Nate Rau and Michael Cass

nrau@tennessean.com;

Nashville's selection as a host city for a future National Hockey League All-Star game appears imminent, says the city's top tourism executive.

Convention and Visitors Corp. President and CEO Butch Spyridon said there have been ongoing discussions with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about bringing the game to Music City.

Spyridon said the CVC has even set aside $100,000 in its event marketing fund for the All-Star game, which brings the league's top players.

"I think if you ask the Predators, they would tell you I might be considered a relentless broken record," Spyridon said. "We do not have an answer (yet), but every single person involved feels like it's imminent."

Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling also confirmed that the game could be in Nashville as soon as 2016.

Riebeling said Dean told Bettman during a meeting in Nashville last year that the city wants to host an All-Star game before long. Riebeling considers it a matter of "when, not if."

Metro helped keep the Predators in Nashville when Dean renegotiated their lease at Bridgestone Arena soon after taking office in 2007. Riebeling said the city wants the NHL to return the favor.

"We've made it clear that we deserve it, and it would be really good for the franchise," he said. "They've sort of implied that they appreciate the mayor and the city stepping up to keep the team here, so the conversation's always been, 'Well, we did that; we want this in return.' "

It's unclear when a decision might come from the league, Spyridon said. Predators spokesman Gerry Helper declined to comment and referred to the franchise's previous public statements about desires to bring the game here.

Bettman has said in the past that Nashville would host the game at some point. Stakeholders believe the opening of Music City Center last year is key to bringing the game here.

"I don't mind saying I feel good," Spyridon said. "I mean he commissioner has said we'll get one. He has just not said when he'll tell us and what year."

The league announced that the 2015 game will be in Columbus; there was no game this year because of the Winter Olympics. Spyridon said 2016 made sense for Nashville from a "scheduling standpoint."

Nashville has been on a hot streak for bringing in sporting events that have a high economic impact. The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl had a $19.6 million impact on the local economy last year, and the NCAA Women's Final Four in town this week is anticipated to have an impact of around $25 million.

Nashville will host the SEC men's basketball tournament nine times from 2015 to 2025.

Such events are attractive because they bring in out-of-town fans for extended stays.

The NHL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and on Twitter @tnnaterau. Reach Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 and on Twitter @tnmetro.