Press Release

Nashville, Tenn. (July 24, 2012) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward Colin WIlson to a three-year, $6 million contract. The Greenwich, Conn., native will

make $1.5 million in 2012-13, $2 million in 2013-14 and $2.5 million in 2014-15.

Wilson, 22 (10/20/89), set career highs in assists (20) and points (35) while scoring 16 goals in 2011-12. The 6-1, 212-pounder also tied for second on the Predators in game-winning goals (5), and fourth on the club in power-play goals (5) this past season. In 185 career NHL contests since the start of the 2009-10 season, Wilson has 84 points (39g-45a).

Nashville’s first choice, seventh overall (first round), in the 2008 Entry Draft spent two seasons at Boston University prior to joining the Predators (2007-09), helping the Terriers win the 2009 NCAA National Championship and being named USA Hockey College Player of the Year in the process. Wilson was Team USA’s Most Outstanding Player at the 2009 World Junior Championships and was the only current college player to represent the Red, White and Blue at the 2009 World Championships.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (June 23, 2012) – The Nashville Predators made nine selections on Day Two of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., taking six forwards, two defensemen and a goaltender. Sweden, the United States a

nd Finland were once again on the Predators draft radar – the franchise has now selected at least one Swede in seven consecutive drafts, at least two U.S.-born players in each of the last seven drafts, and a Finn in nine of the last 10.

“We took a variety of different players and different styles from scorers, to power guys, to a guy we have talked about for three years, in addition to a couple big defensemen,” Predators Assistant General Manager Paul Fenton said. “We were trying to fill in the slots that we have more-or-less lost the last couple of years making trades with our draft picks. To be able to pick up nine players and fill the cupboard back up, we feel really good about things.”

The Predators used their first selection (37th overall) of Day Two to select, Pontus Aberg from Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League (Elitserien). After being slowed by injuries in 2011-12, the Stockholm, Sweden native finished the season rated sixth among European skaters on Central Scouting’s final list. Aberg posted 15 points (8g-7a) in 47 games with Djurgarden this past season, earning an Elitserien Rookie of the Year Nomination. The 5-11, 189-pound forward also saw time with Djurgarden’s junior club in 2011-12, amassing six points (4g-2a) in six games. Aberg becomes the Pred in the system to hone his skills with Djurgarden – current Predator Patric Hornqvist and prospect Patrick Cehlin both played with the club.

“He plays a two-way game, but looking at him he is probably more offensive than anything,” Predators European Scout Lucas Bergman said of Aberg. “He has one-on-one ability, he can challenge the defense, he gets pucks off of his stick quick and all of those things are very attractive.”

The Predators stayed on the offensive side with their second pick (50th overall), selecting Colton Sissons of the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets, the same junior club that produced Predators Captain Shea Weber (selected 49th overall in the 2003 NHL Draft).

The Rockets captain and 14th-rated North American skater notched 41 points (26g-15a) for the second consecutive season in 2011-12. Sissons’ 26 goals – including a team-high 13 power-play tallies – ranked second on the team. The dynamic, hard-working forward – who models his game after current Predator Mike Fisher – posted two points (1g-1a) in four WHL playoff games after being injured during the 2012 CHL Top Prospects Game.

“Colton Sissons is a hard-playing forward, who played both center and winger with Kelowna,” Predators North American amateur scout Glen Sanders said. “He is a bit of a grinder, he can score goals and we liked the fact that he plays a lot like Mike Fisher. They made him the captain of the Kelowna Rockets at 17 years old; that was a big step and it shows the character that he plays with.”

Nashville selected U.S.-born Jimmy Vesey with its first pick of the third round (66th overall). The Reading, Mass., native played in his first season with South Shore of Eastern Junior Hockey League in 2011-12. He finished the season as the EJHL’s Most Valuable Player and earned Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the League in points (91) and goals (48). The 6-1, 194-pound winger led his team to the EJHL’s semifinals, posting eight points (5g-3a) in six playoff games. Vesey’s performance late in the season saw him move from the 164th-rated player at the mid-term to the 77th ranked player on Central Scouting’s final rankings. He is expected to return to Boston to play for Harvard University in 2012-13. (more…)

Nashville, Tenn. (June 18, 2012) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed goaltender and 2011 second-round pick  Magnus Hellberg (MAG-nuhs HEL-buhrg) to an entry

-level contract.

Hellberg, 21 (4/4/91), played his first season with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League (Elitserien) in 2011-12, posting a 2.64 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. He also saw action last season with Frolunda’s junior team and Orebro of Sweden’s second league (Allsvenskan). The 6-5, 185-pound native of Uppsala, Sweden led all juniors and ranked second among all Allvenskan netminders in save percentage (.936) and goals-against average (2.04) with Almtuna in 2010-11, in addition to ranking fourth in Sweden’s second division in shutouts (5).

Nashville’s first choice, 38th overall (second round), in the 2011 Entry Draft led the Swedish Junior League in save percentage (.928), goals-against average (1.97), shutouts (4) and games played (22) with the Almtuna Under-20 squad in 2009-10.

Nashville, Tenn. (June 5, 2012) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed 2010 draft pick Patrick Cehlin (PAT-rihk SAY-lihn) to a three-year entry-level contract.

Cehlin is expected to play his first season in North America in 2012-13.

Cehlin, 20 (7/27/91), ranked fourth on Djurgarden in both goals (10) and plus/minus rating (+1) during his third season in the Swedish Elite League (Elitserien) in 2011-12. In 2011-12, the 5-11, 170-pound right wing tied for fifth among Elitserien junior players in points (16) and assists (12), and during his rookie season on the senior circuit (2009-10), the Huddinge, Sweden native helped Djurgarden reach the League finals and earn a silver medal.

Nashville’s third choice, 126th overall (fifth round), in 2010 Entry Draft also has represented his homeland in a pair of international competitions in the last four years: he was named one of Sweden’s three best players of the 2011 World Junior Championships while tying for team lead in points (4g-2a-6pts) and tying for fifth in the tournament in goals (4), and tied for first at the 2009 U-18 World Championships in penalty minutes (37) while posting four points (2g-2a) in six games.