Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators (often called the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL) as part of the Central Division in the Western Conference. Since 1998, the team has played at Bridgestone Arena.

The team started in 1997 when the NHL gave a new team to Craig Leipold, and they began playing in the 1998–99 season. After five seasons, they made their first trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs in the 2003–04 season. In 2008, a group of local owners took over the team. The Predators reached their first Stanley Cup Final in 2017 but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The next season, they won their first Presidents' Trophy and Central Division title.

Today, the Predators are one of two professional sports teams in Tennessee that have always been based there, along with Nashville SC. Unlike the Titans and the Grizzlies, who moved from Houston and Vancouver, the Predators have deep roots in Nashville.

History

Bringing the NHL to Nashville

In late 1995, people heard that the New Jersey Devils might move to Nashville after winning a big prize. Nashville offered a big bonus to any team that moved there. The Devils tried to leave but stayed in New Jersey. After that, the NHL said Nashville might get a new team soon.

In January 1997, a group led by Craig Leipold asked the NHL for a new team. When NHL leaders visited Nashville, many fans came to welcome them. In June, the NHL agreed to let Nashville have a team.

The Nashville team would start playing in 1998 if they sold enough tickets. Nashville was the only city with a ready arena, so they began playing first. In July 1997, Leipold chose David Poile as the team's first general manager. In August, Barry Trotz was named the first coach.

In September 1997, the team showed its new logo, a saber-toothed cat, called the Smilodon. Fans voted on the team's name, and "Predators" won. Nashville paid part of the fee to join the NHL, and the city made a deal to help with arena costs.

Early years (1998–2005)

The Predators started playing in the 1998–99 season, losing their first game but winning their second. They finished near the bottom of their group in the first few years. In 2003, they picked Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. In the 2003–04 season, they made the playoffs for the first time but lost in the first round. The next season was canceled because of a dispute.

After the lockout (2005–2014)

Before the 2005–06 season, the Predators signed Paul Kariya. They had a great start, beginning the season 8–0. They made the playoffs but lost in the first round. In 2006, they got Jason Arnott. In 2006–07, they traded for Peter Forsberg and finished high in the league but lost in the playoffs again.

After the 2006–07 season, owner Craig Leipold wanted to sell the team. There were talks about moving it to Kansas City, but local fans and business people worked hard to keep it in Nashville. In 2007, a new group of local owners bought the team. In 2008, some owners had legal problems, and the team was sold again in 2011.

In 2008, the Predators got Roman Josi and Pekka Rinne became the main goalie. In 2009–10, Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist had good seasons. The team made the playoffs in 2010 but lost.

In 2010, Shea Weber became the team captain. In 2011–12, they signed Rinne to a long contract and got Alexander Radulov back. They made the playoffs but lost in the second round.

Peter Laviolette era (2014–2020)

In 2014, Peter Laviolette became the new coach. The team traded for James Neal and drafted Kevin Fiala and Viktor Arvidsson. In Laviolette's first season, they finished second in their division but lost in the playoffs. In 2015–16, they changed coaches and players but lost in the playoffs again.

In 2016, the team traded Shea Weber for P. K. Subban. In 2016–17, they had a great run and made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In 2017–18, they won their first division title and Pekka Rinne won an award for best goalie. In 2018–19, they won their division again but lost in the playoffs. In 2019–20, they fired Laviolette and hired John Hynes as coach.

Continued playoff inconsistency and retool (2020–present)

In 2020, under John Hynes, the Predators made the playoffs but lost. In 2022, they played an outdoor game but lost. In 2022, Bill Haslam became the main owner. In 2023, David Poile retired as general manager and Barry Trotz took over. The team missed the playoffs that year.

In 2023–24, they hired Andrew Brunette as coach. They made the playoffs but lost in the first round. In 2024, they signed some new players but finished near the bottom of the league. In February 2026, Trotz said he would retire at the end of the season.

