Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie has inadvertently done as much to help keep the Preds in Nashville as nearly anyone:

Balsillie, the former co-chairman of Blackberry maker Research In Motion, had been in line last year to buy the Predators from former owner Craig Leipold. That deal fell through, however, when Balsillie angered many in the NHL, including Leipold, for making overt plans to move the team to Canada. He had a similar situation occur in 2006 when he attempted to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The end result of Balsillie’s actions bought time for a group of local investors led by businessman David Freeman to put together a deal to purchase the team. [Emphasis added.]

I don’t like reading that Balsillie is once again lurking and looking to relocate Nashville’s NHL franchise, but I do like seeing the side effects: Every time Balsillie’s name appears in local headlines, it’s a reminder to all of us who care about the Predators that we have to keep doing everything we can to support the team. It would be easy for the city to let its guard down now that the franchise is under local ownership. Thanks to Balsillie, that may never happen.