Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Their nickname is the "Preds."

Facts

Founded: 1998

Arena: Gaylord Entertainment Center

Uniform colors: Blue, Gold, Silver

Logo design: A saber toothed cat

Mascot: Gnash (A saber-toothed cat whose name is a pun on the first syllable of the city's name.)

Rivals: Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets

Franchise history

The team was named after the fossil skull of a saber-toothed cat, a species extinct for at least 10,000 years, was found in a cave during the excavation for the AmSouth Center in August, 1971, in Nashville. The fossil is only the fifth of its kind found in North America.

The Predators first took the ice 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. Forward Andrew Brunette scored the first goal on a play that was reviewed by the video goal judge.

In the 2003-04 NHL season, the Nashville Predators, under coach Barry Trotz, made their first trip to the playoffs, as the eighth seeded team in the Western Conference with a then-franchise record 91 points. However, they were left with the daunting task of facing the heavily-favored and top seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round, eventually going down in a tough-fought 6 games. They did, however, win their first two home playoff games.

Their best performance prior to their breakout season in 2003-04 was in 2000-01, when they finished with 80 points, 10th place in the Western Conference.

In 2005-06, the Predators set an NHL record by winning their first four games by one goal each (although two of those were shootout victories, which would have been tie games in previous seasons). They also 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 1993. The Predators set the franchise mark for wins in a season with a 2-0 shutout of the Phoenix Coyotes on March 16, 2006. By the end of the 2005-06 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 also finished '06 with an NHL best 32-8-1 record at home.

The Predators began the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the 4th seed and faced the 5th seeded San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Game 1 of the series went to the Predators, who scored four power plays goals downing the Sharks 4-3.

The first star of the game was Paul Kariya, who had led the Predators in regular-season scoring and assisted on all four goals in that game.

Game 2 saw Sharks netminder Vesa Toskala post his first postseason victory and shutout, badly defeating the Predators 3-0. In Game 3, the Predators fell to the Sharks 4-1. The Predators rallied from a 5-2 deficit, scoring their first even-strength goals of the series, but again fell to the Sharks 5-4 in Game 4. Finally, despite a flurry of shots in the final minute, the Predators were defeated by the Sharks 2-1 in Game 5, which eliminated Nashville from the playoffs. Regular season back-up Chris Mason, who was forced into the starting position after the Predators discovered starter Tomas Vokoun had a weak blood disorder, could not easily keep the Sharks at bay, least of all Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo, who, on April 19, 2006, were described by the Associated Press's Greg Beacham as "the Sharks' scoring engine".

Legend of the catfish

Fans of the Nashville Predators have created their own unique tradition to show their support: on occasion, a fan will throw a catfish onto the ice. The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville cites the first instance of this on October 30, 2003. The Predators were facing the Detroit Red Wings at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and a fan managed to toss the raw fish over the glass and onto the ice in celebration of Nashville's first goal of the contest, which the Predators ultimately won. The fan's fish-toss set a precedent, and fans smuggle the catfish into the arena (likely by keeping them up against their skin, as security searches bags but doesn't frisk fans) and fling the fish onto the ice, often in celebration of the Predators' first goal of the game. In fact, at least four catfish wound up on the ice after the first Nashville goal in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on November 13th, 2003. Fans who get caught throwing anything onto the ice are escorted out of the arena, yet it doesn't seem to be much of a deterrant—this tradition continues on occasion even now.

The reason for choosing a catfish is not entirely clear. It is possible (though unlikely) that the fish referenced the Predators' status as "bottom-feeders" in the NHL's Western Conference for much of the team's early existence. It may also have had something to do with the Catfish Out of Water art festival which took place around the time the tradition began; this festival resulted in over 50 fiberglass catfish sculptures being placed throughout Music City, including one painted in a hockey scheme located on the GEC plaza.

The most plausable theory regarding the smelly fish regards a rivalry. The biggest rivals of the Nashville Predators are the legendary Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings have a similar tradition where fans fling octopi onto the ice, with the creature's eight legs symbolizing the eight wins it once took the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. With the deep dislike of the Red Wings, it is likely a fan decided to create a Southern answer to the longstanding tradition, and the catfish--a Southern trademark--was a fairly logical choice.

