Smashville Scope: November 26

The moment Mathieu Olivier stepped on the ice at Bridgestone Arena in a Nashville Predators uniform on Nov. 19, he set an NHL first.
A few nights later, his assist on a goal from Colton Sissons on Saturday evening in St. Louis saw him attain another mark that had never been accomplished before in League history.
OK, so there is a technicality in these feats. Although he calls Quebec City and the surrounding area home, Olivier was actually born in Biloxi, Mississippi, back in February of 1997 when his father, Simon, was skating for the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL.

Olivier says he was a resident of the Magnolia State for all of three months before returning to Canada for the summer. So, while he spent a very limited amount of time in one of Tennessee's neighboring territories, his birthplace did help him into the NHL record books.
The 22-year-old forward is the first Mississippi-born player to ever appear in an NHL game, and subsequently, the first to ever record a point as well.

Olivier knows it's not much, but it's something nonetheless, and he's still proud to have been born in a state where hockey is far from king. He also resided in places like Oklahoma City and Houston as a young lad, with his father moving from team to team during his career. While Mathieu was still too young to play hockey in those locales growing up, he says he always thought he might return to the south one day, whether it was for the sport or otherwise.
That became a possibility when he signed his first NHL deal with the Preds back in May, and now he's gotten a taste of how special it is to play hockey in Music City, U.S.A.
"I've had a few games now in the building, so I know how incredible that is," Olivier said of Bridgestone Arena. "I'm definitely super happy to be here, and it's been incredible just feeding off the atmosphere, like [Monday against St. Louis] in overtime, it was insane. I know it's definitely something special."

Duchene's Hockey Tonk Debuts

It was only a matter of time until Matt Duchene combined his profession with his love of country music to make his new city a better place. Earlier this week, with the help of the Nashville Predators Foundation, the Preds centerman unveiled a brand-new initiative that will do just that.
In Duchene's own words from a post on Instagram: "Last weekend, with the help of the Preds] and [Predators Foundation], I launched my suite inside [Bridgestone Arena], Duchene's Hockey Tonk. For a collection of games this season, I will be hosting families with a child that is sick or has been sick, along with their siblings. The emphasis of their night in Duchene's Hockey Tonk is to give not only the affected child an awesome night out to watch us play, but also their siblings, who have to take a bit of a 'back seat' while their brother or sister fights their battle with their illness.
"My goal is for all of the kids in the family to have the same, awesome experience regardless of their circumstance... whether they're the ones that are fighting or they're on the sidelines supporting their sibling the best they can. To top it all off, they get to watch the game with a Country Music Star. [Jordan Davis] was our guest artist for night 1 and I couldn't be more grateful to him for how amazing he was with the kids. Night 2 is tomorrow night, and my buddy [Russell Dickerson] will be in with the kids. I can't wait to continue to watch this thing grow. My wife and I feel so blessed to be able to make an impact on some awesome kids in our new home city of Nashville! Stay tuned for more pics and info!"
Duchene has already posted twice on the experiences, and with his seven-season deal still in the early stages, there are sure to be countless memories made in the weeks, months and years to come.
[Instagram from @matt9duchene: Last weekend, with the help of the @predsnhl and @predsfoundation , I launched my suite inside @bridgestonearenaofficial , Duchene's Hockey Tonk. For a collection of games this season, I will be hosting families with a child that is sick or has been sick, along with their siblings. The emphasis of their night in Duchene's Hockey Tonk is to give not only the affected child an awesome night out to watch us play, but also their siblings, who have to take a bit of a 'back seat' while their brother or sister fights their battle with their illness. My goal is for all of the kids in the family to have the same, awesome experience regardless of their circumstance... whether they're the ones that are fighting or they're on the sidelines supporting their sibling the best they can. To top it all off, they get to watch the game with a Country Music Star. @jordandavisofficial was our guest artist for night 1 and I couldn't be more grateful to him for how amazing he was with the kids. Night 2 is tomorrow night, and my buddy @russelled will be in with the kids. I can't wait to continue to watch this thing grow. My wife and I feel so blessed to be able to make an impact on some awesome kids in our new home city of Nashville! Stay tuned for more pics and info! #DuchenesHockeyTonk
Instagram from @matt9duchene: Night ✌🏻 of #DuchenesHockeyTonk . Huge thanks to my buddy @russelled for coming out to hang with the kids! Glad you all got to see a big W!

