With Nick Saban in the ownership picture and a talented roster featuring Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Juuse Saros, expect huge things from the Nashville Predators over the next several years.
Once upon a time, and not so long ago, the Nashville Predators were emerging as the top team in the NHL. Playing their first season in 1998, the Preds made their first playoff appearance in the 2003-2004 season. They would make the playoffs every year until the 2011-2012 season.
Photo courtesy NHL.com
The best showing was from 2016 to 2019. In the 2016-2017 season, the Preds won the Western Conference Championship, and they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup final before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. In the 2017-2018 season, the Predators won the President’s Trophy, becoming the NHL regular-season champions.
From there, they would go on to win the Western Conference Central Division championship in back-to-back seasons in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. The success on the ice mixed with fun traditions like throwing catfish on the ice, playoff smash cars, and a goal celebration featuring Tim McGraw’s I Like It, I Love It turned Music City into a hockey town.
However, in recent years, things have gotten tough in a city called “Smashville.” As of this writing, the Predators are currently sitting in last place in the Western Conference Central Division. It’s part of a pattern. The team has failed to make the playoffs in two of the previous three seasons and has not won a playoff series since the 2018 first round.
Photo and graphic courtesy On3
However, news broke this past week that rocked the hockey world. Legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban is now a minority owner of the Nashville Predators.
I personally feel that this is going to be the key to taking the Predators to the next level. Even though Coach Saban is only a minority owner, his name is attached to it, and his resume speaks for itself. Everything he touches turns to gold. He won more College Football National championships than any other coach in history.
I understand that Saban won’t be coaching the Predators. I also understand that professional ice hockey is a different world from college football. However, Nick Saban will still do everything he can to bring the Stanley Cup to Nashville.
Nick Saban: Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports. The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the franchise’s future success.
If you think that Nick Saban isn’t going to surround himself with hockey people — people who understand the game and how to be successful at it — then you are wrong. Nick Saban is wise and competitive.
With Nick Saban in the picture and a talented roster featuring Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Juuse Saros, expect huge things from the Nashville Predators over the next several years.
