50 Fun Facts About Nashville Predators

In which season did the Predators begin play?

The Predators began play in 1998-99, the first of the four franchises from the 1997 expansion to take the ice, because Nashville's arena was already finished.

Which NHL team did Nashville nearly lure to its new arena in 1995?

In 1995 Nashville offered the New Jersey Devils a $20 million relocation bonus to move into its new arena, but the Devils instead struck a new lease to stay in New Jersey.

Which Wisconsin businessman led the group awarded the Nashville franchise?

Craig Leipold, a businessman from Racine, Wisconsin, led the ownership group awarded the Nashville franchise in June 1997; he later sold the club and bought the Minnesota Wild.

Which former Capitals general manager became the Predators' first GM in July 1997?

David Poile, general manager of the Washington Capitals from 1982 to 1997, was hired as Nashville's first GM in July 1997 and ran the club until retiring in 2023.

Which minor-league club was the Predators' first head coach running when Nashville hired him in 1997?

Nashville's first head coach was running the Portland Pirates, the Capitals' AHL affiliate he had led to the 1994 Calder Cup, when the Predators hired him in August 1997.

The saber-toothed cat logo references a Smilodon skeleton found where in 1971?

Beneath a downtown Nashville bank site is where workers building the First American National Bank tower in 1971 broke into a cave holding Smilodon bones; that building later became the UBS Tower.

Which fan-submitted finalist lost the 1997 team-naming vote to the owner's own entry?

Ice Tigers was one of three fan finalists, alongside Fury and Attack, before the owner added his own entry, Predators, which won the 1997 vote.

Which goalie did Nashville claim in the 1998 expansion draft, then lose back to the Rangers?

Mike Richter, a pending free agent, was claimed from the Rangers by Nashville in the June 1998 expansion draft, then re-signed with New York, so the Predators never got him under contract.

Nashville lost its first-ever game 1-0 to which team on October 10, 1998?

The Florida Panthers beat Nashville 1-0 in the franchise's first game on October 10, 1998; the Predators' first win came three nights later, 3-2 over Carolina.

In which country did the Predators open the 2000-01 season with two games against Pittsburgh?

The Predators and Penguins opened the 2000-01 season in Japan, playing two games at the Saitama Super Arena outside Tokyo in October 2000.

With which pick of the 2003 draft, hosted in Nashville, did the Predators take Shea Weber?

Nashville took Shea Weber 49th overall in the 2003 draft, held in the Predators' own arena, on the same day it selected Ryan Suter seventh overall.

Which team ended Nashville's first playoff appearance in 2004?

The Detroit Red Wings beat Nashville in six games in the 2004 first round, the Predators' first playoff series, and eliminated them again in the 2008 first round.

Which free agent did Nashville sign in summer 2005, ahead of its 106-point 2005-06 season?

Paul Kariya signed with Nashville as a free agent in 2005 and led the team with 85 points as the Predators posted 106 points in 2005-06.

Which five-time All-Star did the Predators rent from Philadelphia at the 2007 deadline for Upshall, Parent and picks?

Peter Forsberg came from Philadelphia at the February 2007 deadline for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and two draft picks, but Nashville lost to San Jose in the first round for a second straight year.

Which Canadian billionaire tried to buy the Predators in 2007, allegedly to move them north?

Jim Balsillie, the Research In Motion co-CEO, agreed to buy the Predators in 2007 and took season-ticket deposits in Hamilton, Ontario, before the deal collapsed and a local group kept the team in Nashville.

Which minority owner's fraudulent loans led to a 97-month prison sentence?

William 'Boots' Del Biaggio, who bought a minority stake in 2007 with loans obtained through forged documents, was sentenced in 2009 to 97 months in federal prison for fraud.

Which goalie's 233-minute shutout streak in 2008 helped Nashville grab the final playoff spot?

