Nashville Predators

Lore & Background

In late 1995, rumors circulated that the New Jersey Devils would relocate to the planned Nashville Arena after winning their first Stanley Cup championship. Nashville offered a $20 million relocation bonus to any team that would relocate, and the Devils attempted to terminate their lease with the NJSEA before ultimately restructuring it to remain in New Jersey. After the failed attempt, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stated Nashville would probably be considered in upcoming expansion. In January 1997, a group led by Wisconsin businessman Craig Leipold made a formal presentation before the NHL requesting an expansion franchise. When Bettman and league officials visited Nashville to tour the arena, thousands gathered on the arena plaza to greet them. In June, the league granted conditional franchises to Nashville, Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The Nashville team would begin play in 1998 if they met the NHL requirement of selling 12,000 season tickets before March 31, 1998. Of the four cities, Nashville was the only one with a completed arena and therefore began play first. On July 9, 1997, Leipold named former Washington Capitals general manager David Poile as the franchise's first general manager. Portland Pirates' head coach Barry Trotz was named the franchise's first head coach on August 6. On September 25, 1997, Leipold and team president Jack Diller held a press conference where they unveiled the franchise's new logo, a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon fatalis). The logo was a reference to a partial Smilodon skeleton found beneath downtown Nashville in 1971 during construction of the First American National Bank building, now the UBS Tower. Once the logo was unveiled, the franchise held a vote among fans to choose a name. Three candidates were culled from 75: 'Ice Tigers,' 'Fury' and 'Attack.' Leipold added his own submission to the vote, 'Predators'. On November 13, Leipold revealed at a press conference that his submission had won out and the new franchise would be known as the 'Nashville Predators.' When awarded a franchise, the city of Nashville paid 31.50% of the $80 million fee to join the league. The city made an agreement that protects them against annual arena operating losses over approximately $3.8 million.

Reader's Guide

The Nashville Predators represent a successful expansion franchise that brought NHL hockey to the southern United States. The team's early years were marked by gradual growth, with the franchise qualifying for its first Stanley Cup playoffs in the 2003–04 season. The Predators' history includes a notable ownership transition in 2008, when Craig Leipold transferred ownership to a locally based group after a period of uncertainty regarding the team's future in Nashville. The franchise reached its pinnacle in 2017, advancing to its first Stanley Cup Final, where they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. 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. The team's logo, a saber-toothed cat, references a partial Smilodon skeleton found beneath downtown Nashville in 1971. The Predators have maintained a consistent presence in Nashville, playing at Bridgestone Arena since 1998, and are currently affiliated with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.

Did You Know?

• The Predators' logo is based on 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.