Forsberg had a short stint with the Predators but managed to garner 15 points in 17 games. The Predators sent Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent, who were two former first-round picks, and the Predators’ first and third-round selections in the 2007 Entry Draft. In 2007, they landed an All-Star in Peter Forsberg via a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers. However, they were once again eliminated in the first round of playoffs, this time by the San Jose Sharks in 5 games.īarry Trotz was the Predators’ first head coach. They closed out the regular season with the NHL’s best home record, where they went 32-8-1. They also reached their first 100-point season to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In 2005-06, they set a record by winning their first four games by a single goal no team achieved this accomplishment before them. After the LockoutĪfter the 2004-05 NHL lockout, the Preds continued to improve. Barry Trotz, who coached the team for 16 seasons until 2014, broke the record for coaching the most games as an expansion team’s original coach in 2002-03, with 392 games. The Predators’ first head coach also set an NHL record in the team’s early years. However, in the 2003-04 season, after finishing 8th in the Western Conference, they got their first taste of the postseason, ultimately losing to the Detroit Red Wings in 6 games during the first round. Nashville failed to make the playoffs in their first 5 seasons in the NHL. In the 2002-03 season, the Predators made a “Playoff Pledge,” which was a guaranteed playoff appearance or the price increase for season tickets in the 2002-03 season would be refunded they did not make the playoffs. 6, 2001, against the Ottawa Senators in a 4-2 Predators win, to set an NHL record as the second-fastest expansion team of the 1990s to reach that milestone. In 2001-02, they locked down their 100th win. On October 13th, they secured their first victory three nights later, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2. Although they lost 1-0 to the Florida Panthers, their losing streak didn’t last long. 10, 1998, the Predators played their first game as an NHL expansion franchise. The 3 potential names selected from the 75 that were entered were “Fury,” “Attack,” and “Ice Tigers.” Leipold added his own submission to the vote, which was “Predators.” During a press conference on November 13th, 1997, it was revealed his submission won, and the team would be known as the Nashville Predators. Once the logo was released, the franchise held a fan vote to determine the team name. On September 25, 1997, Leipold and the team president Jack Diller held a press conference where they unveiled the team’s new logo, a sabre-toothed cat. Out of the four cities awarded teams that year, Nashville was the only city with a completed arena therefore, they started playing first. The condition was that Nashville could participate in the 1998 season if they sold the league-mandated 12,000 tickets before March 31st, 1998. In June of 1997, the NHL granted a conditional franchise to Nashville, Columbus, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St.Paul. When Gary Bettman went to tour the arena, they were greeted by thousands of people- future Predators fans. In January of 1997, a group led by Craig Leipold made a formal presentation to the NHL requesting an expansion franchise. Related: Predators’ 3 Best & 3 Worst Trades All-Time Nashville offered a $20 million relocation bonus to any team that would relocate the Devils attempted to terminate their lease with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), but instead of moving, they restructured and stayed in New Jersey. Rumours were circulating that the New Jersey Devils would be relocating to the planned Nashville arena. In 1995, the city of Nashville gained interest in the NHL market. From their brightly coloured jerseys to the acquisition of All-Star players, their journey to the big leagues is one for the ages. The Nashville Predators have been a fun team to watch since they joined the league.
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