The Nashville Predators are Proving that the North isn’t the only Place Hockey Can Thrive

How pissed must Canada be? They finally have some good teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and of all teams to be competing in the Final – Nashville? Not the once great Oilers, or the up and coming Maple Leafs, or the (…?) Senators. The Nashville Predators are in the Stanley Cup Final.

And I love it. I absolutely love it. Sure, I enjoy watching Canada summer from lack of playoff success, but I also love seeing “non-traditional” hockey markets grow and thrive. By all accounts, Nashville is an amazing place for hockey. What probably amplifies that, though, is the fact that the Nashville Predators are damn good at hockey.

President and General Manager David Poile has done an excellent job of crafting his team. First with the swap of major young talents Seth Jones (D) and Ryan Johansen (C), and then the one for one swap of Shea Weber and P.K. Subban, Poile turned is decent team into a contender. And well, they’re for sure contending. The team gives the crowd a lot to be loud about, and boy are they loud.

The catfish. The chants (especially the antagonistic ones aimed at Sidney Crosby). Nashville loves the Predators. And the fact that these games are so good is awesome for the league. The NBA Finals are nothing compared to these ones. The NHL is growing, and markets like Nashville show that it can thrive. Maybe Vegas will be even crazier.

Let’s go Preds.

Written by: Bob Rice @bobricebobrice