2017 Western Conference Championship
Smashville's pride since 1998.
The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The team has played its home games at Bridgestone Arena since 1998. The Predators are currently affiliated with two minor league teams: the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL), and the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Western Conference Champion
- Affiliation
- Nashville Predators
- First appears
- 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs
- Status
- Historic achievement, first conference title in franchise history
Lore & Background
The club was founded in 1997, when the NHL granted an expansion franchise to Craig Leipold, with the team beginning play in the 1998–99 season. After five seasons, the Predators qualified for their first Stanley Cup playoffs during the 2003–04 season. In 2008, ownership of the team was transferred from Leipold to a locally based ownership group. The Predators advanced to their first Stanley Cup Final in 2017, but were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. In the following season, the Predators won their first Presidents' Trophy and Central Division title.
Reader's Guide
The Predators have played their home games at Bridgestone Arena since 1998. The team's logo, a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon fatalis), references a partial Smilodon skeleton found beneath downtown Nashville in 1971. The franchise name 'Predators' was chosen by owner Craig Leipold and announced on November 13, 1997.
More in Club History
Elsewhere in Nashville Predators
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced