically, a Tweetup is a gathering of folks who use Twitter, the social networking/microblogging sensation (you can find me at @Forechecker). People who “tweet” back and forth on the internet occasionally get together in public for one cause or another, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are as good a reason as any to rally the crowd!

This all started when Michael DiLorenzo (@umassdilo) organized an event at the NHL store in New York City, and soon the buzz began working its way around to make this a multi-city event, all taking place on the first night of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the greatest postseason tournament in professional sports.

Come out and meet your fellow Middle Tennessee Hockey Tweeps (and Twits like me, @stackiii) from 5pm to 9pm next Wednesday, April 15 at The Closing Bell Wall St. Pub on Demonbreun Street (between Music Row and the Sommet Center)!  We will be joining a host of other cities as we simultaneously celebrate and ring in the 2009 NHL Playoffs by getting together and watching the first playoff game!

Hopefully, with wins in Detroit and Minnesota, and a little help from our Western Conference bretheren, we will be celebrating the Nashville Predators’ FIFTH CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF BERTH!  Yes, there is a chance that the Predators will miss the boat this year, but the NHL office in New York City is sending us some nifty swag to give away at the event, including a one-year complimentary subscription to NHL GameCenter Live – don’t miss out just because the Predators might be on the golf course next week!  The #NHLtweetup in Toronto was cancelled recently due to lack of interest, so let’s don our gold and blue and show the hockey world how we do things down South!

The Closing Bell Wall St. Pub is located at 1524 Demonbreun Street, Nashville, TN 37203.  They can be reached by telephone at 615.255.6004. The venue is non-smoking (smoking allowed on the patio outdoors), has an average menu price of about $9.50/dish (for full menu, click here), will suspend the 21-and-up policy so those with minor children can attend the event, and will be postponing their previously-scheduled live music booking JUST FOR US!

Attendees are encouraged to bring a device with them from which to “tweet” during the event — that means BlackBerries, iPhones and iPodTouch, and laptops (although we aren’t sure that Closing Bell has wi-fi; please call in advance to confirm).  Guests are also encouraged to bring cameras to upload photos of the event!

PLEASE remember to use BOTH the #nhltweetup AND #nhltweetnsh hashtags when tweeting about and at the event!

So come on out and watch the game with us — Preds fans and Detroit transplants off all shapes and sizes alike are welcome! If you haven’t done so already, please RSVP by clicking here. We look forward to seeing you there — LET’S GO PREDATORS!