NASHVILLE PREDATORS OPEN 2012-13 SEASON ON OCT. 12 AT DETROIT
-Nashville plays home opener on Saturday, Oct. 13 vs. St. Louis;
Season Tickets and Dunkin’ Donuts Flex Plans now on sale-

Nashville, Tenn. (June 21, 2012) – The National Hockey League released the 2012-13 regular-season schedule today and the Nashville Predators will open their 15th season on the road – the fourth road start in the last five seasons – at Detroit (Friday, Oct. 12), before playing their home opener the next night on Saturday, Oct. 13 when they host the St. Louis Blues. The Predators will play 13 Saturday home games in 2012-13.

Nashville opens the season with eight of its first 12 games on the road from Oct. 12-Nov. 6, during which time the team sees their longest road trip of the season – a seven game trip that is also the longest in franchise history – from Oct. 22 to Nov. 6 to accommodate the CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena. The team will also be on the road from March 12-March 17 to accommodate the 2013 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Predators’ heaviest home months will be in November and February (eight games, respectively), while December is the most road heavy (nine games). The club will get an eight-day break from Jan. 22-30 as the League hosts the 2012 All-Star Weekend on Jan. 26-27 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

The Predators will again play all other 29 teams in the NHL at least once in 2012-13. Nashville will play its Central Division rivals six times – three at home and three away – while taking on the Western Conference’s other 10 teams twice at home and twice on the road.

This season, the Predators’ three “wild card” opponents from the Eastern Conference, with whom they will play both home and away contests against, all hail from the Southeast Division with the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals taking on the Preds twice this season. The Predators will also receive visits from Eastern Conference foes Pittsburgh (Saturday, Oct. 20), New York Islanders (Thursday, Nov. 15), New York Rangers (Thursday, Nov. 29), Philadelphia (Thursday, Dec. 27), Boston (Monday, Feb. 18) and Ottawa (Tuesday, March 5). They’ll travel to Original Six stalwarts the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, Nov. 19 and Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, Dec. 13.

“With the release of the 2012-13 schedule comes another year of exciting Predators hockey,” Bridgestone Arena and Nashville Predators CEO Jeff Cogen said. “This schedule is full of visits from traditional rivals Detroit and Chicago and recent playoff foes in the Phoenix Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks, along with rare visits from Eastern Conference powers Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. With all this heart-pounding action, Smashville will once again be the hottest ticket in Nashville!”

The 2012-13 schedule is again highlighted by three visits each from the division rival Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues. The 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings visit Nashville on Nov. 13 and Jan. 21. The Philadelphia Flyers drop by Bridgestone Arena for a holiday game on Dec. 27 and the Phoenix Coyotes shouldn’t expect any love from Smashville when they come to town for a Valentine’s Day tilt on Feb. 14.

The schedule includes 11 sets of back-to-back games, the same total of two-games-in-two-nights scenarios from a season ago. The Predators play eight of their final 13 games at home and will close out the home portion of their schedule with a Fan Appreciation game on April 11 vs. the Detroit Red Wings. The team wraps up the 2011-12 campaign on the road for the sixth time in seven seasons, playing at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, where they closed the 2002-03 season as well.

Thirty-six of Nashville’s 41 home games fall on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Face-off for most Predators home contests will be at 7 p.m. (Central time) with the two exceptions being a pair of 5 p.m. starts against the Kings on Jan. 21 the Bruins on Feb. 18.

Season tickets for the 2012-13 Nashville Predators season in Smashville are on sale now and start at just $24 per game. Great interest-free payment plans are currently available for Full Season and Half Season packages. You can also create your own ticket plan with the Dunkin’ Donuts Flex 12 Plan by selecting 12 games that fit your personal schedule. To order tickets to the Nashville Predators, visit nashvillepredators.com/seasonticket or contact a ticket representative at 615-770-7800. Information on ticket availability for individual games will be announced later this summer.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS 2012-13 SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES CENTRAL.

SCHEDULE NOTES:
The Central Division Rival Detroit Red Wings visit Nashville: Dec. 15, March 28, and April 11

Nashville hosts 2012 Playoff foe Phoenix: Feb. 14 and March 19

The Philadelphia Flyers make just their sixth visit to Nashville in the last 12 years: Dec. 27

Alexander Ovechkin, former Pred Joel Ward and the Washington Capitals come to town: Dec. 29

Longest home stand: Four games – Four times

Longest road trip: Seven games – Oct. 22-Nov. 6

Home game start times: 7 p.m. Central time (with the exception of Jan. 21 and Feb. 18 which are 5 p.m. starts).

Predators Eastern Conference Wild Card Opponents (play both at home and on the road): Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington

No home games vs. Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Carolina, New Jersey, Buffalo

No road games vs. Pittsburgh, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Boston and Ottawa.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Chicago: Jan. 8, Jan. 19, Apr. 6
At Chicago: Nov. 2, Dec. 26, Apr. 4
Columbus: Nov. 24, Jan. 12, Mar 23
At Columbus: Nov. 23, Jan. 17, Mar. 12
Detroit: Dec. 15, March 28, April 11
At Detroit: Oct. 12, Jan. 4, March 26
St. Louis: Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Feb. 28
At St. Louis: Nov. 17, Jan. 11, Apr. 2

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Anaheim: Feb. 7, Feb. 16
At Anaheim: Oct. 22, Jan. 30
Calgary: Nov. 8, Dec. 11
At Calgary: Dec. 9, March 15
Colorado: Oct. 16, April 1
At Colorado: Oct. 27, March 30
Dallas: Nov. 21, Jan. 15
At Dallas: Dec. 31, April 13
Edmonton: Nov. 27, Feb. 26
At Edmonton: Dec. 4, March 17
Los Angeles: Nov. 13, Jan. 21
At Los Angeles: Oct. 23, Jan. 31
Minnesota: Dec. 1, March 9
At Minnesota: Jan. 5, Feb. 19
Phoenix: Feb. 14, March 19
At Phoenix: Oct. 25, Jan. 2
San Jose: March 21, April 9
At San Jose: Oct. 30, Feb 2
Vancouver: Oct. 18, Feb. 22
At Vancouver: Dec. 6, March 14

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston: Feb. 18
At Buffalo: March 2
At Carolina: Dec. 20
Florida: Feb. 12
At Florida: Dec. 23
At Montreal: Nov. 19
At New Jersey: Feb. 24
NY Islanders: Nov. 15
NY Rangers: Nov. 29
Ottawa: March 5
Philadelphia: Dec. 27
Pittsburgh: Oct. 20
Tampa Bay: Dec. 18
At Tampa Bay: Dec. 22
At Toronto: Dec. 13
Washington: Dec. 29
At Washington: Feb. 9
At Winnipeg: Nov. 6