Nashville Predators
The Predators are Nashville's original NHL franchise, founded in 1997 and playing at Bridgestone Arena 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. 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.
- Opponent
- Nashville Predators
- Expansion Year
- 1998-1999
- Home Arena
- Capital One Arena
- Away Venue
- Bridgestone Arena
- Conference Split
- Eastern vs Western (Post-2013)
- Rivalry Status
- Modern Regular Season Fixture
Lore & Background
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.
In Their Own Story
The arena hums with the low frequency of ten thousand voices waiting for face-off. Ice shavings fly near the blue line as skates carve deep grooves into the frozen surface. A Capitals player winds up, the stick blade catching the light before snapping a shot toward the net. The Predators' goalie drops to his knees, glove hand high, parrying the puck just inches from the post. The crowd roars instantly, a wave of sound crashing against the glass barriers.
Reader's Guide
The Predators' home arena is Bridgestone Arena, where they have played since 1998. The team's first head coach was Barry Trotz, named on August 6, 1997. The franchise's first general manager was David Poile, named on July 9, 1997. The team's logo, a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon fatalis), was unveiled on September 25, 1997, referencing 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.
Did You Know?
- The Predators began play in the 1998–99 season, losing their first game 1–0 to the Florida Panthers on October 10, 1998.
- The Predators recorded their 100th victory on December 6, 2001.
- During the 2005–06 season, the Predators became only the fourth NHL franchise to start the season 8–0.
- The Predators hosted the NHL entry draft in June 2003, selecting future captain Shea Weber with the 49th overall pick.
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