First NHL Game (October 10, 1998)

Lore & Background

The Predators' inaugural game was the payoff of a long-shot bet by local ownership and the NHL to plant the puck in Dixie. Awarded the franchise in 1997, general manager David Poile assembled a roster from expansion-draft castoffs and raw prospects, crafting a blue-collar identity from day one. The game itself unfolded as a tense defensive chess match: Nashville's Mike Dunham and Florida's Kirk McLean traded saves like duelists, neither blinking until late in the third period. Then, with 5:21 left, a deflected shot from Viktor Kozlov slipped past Dunham, silencing the gold-clad crowd—but only for a moment. The roar that followed wasn't for the goal against; it was for the team that had dared to bring hockey to Music City.

Reader's Guide

The Nashville Predators' first NHL game on October 10, 1998, wasn't just a debut—it was a statement. As an expansion team cobbled together from waiver-wire pickups and unproven youngsters, the Predators stood toe-to-toe with the established Florida Panthers, losing 1-0 in a defensive slugfest. Mike Dunham turned aside 28 of 29 shots, showcasing the goaltending that would become a franchise hallmark. The game's lasting significance isn't the score, but the seed it planted: a sellout crowd that night proved Nashville craved hockey, laying the foundation for a fanbase that would grow into one of the loudest and most passionate in the league. The Predators didn't win, but they won over a city—and that night, Music City found its second heartbeat.

Did You Know?

• The Predators' first-ever draft pick was David Legwand, selected second overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, but he did not play in the inaugural game.
• The game was broadcast nationally in the United States on ESPN2, marking the Predators' first national TV appearance.
• The Predators' first-ever penalty was taken by defenseman Bob Boughner for holding at 1:47 of the first period.
• The team's first win came two nights later, on October 12, 1998, a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.