from David Ammenheuser of The Tennessean,

An open letter to Nashville Predators CEO Jeff Cogen and team President Sean Henry:...

The Jan. 30-31 All-Star weekend is your opportunity for the NHL and the Predators to grow that fan base.

In my 30-plus years as a journalist, I've attended several major professional sports' all-star events. Some were terrific (Cincinnati, this week, was the latest); some were lousy.

I missed an opportunity earlier this year and did not get to Columbus for the Blue Jackets' NHL All-Star Weekend. I got mixed reviews from some fans who attended. One suggestion I heard from the fans: Don't try to duplicate Columbus' 175-foot snow slide. After the first day, I heard it was more brown than it was white. Ugh.

You have a unique opportunity. Many NHL cities have waited more than 30 years to host an all-star event. Some franchises have never been awarded the game.

As you know, not every hockey fan will have an opportunity to buy a ticket to the NHL Skills Competition on Jan. 30 or the All-Star Game on Jan. 31.

The key for you, the NHL and the local organizing committee is to have more public events than you think are necessary. Take a look at your latest list. Then add 10 more.

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