Team information

Fans of the Nashville Predators have a fun tradition. They sometimes throw a catfish onto the ice to show support. This started in 2003. In 2017, country singer Keith Urban held up a large catfish.

Section 303 at Bridgestone Arena is called The Cellblock. Fans there cheer loudly. They show "Fang Fingers" by curling their fingers into fang shapes.

The team's jerseys have changed over the years. The original jerseys from 1998 to 2007 had silver details. Later, they added gold and navy colors. In 2011, they changed to bright gold home jerseys and white away jerseys. Special designs have honored Nashville's music history. The team also has special uniforms for big events.

The team's mascot is an anthropomorphic saber-toothed tiger named Gnash.

Main article: List of Nashville Predators broadcasters

Local television rights of Predators games are held by FanDuel Sports Network South, covering Tennessee, Georgia, most of Kentucky, northern Mississippi and northern Alabama. Radio coverage is carried by the Nashville Predators Radio Network, with WPRT-FM as its main station.

Season-by-season record

This is a short list of the last five seasons for the Nashville Predators. For the full history, see List of Nashville Predators seasons.

GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Players and personnel

Main article: List of Nashville Predators players

The Nashville Predators have had many important players over the years. Some players led the team as captains. Others had their jersey numbers retired because they were very special to the team. A few players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame for their amazing skills. The team also has a list of players they chose in the draft many years ago.

Updated April 18, 2026

Team captains

Reference:

• Tom Fitzgerald, 1998–2002
• Greg Johnson, 2002–2006
• Kimmo Timonen, 2006–2007
• Jason Arnott, 2007–2010
• Shea Weber, 2010–2016
• Mike Fisher, 2016–2017
• Roman Josi, 2017–present

Retired numbers

• The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all its member teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.

Hall of Famers

Players

• Peter Forsberg
• Paul Kariya
• Shea Weber

Builders

• David Poile

First-round draft picks

Main article: List of Nashville Predators draft picks

Awards and trophies

Main article: List of Nashville Predators award winners

The Nashville Predators have won many awards in the NHL. Some of the big awards they have received include the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in 2016–17 and the Presidents' Trophy in 2017–18. Players like David Poile, Steve Sullivan, and Mike Fisher have also been recognized for their great play with awards such as the Lester Patrick Trophy, Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, and NHL Foundation Player Award.

Players such as Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne, and Roman Josi have been chosen for the NHL's All-Star teams and have played in the All-Star Game many times. These honors show how talented and important these players have been to the team.

Franchise records

Scoring leaders

These are the top ten players who have scored the most points for the Nashville Predators. The numbers are updated after each regular season.

* – current Predators player

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

Goaltending leaders

These are the top ten goaltenders with the most wins for the Nashville Predators. The numbers are updated after each regular season.

•  *  – current Predators player

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T/O = Ties/Overtime losses; GA = Goal against; GAA = Goals against average; SA = Shots against; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts

Individual records

Main article: List of Nashville Predators records

• Most games played: David Legwand, 956
• Most games played, goaltender: Pekka Rinne, 630
• Most goals in a season: Filip Forsberg, 48 (2023–24)
• Most assists in a season: Roman Josi, 73 (2021–22)
• Most points in a season: Roman Josi, 96 (2021–22)
• Most penalty minutes in a season: Patrick Cote, 242 (1998–99)
• Most goals in a season, defenseman: Roman Josi, 23 (2021–22 and 2023–24) and Shea Weber, 23 (2008–09 and 2013–14)
• Most points in a season, defenseman: Roman Josi, 96 (2021–22)
• Most goals in a season, rookie: Filip Forsberg, 26 (2014–15)
• Most points in a season, rookie: Filip Forsberg, 63 (2014–15)
• Most wins in a season: Pekka Rinne, 43 (2011–12)
• Most shutouts in a season: Pekka Rinne, 8 (2017–18)
• Most hits in a season: Jeremy Lauzon, 383 (2023-24)