David Poile named first GM
Winningest GM in NHL regular-season history
David Poile (born February 14, 1950) is a Canadian-American retired ice hockey executive and former player. He was the president of hockey operations and general manager for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1997 to 2023.
Quick Facts
- Role
- First General Manager of the Nashville Predators
- Affiliation
- Nashville Predators (NHL)
- First appears
- 1997 (hired before the team's inaugural 1998-99 season)
- Status
- Retired as GM in 2023, remains with the organization as a senior advisor
Lore & Background
Poile became the winningest general manager in NHL history on March 1, 2018, when the Predators defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4–2, giving him his 1,320th win as a general manager, surpassing the record previously held by Glen Sather. This record is for regular-season wins only.
Reader's Guide
Poile served as general manager of the 1998 and 1999 U.S. National Team for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships. He also served as the general manager for the men's hockey team at the 2014 Olympics, though he was unable to attend the games in Sochi due to a hit in the face with an errant puck during a Nashville Predators morning skate just days prior to his planned departure. He has since not been able to see out of his right eye.
Did You Know?
- Poile was a successful hockey player at Northeastern University, still holding the record for most career hat tricks with 11.
- He was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2001, making him and his father Norman 'Bud' Poile one of six father-son combinations to win the award.
- In 2017, he won the NHL's General Manager of the Year award after the Predators reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.
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