NHLBAMIdaJulie1

Ida Björnstad was a sports broadcaster, trying to tell the best stories she could, when she met Mattias Ekholm.
But it was only after the two began dating, and then became engaged, that Björnstad realized there was so much more to most stories that even the best reporters couldn't uncover.
Now, she's teaming up with Julie Turris, wife of Predators center Kyle Turris, to host Off the Ice with Ida and Julie, a brand-new podcast that aims to give listeners a peek into the lives of the significant others of Preds players - from people who are truly part of the inner-circle.

Available on
iTunes
, Spotify, iHeartRadio and other podcast delivery services, the first episode is live now, and a new one will debut every Wednesday morning. It's a groundbreaking viewpoint from those who know the players best, and they can't wait to bring fans even closer to the game we all love.
"It feels like we have so much to tell behind the scenes in this hockey world," Björnstad said. "When I started seeing Mattias, I started to realize that this is a whole new world for me, living behind the scenes like this. We have so many stories that need to be told in this hockey world, so that's why we decided to start a podcast. We just want to give the fans another point of view of the world of ice hockey."
Additionally, every guest on the show will auction off a unique item with the proceeds going to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.
Kristen Laviolette, wife of Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette, is the special guest for episode one, and she shares what her role entails as the coach's wife with an NHL team.
"I want to do this professionally, I want to do it with good content and I want to do this for people so they can actually get something out of it," Björnstad said. "When they have been listening to podcast, I want them to feel like, 'OK, I actually got something from this today.'"
Originally from Sweden, Björnstad admits she is nervous to be stepping out of her comfort zone to co-host in English. However, there is also passion and a sense of excitement to do something that has never been done before.
"I'm very proud to be part of the Nashville Predators organization, because I'm not sure that every team in this League would support a thing like this," Björnstad said. "I'm very thankful, and I think it's very cool that the Preds are supporting this. We are actually doing something unique, and I think it's great."