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Blackhawks fans invade Nashville in large numbers (again)

Blackhawks fans travel in large packs to opposing stadiums. It’s what happens when your team is fun, fast, entertaining and has won two Stanley Cups since 2010.

But for whatever reason, Hawks fans seem to travel exceptionally well to Nashville.

A lot has to do with proximity either by car – eight hour drive – or by air – 50 minute flight. It also helps that Southwest Airlines has an incredible amount of direct flights from Midway Airport to Nashville.

Last season the Predators tried a campaign to ‘Keep the Red Out’ where if you bought a ticket to a Predators/Blackhawks game, you had to buy one for a non-Predators/Blackhawks game later in the year.

The deal was in some ways a success, because two of the three games were sellouts, though Hawks fans still dominated the crowds.

Most of Thursday, the Predators official team Twitter had been informing fans about how to get rid of their red outfits for the evening's game between the two teams.

Below is the new campaign to make it ‘harder’ for Chicago fans to go to Nashville games via email from the Predators:

-Game was included in all season-ticket packages, to make sure the Loyal Legion had tickets to the game.

-Pre-sale opportunities to season-ticket holders, first access to buy game individual game tickets (this game included)

-Single-game buyers in viewing area opportunity to buy game through pre-sale codes

-Individual tickets went on sale at Bridgestone Arena only, [so] people in Nashville would have opportunity to buy single game tickets (including this game), first

-Following all of the above, tickets went on sale to the general public/outer market.

And the promotions!

- Free popcorn to any fans wearing gold

- Turn in any red item to Fan Information and get a Preds ticket voucher (one voucher per person). Red items will be donated to the Chicago Rescue Mission

-Turn in a Hawks sweater and receive a Preds sweatshirt

When it comes to the Predators – or any NHL team – if a building is full, a promotion clearly works. And there actually seemed to be fewer Blackhawks fans at the Thursday game than usual per the iPhone photo from the Preds press box from the start of the contest at the bottom of the page.

But in this golden age of the Blackhawks, and Southwest Airlines, good luck in keeping their fans out of any building.

Bridgestone Arena in Nashville from a Thursday Oct. 23 game between the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks. Photo by Josh Cooper 
Bridgestone Arena in Nashville from a Thursday Oct. 23 game between the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks. Photo by Josh Cooper