Sometime around 8:34pm Central time on Wednesday, February 8th, 2006 (with 13 minutes and change left in the 3rd period), the Predators and their foul-smelling tradition made history again. The Preds were playing the Red Wings in Detroit, and the Joe Louis Arena got its first known taste of catfish. Nashville was down 4-0, and a fan calmly approached the glass and heaved the fish to the ice--the very same ice which has seen so many octopi in the past. After chucking the catfish, the fan removed his jacket to reveal an autographed jersey of Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun, who had been pulled after two periods, giving up the four goals. According to the Predators' announcers (Pete Weber and Terry Crisp) the fan known as Catfish Kenny likely was waiting for Nashville's first goal of the game, but whether due to impatience or the likely growing odour of the catfish, decided to throw the fish early. His actions - including revealing his jersey and thus, his allegiance, earned him a hasty exit from the game. The Predators had no luck on that night, however, as the Red Wings and their historically octopi-flinging fans would enjoy being the 6-0 victor in that contest. Catfish Kenny also struck again in the season finale April 18 vs the Red Wings shortly after Paul Kariya's Hat Trick.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes || Lost Conference Quarterfinal (SJ)

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
1998-99	82	28	47	7	--	63	190	261	1420	4th in Central	Out of Playoffs
1999-00	82	28	40	7	7	70	199	240	946	4th in Central	Out of Playoffs
2000-01	82	34	36	9	3	80	186	200	944	3rd in Central	Out of Playoffs
2001-02	82	28	41	13	0	69	196	230	1071	4th in Central	Out of Playoffs
2002-03	82	27	35	13	7	74	183	206	969	4th in Central	Out of Playoffs
2003-04	82	38	29	11	4	91	216	217	1360	3rd in Central	Lost Conference Quarterfinal (DET)
2004-05¹	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
2005-06	82	49	25	--	8	106	259	227	1489	2nd in Central
Grand Totals	574	232	253	60	29	535	1429	1581	8199

¹ Season was cancelled because of the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

Notable players

Current squad

As of July 17, 2006

Goaltenders
Number	Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of Birth
29	Tomas Vokoun	R	1998	Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia
30	Chris Mason	L	2003	Red Deer, Alberta

Defensemen
Number	Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
2	Dan Hamhuis	L	2001	Smithers, British Columbia
3	Marek Zidlicky	R	2002	Most, Czechoslovakia
6	Shea Weber	R	2003	Sicamous, British Columbia
20	Ryan Suter	L	2003	Madison, Wisconsin
44	Kimmo Timonen - A	L	1998	Kuopio, Finland
-	Nolan Yonkman	R	2006	Punnichy, Saskatchewan

Forwards
Number	Player	Shoots	Position	Acquired	Place of Birth
7	Scottie Upshall	L	LW/RW	2002	Fort McMurray, Alberta
9	Paul Kariya - A	L	LW	2005	Vancouver, British Columbia
10	Martin Erat	L	LW	1999	Trebic, Czechoslovakia
11	David Legwand	L	C	1998	Detroit, Michigan
12	Scott Nichol	R	C	2005	Edmonton, Alberta
14	Jordin Tootoo	R	RW	2001	Churchill, Manitoba
16	Darcy Hordichuk	R	LW	2005	Kamsack, Saskatchewan
17	Scott Hartnell	L	LW	2000	Regina, Saskatchewan
18	Adam Hall	R	RW	1999	Kalamazoo, Michigan
20	Simon Gamache	L	LW	2005	Thetford Mines, Quebec
19	Jason Arnott	R	C	2006	Wasaga Beach, Ontario
24	Scott Walker - A	R	RW	1998	Cambridge, Ontario
25	Jerred Smithson	R	C	2004	Vernon, British Columbia
26	Steve Sullivan - A	R	RW	2004	Timmins, Ontario
28	Jeremy Stevenson	L	LW	2003	San Bernardino, California
38	Vernon Fiddler	L	C	2002	Edmonton, Alberta
-	Shane Endicott	L	C	2006	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
-	Pat Leahy	R	RW	2006	Boston, Massachusetts

Team captains

Tom Fitzgerald 1998-2002
Greg Johnson 2002-06
no captain 2006-present

Hall of Famers

none

Retired numbers

99 (retired league-wide by the NHL as a tribute to Wayne Gretzky)

1st round draft picks

1998: David Legwand (2nd overall)
1999: Brian Finley (6th overall)
2000: Scott Hartnell (6th overall)
2001: Dan Hamhuis (12th overall)
2002: Scottie Upshall (6th overall)
2003: Ryan Suter (7th overall)
2004: Alexander Radulov (15th overall)
2005: Ryan Parent (18th overall)

Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in the history of the Predators. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points * = Active

Lester Patrick Trophy

David Poile: 2000-01