Dan Ellis went more than 233 minutes without allowing a goal in March 2008, at the time the fifth-longest shutout streak in NHL history, as Nashville clinched the West's final playoff spot.

Which Russian forward was suspended in 2008 for signing with Salavat Yulaev Ufa while under Predators contract?

Alexander Radulov left for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in 2008 with a year left on his Nashville deal, returned in 2012, and was suspended again after a late-night Scottsdale bar sighting during the 2012 playoffs.

Which defenseman did Nashville select 38th overall in the 2008 draft?

Roman Josi, a Swiss defenseman, went 38th overall to Nashville in the 2008 draft and was named the team's captain in September 2017.

Which team beat Nashville in the franchise's first second-round series in 2011?

The Vancouver Canucks, that season's Presidents' Trophy winners, beat Nashville in six games in the 2011 second round after the Predators had eliminated Anaheim for their first series win.

Which team's 14-year, $110 million offer sheet to Shea Weber did Nashville match in 2012?

Nashville matched the Philadelphia Flyers' 14-year, $110 million offer sheet to Shea Weber in July 2012; the deal was front-loaded with $68 million in signing bonuses.

Which franchise original, then its all-time leading scorer, was traded to Detroit in 2014?

David Legwand, the first player Nashville ever drafted (second overall in 1998), was the club's career points leader when he was traded away in March 2014.

Which forward came from Columbus in 2016 in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones?

Ryan Johansen came from Columbus on January 6, 2016, in a one-for-one trade for defenseman Seth Jones, giving Nashville the first-line center it had lacked.

Whom did the Predators receive from Montreal in the 2016 trade of captain Shea Weber?

Nashville received P. K. Subban from Montreal on June 29, 2016, in a one-for-one trade for captain Shea Weber; Subban was a Norris Trophy finalist with the Predators in 2018.

Which top seed did Nashville sweep in the 2017 first round?

The Chicago Blackhawks, the West's top seed, were swept in four games by Nashville in the 2017 first round, the first playoff sweep in Predators history, on a run that ended in the Stanley Cup Final.

Which team beat Nashville in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final?

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat Nashville in six games in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final; the Predators won Games 3 and 4 at home before losing Game 6 by 2-0.

Which country star hoisted a giant fish on the Jumbotron during Game 3 of the 2017 conference finals?

Keith Urban held the giant fish aloft on the video board during Game 3 of the 2017 Western Conference Final against Anaheim, alongside Titans players Taylor Lewan and Marcus Mariota.

Which captain retired in August 2017, then un-retired to finish the following season?

Mike Fisher announced his retirement on August 3, 2017, after captaining the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final, then returned in January 2018 and played through that spring's playoffs before retiring again.

In which season did the Predators win their first division title and Presidents' Trophy?

In 2017-18 Nashville posted 117 points to win its first Central Division title and the Presidents' Trophy, then lost to Winnipeg in seven games in the second round.

Which center joined Nashville from Ottawa in a 2017 trade for Girard and Kamenev?

Kyle Turris came to Nashville from Ottawa in the November 2017 three-team trade in which Samuel Girard and Vladislav Kamenev went to Colorado and Matt Duchene went from Colorado to Ottawa.

Which coach was hired in January 2020, the third in franchise history?

John Hynes, fired by New Jersey a month earlier, was hired by Nashville on January 7, 2020, as the third head coach in franchise history, and led the team through the 2022-23 season.

Which former Tennessee governor began buying into the Predators in 2022 to become majority owner?

Bill Haslam, Tennessee's governor from 2011 to 2019, agreed in June 2022 to buy a stake in the Predators and take over as majority owner within three years.

Who succeeded the franchise's original general manager when he retired in 2023?

Barry Trotz, the Predators' first head coach, took over as general manager on July 1, 2023, when the franchise's original GM retired after 26 years running the club.

Which three big free agents did Nashville sign in the 2024 offseason?

