Founding and 1998 NHL Entry

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. As of 2026, the Predators, along with Nashville SC, are one of two professional sports teams in the state of Tennessee to have not relocated from another location as the Titans and the Grizzlies moved to Tennessee from Houston and Vancouver respectively.

Reader's Guide

The Predators began play during the 1998–99 season, taking to the ice for the first time on October 10, 1998, where they lost 1–0 at home to the Florida Panthers. Three nights later, on October 13, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3–2 for their first win. The Predators finished second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 28–47–7 record. In the 1999–2000 season, the Predators finished with a similar record to the previous season, and finished last in the Western Conference.

Did You Know?

• The Predators' logo, a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon fatalis), references a partial Smilodon skeleton found beneath downtown Nashville in 1971.
• The franchise name 'Predators' was submitted by owner Craig Leipold and won a fan vote over 'Ice Tigers,' 'Fury,' and 'Attack.'
• The Predators played two games in Tokyo against the Pittsburgh Penguins to begin the 2000–01 season, drawing the largest crowds ever to see a hockey game in Japan.