The National Hockey League has failed to respond to multiple questions posed by The Tennessee Star Monday morning concerning whether or not the Nashville Predators’ endorsement of Acting Mayor David Briley in Thursday’s special mayoral election in Nashville/Davidson County violates league bylaws.
An employee of the NHL acknowledged receipt of the questions early Monday morning, and promised the league would respond “in due course,” but as of the publication of this story early Tuesday morning, no such response has been forthcoming.
Here are the questions posed to the NHL by The Star:
1. Did the Nashville Predators ask the NHL for permission to make this endorsement of Acting Mayor David Briley or notify the NHL the endorsement would be made?
2. If so, what was the NHL’s official response to the Nashville Predators?
3. Does the Predators’ endorsement of Acting Mayor David Briley violate the bylaws of the NHL, specifically as those bylaws relate to promoting good relations within the community a franchise serves? Many residents of the Metro Nashville area–if not the majority–consider this endorsement a highly divisive act within the community by the Predators.
4. Did the NHL grant the Predators permission to use the Predators logo and mascot in the video in which Predators CEO Sean Henry announced the franchise’s endorsement of Acting Mayor David Briley?
This statement from the official NHL website suggests such permission would be required : “All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises.”
5. If such permission was required and was not granted, what punitive action will the NHL take against the Nashville Predators franchise?
“The NHL is apparently trying to run out the clock so they don’t have to publicly respond to these important questions before Thursday’s special mayoral election.,” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said about the league’s failure to respond.
“But regardless of the outcome and Thursday’s election, the questions will not go away, and the damage the Predators have done to their brand won’t melt away anytime soon,” Gill concluded.
The Star gave the NHL multiple opportunities to respond prior to and well beyond our 5 pm Monday deadline, but beyond acknowledging the receipt of our first email, and notifying us that a key executive in the public relations department would be our contact, the NHL offered no further communications.
