Smashville Scope: April 1

Week No. 3 of the pause to the 2019-20 NHL season has arrived, and with that, the news cycle continues to change regularly with updates.
NHL players and staff continue to self-isolate at home, with the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche being the only two organizations to announce players testing positive for COVID-19 to this point.
Last week, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated: "As we get closer to the [evolving] date [that has been set as a deadline to self-isolate], we're going to have to make decisions as to what to do then. We're biting this off in chunks."

On March 28,
NHL.com Columnist Nick Costonika published a story
that included quotes from Daly, as well as NHL chief medical officer Willem Meeuwisse.
From that piece: "Meeuwisse said the NHL would do its best to comply with guidelines in each place, and Deputy Commissioner Daly said the League would consider whether that would affect each team differently.
"'We have to try to do what is competitively fair to all the clubs and the players, quite frankly, as we continue to hold out hope that at some point we'll be able to resume play,' Deputy Commissioner Daly said. 'I don't have any hard and fast answers for you.'
"'As with everything else, we're going to have to kind of see how it all develops, and if there are anomalies such as that, we're going to have to try to work our way around that in ways that are sensible. I'm only going to be able to determine what's sensible in those situations at the time and knowing what the circumstances are.'"
The NHL does hope to award the Stanley Cup and crown a 2020 champion at some point, but time will well on that front.
Don't forget we've set up a page
here on NashvillePredators.com
with information on the NHL's pause to the 2019-20 season with a number of frequently asked questions. This page will continue to be updated in the days and weeks to come.

Thanks To The Heroes:

Monday marked National Doctors' Day, and now more than ever, it's important to show appreciation for those on the front lines fighting the virus.
A number of Predators players took a moment to stop and thank the doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and anyone else who is helping to save lives while keeping everyone safe. Take a look at a few of the messages below, and
view them all by clicking here
.

Fox Sports Tennessee Continuing to Air Top Preds Games:

There's a way to get your hockey fix, and it continues on Thursday night. Fox Sports Tennessee will be re-airing some of the top Predators games from the 2019-20 season, and the goalie goal is next up.
Pekka Rinne's first-career tally will be featured, as the Preds topped the Blackhawks in Chicago back in January, a 5-2 victory that was also John Hynes's first win as Nashville's head coach.
Another stellar goaltending performance - a 1-0 shutout win for Juuse Saros - will be featured on Sunday evening as the Preds defeated the Jets in Winnipeg. Sunday's contest also marks a virtual Predators Fan Appreciation Night. Stay tuned to @PredsNHL on social media in the coming days for details on how you can win Preds prizes.
Don't forget to interact on social media with Preds broadcasters during the game, and
click here for more information and a full schedule
.

High Praise for C-Mace:

Predators Captain Roman Josi was part of a video call put on by the NHL on Tuesday afternoon, and the defenseman had some high praise for a member of the Nashville organization.
Former Preds goaltender and current broadcaster Chris Mason was brought up by the call's moderator, and for good reason. The man known as "Mace" has been pumping out the content via his Twitter page (@cmace30), and many are taking notice.

"It's pretty funny," Josi said of Mason's videos. "If you know Mace, he's such a funny guy… I actually played with him for a year, and he's an awesome guy, really funny guy, and he definitely shows his personality on social media right now."
St. Louis Blue Captain Alex Pietrangelo, who was also on the call, couldn't help himself from chiming in on the subject.
"He's probably one of the nicest guys I've ever met," Pietrangelo said of Mason.
"He's one of the best teammates you could play with," Josi then continued. "He's such a funny guy and such a nice person."
Check out all of Mace's stellar work by

.

Josi Receives Recognition in NHLPA Player Poll:

We already know it in Nashville, and now the rest of the players in the NHL do too.
Roman Josi is one of the best in the world at what he does, and his peers made that known on Tuesday when the annual National Hockey League Players' Association Poll was released. Nearly 600 NHL players were surveyed on more than 20 hockey-related questions, including Best Defenseman.
Josi finished third in voting among players with more than 9 percent of the vote. Preds mascot GNASH also received a nod as he tied for second in voting among players in the Best Mascot category.
Over 20 questions were asked of the players, and it's always interesting to see their responses.
Click here to view the poll
.

Give With Us:

We may not be able to gather in person, but there are still ways to give back in these uncertain times.
In the coming days, during Fox Sports Tennessee re-aired games played on the Predators' originally scheduled game dates, the Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub will open their silent auction as planned, with all proceeds benefiting the Predators Foundation and Middle Tennessee relief efforts.
To view the auction, text 'PREDS' to 76278 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT on the following dates: Wednesday, April 1 and Saturday, April 4.
At
NashvilleLockerRoom.com
, fans can purchase a Nashville Strong T-shirt, sweatshirt or poster. Additionally, fans can donate monetarily to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, by visiting NashvillePredators.com/NashvilleStrong.

Predators Official Podcast:

Predators broadcaster and former player Chris Mason joins the POP to explain his experience with lockouts and staying ready to play hockey again. He also shares why he believes Roman Josi should win the Norris Trophy and analyzes the progression of Juuse Saros. Plus, Brooks Bratten and Thomas Willis take a Twitter debate into the studio: What is currently the biggest goal in Preds history?

Keep It Clean Out There:

Finally, take some advice from Predators Amateur Hockey & Fan Development Coordinator Andrew Serpico and keep it clean while practicing your skills during this hiatus. Win the day, and get two points.