Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators joined the NHL in 1998* as an expansion franchise, joining the Tennessee Titans to become the second major professional sports team representing the lively, fast-growing Southeastern city of Nashville  (best known as the home of country and western music). Like the antagonist of that film, the Predators were mostly invisible for the first six seasons of their existence, but unlike their namesake, did not strike much fear into the hearts of their enemies in those initial seasons. The team made the playoffs just once prior to the 2004-05 canceled lockout season, losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. The Preds seemed to emerge after the lockout with renewed vigor, qualifying for the postseason in seven of the next eight seasons and, led by powerhouse defenceman Shea Weber, even winning two playoff series: 4-2 over the Anaheim Ducks in 2011 and 4-1 over the Red Wings in 2012. The team’s best season to date, however, came in 2016-17, in which the Predators not only swept the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs (a huge upset, given that the Preds were eighth/bottom-seeded and the Hawks were first), but went on to defeat the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks to reach the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately (for the Preds), even powered by the scoring touch of All-Star P.K. Subban, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins proved tough opponents. The Predators managed to battle back from two games down to win at home and level the series, but Crosby took over after that and the Penguins took the Cup for back-to-back title wins. Nevertheless, the deep playoff run had generated a lot of excitement about the hockey team in Nashville and enthusiastic crowds were turning out in their numbers to support the team. Expectations were sky-high after the Preds posted a 53-18-11 record in the regular season in 2017-18 to claim their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy. Momentum for another Cup run felt like it was building after the team beat the Colorado Avalanche in six in the first round, but a disappointing seven-game loss to the Winnipeg Jets put an end to the dream for that season. Since then, the Predators have made the playoffs every year except last season (2022-23), but have not progressed past the first round. The Preds’ enthusiastic legions of local fans will be hoping that their team can regroup, get back into the playoffs, and bring a Stanley Cup to Nashville in the years to come.

*The Predators’ current head coach, Andrew Brunette, scored the team’s first-ever goal way back in 1998 against the Carolina Hurricanes!