|
COPYRIGHT 2004 Century Publishing
THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH PLAYING hockey in Nashville: Nobody follows the team. The franchise hasn't done much in its six-year history so the players have little following in the city or around the country.
That was certainly the case with goaltender Tomas Vokoun. But the situation seems to have changed this year with his stellar and consistent play.
The 6', 195-pound Vokoun appeared in the All-Star game for the Western Conference and guided the Predators to their first-ever playoff appearance, And while he gained some notoriety for his trash talking in the first-round series against Detroit, what really stood out was his gritty play.
He helped underdog Nashville push Detroit, as the Predators won two games before they bowed out. At age 28, Nashville management and coaches think Vokoun, who was born in what is now the Czech Republic, could be a perennial All-Star.
"To me, he is just coming into his prime," Nashville GM David Poile says. "I think he bas as much potential as any goalie on his way up in the league."
Poile is counting on the workhorse Vokoun to act as the backbone of a group of hard-working young players who he hopes will propel Nashville well beyond the...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
|
Bookmark this article
Print this article
Link to this article
Email this article
Digg It!
Add to del.icio.us
RSS