Marchessault, Stamkos and Skjei (Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei) all signed with Nashville on July 1, 2024, yet the Predators missed the playoffs in 2024-25.

Predators fans throw what onto the ice, adapting Detroit's octopus tradition?

Catfish tossed onto the Nashville ice are a riff on the octopus that Detroit fans have thrown since 1952; a Pittsburgh fan was even charged for throwing one during the 2017 Final.

Fans make 'Fang Fingers' during power plays to horror music from which film?

The screeching strings are from Psycho, Bernard Herrmann's shower-scene score for the 1960 Hitchcock film; fans curl their index and middle fingers into fangs and stab downward in time.

Section 303 at Bridgestone Arena is known by what nickname?

Section 303 is The Cellblock, an upper-deck section at Bridgestone Arena whose self-styled inmates lead the crowd's chants, including the 'you suck' taunt after every Predators goal.

The 2001-07 third jerseys with a front-facing cat earned what nickname?

The Mustard Cats nickname came from the gold 2001-07 alternate jersey with a front-facing sabre-tooth cat face on the chest; a Reverse Retro version of it returned in 2022-23.

What symbol sits inside the guitar pick on the shoulders of the 2011 uniforms?

The Tennessee tri-star, the three stars from the state flag, sits inside the guitar pick on each shoulder; guitar-string lines run through the numbers and piano keys line the inside of the collar.

What is the name of the Predators' saber-toothed mascot?

Gnash, a blue saber-toothed cat, has been the Predators' mascot since the franchise's debut season and is known for rappelling from the arena rafters and riding a zip line over the crowd.

Bridgestone Arena was set at an angle on Broadway as an homage to which building?

The Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974, stands a block away, and the arena was angled on Broadway so that its entrance faces toward it.

Which of these was NOT a former name of the Predators' home rink?

Nissan Arena was never a name of the building, which opened as Nashville Arena in 1996, became Gaylord Entertainment Center in 1999, Sommet Center in 2007 and Bridgestone Arena in 2010.

Which arena football team shared the Predators' building from 1997 to 2001?

The Kats returned briefly from 2005 to 2007 before folding.

In which round of the 2004 draft did Nashville find its franchise goaltender, 258th overall?

Eighth round: Nashville used the 258th overall pick of the 2004 draft on a goalie who went on to become the franchise leader in wins and games played.

Whose No. 35 became the first number retired by the Predators, in February 2022?

Pekka Rinne's No. 35 went to the rafters on February 24, 2022, the first number the Predators retired; he had played his entire NHL career in Nashville before retiring in July 2021.

The Predators' franchise wins leader became, in 2017, the all-time shutout leader among goalies born where?

Finland: the 45th shutout, in 2017, moved him past Miikka Kiprusoff's 44 for the most by a Finnish-born NHL goalie; he finished his career with 60.

Where did the Predators play their first outdoor game, the 2020 Winter Classic against Dallas?

The Cotton Bowl in Dallas hosted the 2020 Winter Classic on January 1, 2020, where the Stars beat Nashville 4-2 in the Predators' first outdoor game; head coach Peter Laviolette was fired five days later.

Where did the Predators host Tampa Bay in their second outdoor game, in February 2022?

Nissan Stadium, the Titans' home across the Cumberland River, hosted the February 26, 2022 Stadium Series, which Tampa Bay won 3-2; Nashville was later swept by eventual champion Colorado in the first round.

The Predators' 2020 Winter Classic uniform was inspired by which defunct EHL team?

The Dixie Flyers, Nashville's Eastern Hockey League club from 1962 to 1971, inspired the 2020 Winter Classic sweater, whose script wordmark and gold and navy striping echoed the Flyers' 1960s look.

How many season tickets did Nashville have to sell before March 31, 1998, to begin play that year?

The NHL required Nashville to sell 12,000 season tickets by March 31, 1998, as a condition of starting play that fall; the club cleared the mark and the Predators opened that October.