Deals, Deals, Deals - Gold Friday Sales Already Underway

It's time for the hottest Preds bargains of the season.
Between brand-new ticket packages and promotions, Team Store and NashvilleLockerRoom.com discounts and multiple family-friendly events on Friday and Saturday, there's sure to be something to satisfy every member of the family.
Season-Ticket Citizens can already take advantage of the exclusive offers before everyone may access the deals on Friday.
Click here for more information
on just some of the options available, and start planning your Gold Friday now. Check your email for details on how to login and access the sale.

Can't Stop, Won't Stop:

The Admirals keep playing, and the W's keep coming.
Milwaukee will try for its 11th-straight win on Wednesday night when they host the Manitoba Moose, a mark that would set a franchise record for consecutive victories.
Daniel Carr, who is the team's leading scorer, was recalled to Nashville on Monday, but the Ads still have plenty of firepower. Eeli Tolvanen had two goals in Milwaukee's 10th straight win, and Rem Pitlick has five goals in his last five games. Pitlick, Cole Schneider, Yakov Trenin, Colin Blackwell, Alexandre Carrier, Tommy Novak, Laurent Dauphin and Matt Donovan have all hit double digits in points.
Milwaukee's goaltending continues to be stellar as well; both Troy Grosenick and Connor Ingram have won seven games, and their .932 and .929 save percentages rank second and fourth in the AHL, respectively.

Country Classic Women's Division One College Hockey Showcase Coming to Nashville:

You'll probably need a break from all the eating and shopping - and eating - on Thanksgiving weekend. Even though the Predators will be out of town, you can still get your hockey fix here at home.
The inaugural Country Classic will be held at Ford Ice Center Bellevue on Nov. 29 and 30, featuring some of the top collegiate teams in the game. This D1 women's hockey showcase will feature four clubs: Harvard Crimson, University of Minnesota Gophers, Wisconsin Badgers and Boston College Eagles.
Each team will play once on Friday and once on Saturday with puck drops coming at 1 and 4:30 p.m. CT.
Tickets are now available online
for $15 per game or $50 for a full weekend pass.

Watson & Olivier Mic'd Up:

After Austin Watson sported a microphone on the ice during Nashville's most recent contest against Chicago, Mathieu Olivier took a turn during his NHL debut against the Winnipeg Jets. As always, the on-ice sound never fails to disappoint.

Goal of the Week:

Save of the Week:

Quote of the Week:

Nick Bonino on the Predators putting together a winning streak after ending their losing skid:
"We have to string them together now. Winning one isn't enough. You look at the standings and it's a very tough division. It's tough, but for them to tie it up and put our back against the wall, I'm just happy we got those two points and just gave them one."

Shot of the Week:

…and there's more where that came from.
Preds vs. Jets Photo Gallery
Preds vs. Canucks Photo Gallery
Preds at Blues Photo Gallery
Preds vs. Blues Photo Gallery

The Week Ahead:

Wednesday vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 7 p.m. CT
TV:Fox Sports Tennessee Radio:102.5 The Game
Buy Tickets
Friday at Carolina Hurricanes, 6:30 p.m. CT
TV:Fox Sports Tennessee Radio: 102.5 The Game
Saturday at Florida Panthers, 6 p.m. CT
TV: Fox Sports Tennessee Radio:102.5 The Game

Predators Official Podcast, Episode 62:

Brooks Bratten and Thomas Willis try to answer some of the questions surrounding the Predators' losing streak in November. Craig Custance of The Athletic joins the show to look around the Central Division and analyze where the Predators sit within it. Plus, the podcast reviews the recent GM meetings and ranks Thanksgiving side dishes.

Upcoming Bridgestone Arena Events:

Looking for more than just hockey at the home of the Preds? Here's what's coming to Bridgestone Arena.
This Week's Shows:
Nov. 29: 2019 Music City Showdown: Western Kentucky vs Louisville Men's Basketball.
Click here for tickets
.
Dec. 2: WWE Monday Night Raw.
Click here for tickets
.
Coming Soon:
Post Malone, The Runaway Tour - March 4, 2020.
Click here for tickets
.
The Doobie Brothers 50th Anniversary Tour - June 17, 2020. Tickets on sale Friday, Dec. 5.
Click here for details
.

Week in Review:

Carr Takes Fresh Outlook on Game, Wants to Contribute to Preds Success
Recap: Preds Beat Blues in Shootout to Sweep Home-and-Home Set
Predators Give Thanks to Best Fans in Sports with Gold Friday Deals
Recap: Preds Snap Losing Streak, Beat Blues in St. Louis
Ford Ice Center Bellevue to Host Country Classic Women's Hockey Tourney
Hockey Fights Cancer: Tim Phinney Living Out Trip's Dream