50 Fun Facts About Nashville Predators

In which season did the Predators begin play?

Nashville was the only one of four expansion cities with a finished arena, so it started first.

Which 1995 Stanley Cup champion did Nashville nearly lure to its new arena that year?

The city offered a $20 million relocation bonus before the Devils restructured their lease.

Which Wisconsin businessman led the group awarded the Nashville franchise?

He later sold the club and bought the Minnesota Wild.

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

He ran the club until 2023, when Barry Trotz succeeded him.

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

He coached the Predators until 2014.

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

The First American National Bank building on that spot is now the UBS Tower.

Which of these was a fan-culled finalist that lost the naming vote to Leipold's own submission?

'Fury' and 'Attack' were the others; the owner added 'Predators' and it won.

Which future Hall of Fame goalie did Nashville take in the 1998 expansion draft, only to lose him back to the Rangers?

Tomas Vokoun, acquired from Montreal, became the real starter.

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

Their first win came three nights later, 3-2 over Carolina.

Where did the Predators open the 2000-01 season with two games against Pittsburgh?

The Saitama Super Arena crowds were the largest ever to watch hockey in Japan.

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

Ryan Suter went seventh overall to Nashville the same day.

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

Detroit knocked them out again in 2008.

Which free agent signed before 2005-06, when Nashville became the fourth NHL team ever to start 8-0?

They finished with an NHL-best 32-8-1 home record and 106 points.

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

Nashville still 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?

A rival campaign wanted the team in Kansas City; local group 'Our Team Nashville' rallied to keep it.

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

A bankruptcy trustee sold his stake; the local group completed the purchase in 2010.

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

It ranked as the fifth-longest such streak in league history.

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

He returned four years later, then was suspended again after a Scottsdale bar sighting during the 2012 playoffs.

Which defenseman did Nashville trade two picks to select 38th overall in 2008?

He became captain in 2017 after Mike Fisher's retirement.

Which Presidents' Trophy winner beat Nashville in its first-ever second-round series in 2011?

The Predators had beaten Anaheim in the first round.

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

It was the richest offer sheet ever; $68 million came as signing bonus.

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

He was the first player the Predators ever drafted and left as the club's career points leader.

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

Peter Laviolette had been hired as coach in 2014.

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

David Poile later said he regretted the deal.

Which top seed did the No. 8 Predators sweep in 2017, a first in North American major-league playoff history?

Nashville then won ten straight home playoff games, matching the 1997 Red Wings.

Which team beat Nashville in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final?

The Predators won Games 3 and 4 at home before falling in six.

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

Titans tackle Taylor Lewan had brought the fish; Marcus Mariota hyped the crowd.

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

Roman Josi took the captaincy after him.

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

Winnipeg beat them in seven in the second round; Rinne won the Vezina.

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

Colorado, which sent Duchene to Ottawa, was the third team.

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

In his first game Pekka Rinne scored a goalie goal against Chicago.

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

The sale process started on June 17, 2022.

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

Trotz retired in 2026 and Colorado's Chris MacFarland took over.

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

The team still finished 30th with the second-fewest goals.

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

The Tennessean dates the first toss to October 30, 2003.

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

Most simply curl their index and middle fingers into fangs.

Section 303 at Bridgestone Arena is known by what nickname?

Its fans call themselves the loudest section of the loudest arena in the NHL.

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

A gold reverse-retro version returned in 2022-23.

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

Guitar-string lines run through the numbers and piano keys line the collar.

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

Nashville itself goes by 'Smashville' on game nights.

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

The Ryman was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.

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

Nissan Stadium, across the river, hosted the 2022 Stadium Series instead.

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?

He went 258th overall and became the franchise leader in wins and games.

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

He retired in July 2021 having played only for Nashville.

Rinne's 45th career shutout in 2017 made him the all-time leader among goalies born where?

He reached 300 wins three months later.

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

Days later, on January 6, 2020, the team fired head coach Peter Laviolette with the club sixth in its division.

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

Nashville lost the February 26, 2022 outdoor game 3-2 and was later swept by eventual champion Colorado in the playoffs.

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

The design used heavy gold stripes with navy trim and a script version of the team name.

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

Of the four expansion cities, Nashville was the only one with a completed arena and so started first.