from Nate Rau of The Tennessean,

Attorneys for Nashville Predators part-owner David Freeman argued Wednesday that his lawsuit seeking to recoup the hockey club and Chairman Tom Cigarran should stay in a Nashville court — not be sent to the NHL for arbitration.

In fact, Freeman's case for keeping the lawsuit in Nashville hinges at least in part on the complicated legal argument that he's not technically an owner, but rather an investor in a trust that owns a portion of the Predators.

It's a critical point for Freeman, because he and others who buy an NHL franchise sign agreements dictating that their business disputes will be considered in arbitration hearings overseen by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

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