Craig Leipold was awarded the Nashville NHL expansion franchise in 1997, bringing top-tier professional hockey to Tennessee. ¹⁾

The team's distinctive saber-toothed tiger logo was inspired by a 1971 archaeological discovery of a Smilodon skull beneath downtown Nashville. ²⁾

The Predators played their first-ever regular-season NHL game on October 10, 1998, against the Florida Panthers. ³⁾

The team name “Predators” was officially selected after a fan vote, though owner Craig Leipold ultimately finalized the saber-toothed theme over other finalists. ⁴⁾

Barry Trotz was hired as the franchise's first head coach and remained behind the bench for an incredible 15 consecutive seasons. ⁵⁾

Center David Legwand was the first draft pick in Nashville Predators history, selected second overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. ⁶⁾

Forward Andrew Brunette scored the first regular-season goal in franchise history during the team's inaugural home game. ⁷⁾

The team's home venue, currently known as Bridgestone Arena, actually opened in 1996, two years before the Predators began playing. ⁸⁾

Goaltender Pekka Rinne was the very first player in franchise history to have his number (35) officially retired and raised to the rafters. ⁹⁾

First-ever draft pick David Legwand holds the Nashville Predators' all-time record for career points, finishing his tenure with 566 points. ¹⁰⁾

During the 2021-22 season, defenseman Roman Josi broke the franchise record for the most points in a single season with 96. ¹¹⁾

Forward Filip Forsberg holds the franchise's single-season goal-scoring record, finding the back of the net 48 times during the 2023-24 season. ¹²⁾

Star defenseman Shea Weber served as the Predators' captain from 2010 until his shocking departure via trade in 2016. ¹³⁾

Pekka Rinne easily leads the franchise in all-time wins by a goaltender, securing 369 career victories in a Nashville uniform. ¹⁴⁾

Roman Josi made franchise history in 2020 by becoming the first Nashville Predators player to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy. ¹⁵⁾

In 2018, Pekka Rinne became the first player in Predators history to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender. ¹⁶⁾

Forward Tom Fitzgerald was named the first official captain in the history of the Nashville Predators prior to their inaugural 1998 season. ¹⁷⁾

In 2017, the Predators became the first eighth-seeded team in NHL history to sweep a number one seed when they eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks. ¹⁸⁾

The 2017 postseason marked the Predators' first and only appearance in the Stanley Cup Final in franchise history. ¹⁹⁾

Forward Colton Sissons scored a natural hat trick in Game 6 of the 2017 Western Conference Final to eliminate the Anaheim Ducks and clinch the series. ²⁰⁾

Nashville was forced to play the 2017 Stanley Cup Final without top center Ryan Johansen, who suffered a season-ending thigh injury. ²¹⁾

Filip Forsberg led the Predators in scoring during the historic 2017 playoff run, registering 16 points over the course of the postseason. ²²⁾

The Predators ultimately lost the 2017 Stanley Cup Final to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in a hard-fought six-game series. ²³⁾

The 2017 Predators were the first team since the 2012 Los Angeles Kings to reach the Stanley Cup Final as the lowest overall playoff seed. ²⁴⁾

Veteran center Mike Fisher served as the Predators' captain during their memorable 2017 run before briefly retiring at the season's end. ²⁵⁾

The famous “Catfish Toss” tradition began in 2003 as Nashville's southern answer to the Detroit Red Wings' legendary octopus toss. ²⁶⁾

After the Predators score a goal, the arena erupts into a famous, organized chant where fans aggressively yell “It's All Your Fault!” at the opposing goalie. ²⁷⁾

The vibrant, loud local hockey culture in Nashville officially earned the moniker “Smashville,” a term now heavily commercialized and embraced by the team. ²⁸⁾

Nashville's city government heavily embraces the team's success, occasionally dying downtown municipal fountains gold during deep playoff runs. ²⁹⁾

When the Predators go on the power play, fans perform a “Fang Fingers” hand gesture accompanied by the screeching sound effect from the horror movie Psycho. ³⁰⁾

Because of the city's deep musical roots, huge country music stars frequently step in unannounced to perform the national anthem before playoff games. ³¹⁾

The team mascot, Gnash the saber-toothed tiger, regularly performs daring stunts like rappelling from the arena rafters to the ice during pregame introductions. ³²⁾

Bridgestone Arena consistently ranks in player polls as one of the loudest, rowdiest, and most intimidating home-ice environments in the entire NHL. ³³⁾

Nashville hosted its first NHL All-Star Game in 2016, an event heavily publicized due to the fan-voted MVP performance of enforcer John Scott. ³⁴⁾

The Predators played in their first outdoor game at the 2020 Winter Classic, facing off against the Dallas Stars at the historic Cotton Bowl. ³⁵⁾

In 2022, the Predators hosted their first home outdoor game, taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a Stadium Series matchup at Nissan Stadium. ³⁶⁾

The Predators captured the first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history by posting the league's best regular-season record during the 2017-18 campaign. ³⁷⁾

Nashville has been trusted to host the NHL Entry Draft twice in its history, first in 2003 and most recently in a highly praised 2023 event. ³⁸⁾

In 2020, the Predators selected Yaroslav Askarov 11th overall, making him the highest-drafted goaltender in the franchise's history. ³⁹⁾

David Poile served as the Predators' General Manager for 25 consecutive years, acting as the inaugural GM until his retirement in 2023. ⁴⁰⁾

After David Poile retired, former inaugural head coach Barry Trotz returned to the organization to officially take over as the team's General Manager. ⁴¹⁾

In 2016, the Predators shocked the hockey world by trading franchise captain Shea Weber to Montreal in a massive one-for-one swap for star defenseman P.K. Subban. ⁴²⁾

In 2013, Nashville acquired Filip Forsberg from Washington in exchange for Martin Erat, a move now widely considered one of the most lopsided trades in modern NHL history. ⁴³⁾

The Predators traded highly touted defensive prospect Seth Jones to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016 to acquire desperately needed top-line center Ryan Johansen. ⁴⁴⁾

The Milwaukee Admirals have served as Nashville's primary American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate continuously since the Predators' inaugural 1998 season. ⁴⁵⁾