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. 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.
History
Bringing the NHL to Nashville In late 1995, rumors began to circulate that the New Jersey Devils would relocate to the planned Nashville Arena after they won their first-ever 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 to land the Devils, 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.
Early years (1998–2005)
At the 1998 NHL expansion draft, the Predators were limited on choices due to the protected players many of the teams held. Of the players they selected, future U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Mike Richter was one of them. They also acquired Tomáš Vokoun from the Montreal Canadiens. However, Richter would become an unrestricted free agent and re-signed with the Rangers. 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.
To begin the 2000–01 season, the Predators played two games at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Each team won a game in front of the largest crowds ever to see a hockey game in Japan (13,849 for the first game and 13,426 for the second game). This included around 100 fans who made the trip from Tennessee. During the 2001–02 season, the Predators recorded their 100th victory on December 6, 2001.
In June 2003, the Predators hosted the NHL entry draft. Future Predators captain Shea Weber was selected by the team with the 49th overall pick. They also selected Ryan Suter at seventh overall. In the 2003–04 season, the Predators finished eighth in the Western Conference, qualifying for their first postseason berth. The Predators were eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in six games in the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. The following 2004–05 season was wiped out by a labor dispute between NHL owners and players.
After the lockout (2005–2014)
Prior to the 2005–06 season, the Predators signed free agent Paul Kariya. During the season, the Predators became only the fourth NHL franchise to start the season 8–0; the last time a team did so was the Toronto Maple Leafs, who set the mark with a 10–0 start in the 1993–94 season. By the end of the season, the Predators had accumulated 106 points and clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in team history. They finished the season with an NHL-best 32–8–1 record at home. However, the Predators would be eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in five games in the first round of the 2006 playoffs.
During the offseason, the Predators acquired veteran center Jason Arnott from free agency on July 2, 2006. Late in the 2006–07 season, the Predators traded Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent, plus their first and third-round pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft, to the Philadelphia Flyers for five-time NHL All-Star Peter Forsberg. The Predators finished the third best record in the league with 110 points. They were defeated by the Sharks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs for the second year in a row, losing the series 4–1.
New ownership group Following the 2006–07 season, owner Craig Leipold announced his intention to sell the team to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie. On June 23, 2007, information leaked by several sources indicated that Leipold no longer wanted to sell the Predators to Balsillie. Subsequently, a campaign to land the team in Kansas City, Missouri, received a boost in late June 2007. In July 2007, Balsillie accused NHL commissioner Gary Bettman of persuading Leipold not to sell the team to him. Balsillie had intentions of bringing the Predators to Canada. On July 19, 2007, a group of local business owners known as Our Team Nashville held a rally at the Sommet Center to encourage fans to buy season tickets in order to help the Predators meet the attendance figures needed to keep the team in Nashville. They drew approximately 7,500 fans and sold the equivalent of 726 full-season tickets during the rally. The rally was heavily supported by George Plaster, then a sportscaster on WGFX 104.5 "The Zone" sports radio in Nashville. On August 1, 2007, the group released a letter of intent from Craig Leipold. After negotiations with the City of Nashville, the local group headed by David Freeman reached an agreement with Mayor of Nashville Karl Dean, and the NHL Board of Governors approved the sale on November 29, 2007.
In June 2008, Del Biaggio ran into legal trouble over a multitude of unpaid loans, culminating in his filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Furthermore, it was alleged that Del Biaggio acquired the loans he used to buy his stake in the team through fraudulent means, prompting an FBI investigation and criminal charges. The charges culminated in a 97-month prison sentence for Del Biaggio. Under United States bankruptcy law, a trustee was appointed to sell Del Biaggio's assets, including his stake in the Predators, to pay off his creditors. In November 2011, it was announced that Calgary businessman W. Brett Wilson had purchased a 5% interest in the Nashville Predators. In August, the team was sold to a local group of businessmen for $193 million (US) dollars. At the 2007 NHL entry draft, the Predators traded Tomáš Vokoun to the Florida Panthers for three draft picks. During the season, they relied their goaltending on Chris Mason and Dan Ellis. Ellis, who was signed from the Dallas Stars before the season began, had a 233:39 long shutout streak (fifth longest in league history) nearing the end of the season that helped Nashville attain the eighth playoff spot with 91 points. In the playoffs, the Predators met the Presidents' Trophy-winning Red Wings in the first round and were defeated in six games.
At the 2008 NHL entry draft, the Predators traded two picks to select Roman Josi at 38th overall. The team also traded goaltender Mason to the St. Louis Blues. Alexander Radulov, after scoring 26 goals in the prior season, made his intention to play in Russia the following season. However, his contract with the Predators was still in effect, despite signing with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL. The NHL, IIHF, and KHL all agreed to respect global contracts on July 10, 2008. As a result, he was suspended from the team without pay on September 2, 2008. During the season, goaltender Pekka Rinne became the starter for the Predators. The team missed the playoffs.
The 2009–10 season saw the much-anticipated debut of 2008 seventh-overall pick Colin Wilson. However, due to a groin injury suffered in training camp, Wilson spent the first week-and-a-half of the season on the sidelines, and was sent to the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) in November. He returned to the club in February and scored 11 points in his next 15 games and finished the season with 15 points in 35 games. 2010 also saw a breakout year for the last pick in the 2005 draft, Patric Hornqvist, as the 23-year-old Swede scored 30 goals in the 2009–10 season. On March 1, 2010, during the 2009–10 season, the Predators front office saw Freeman step down as chairman of the Nashville Predators in favor of Thomas Cigarran. On September 2, Cigarran announced that the local ownership group had completed the purchase of the Del Biaggio stake.The Predators qualified for the 2010 playoffs, facing the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, and losing to them in six games.
On July 9, 2010, the Predators announced defenseman Shea Weber would become the club's fifth captain. In the following season's playoffs, the Predators advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They defeated the Anaheim Ducks in the first round. In the second round, they lost to the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks in six games.