Predators Bring in a New Bench Boss

- Nashville, TN 

At last! For the first time in Predators history, the management brass and the fans of Nashville feel like they have some stability behind the bench. After ex-head coach Bill Peters had a very short stint in the inaugural season with the Preds, only to be replaced by Dave Cameron - who also didn't pan out and who's contract expired this summer. The Nashville Predators announced that they have hired Mike Sullivan to a 3 year deal to become the 3rd coach in Predators history. 

"This feels really good. I think, for all parties involved. We look at Mike Sullivan and we feel he's the perfect piece to the puzzle. And we feel Mike feels the same way, for him to finally get a legitimate opportunity to be a head coach in the EHE." GM Wolf said. 

Mike Sullivan was hired as an interim coach for the Anaheim Ducks to start the 2015-2016 season, but was surprisingly demoted to an assistant coach after just 13 games with the Ducks by then GM Karins Simanis, who is no longer with Anaheim. Karins Simanis at the time had flat out said to media "Sullivan isn't a good coach" yet kept Sullivan on his coaching staff. A very awkward situation for Mike to be in. "That was a kick to the gut, for sure. And to not even be shown the door and kept on the coaching staff as an assistant. It was an embarassing year. I just bit my lip and began helping the team to the best of my abilities to earn a better opportunity in the off-season."

To no surprise, Karins Simanis soon after abandon the Ducks and GM Scott Smith took over. "Smith and I had a mutual understanding and a solid relationship. He was well aware of the past situation with Simanis, which he agreed I was treated unfairly. He was kind and allowed me to work alongside Bill Peters, head coach of the Ducks, and we had an understanding that it was better for me to get the experience as an assistant and look for a new opportunity in the summer. So my time with Anaheim wasn't entirely negative at the end. I thank Scott Smith for that." Mike Sullivan said at his press conference. 

"Their loss means my gain", GM Wolf chimed in. "I am ecstatic that after that debacle in Anaheim, Sullivan lands here with the Predators. After that roller coaster of a year; he can come into Nashville, buy a house, settle his family here, and make the Predators his team moving forward. We're extremely thrilled to have stability behind the bench now, and not just any coach. Sullivan is a winner, and he allows his players to play their game, he doesn't limit their abilities. We have some highly offensive players on our team now. The Connor McDavid era is about to start in Nashville and we feel Sullivan will let a player like McDavid just play his game. This was very important in our decision to bring Sullivan here." 

With Sullivan now behind the bench, and McDavid set to begin his career in the 2016-2017 season, the Predators may very well be a team to look out for moving forward....