The Nashville Predators are hoping to finish out the modified season with the Stanley Cup, as part of the NHL’s Return to Play, which allows 24 teams to compete, without a live audience. The team is currently in Edmonton, where they will go up against the Arizona Cardinals for their third game in the series, and are enjoying touches of home, even from more than 2000 miles away.
“Coming to Nashville as the opposing coach, you just see from the hockey perspective, the fans and the involvement in the community and around the arena, it’s one of the most exciting places to play,” Coach John Hynes said in a video posted on social media. “And now being in the organization, it’s so professionally well done: the marketing, our game ops people. Everybody works together, the hockey department, the business department, marketing, all those things. They’ve done a tremendous job helping us. It’s something that we talked about as an organization, prior to coming here, is really trying to win for Nashville, and trying to involve the community, and involve the Nashville Predators.
“You see what they’ve done; we’ve got the billboard here in Edmonton, and the things they’ve done around the hotel, the game ops,” he added. “It’s a high, high class organization. It’s really well run, and they support the players unbelievably.”
"Everybody works together in the hockey department & the business department, marketing, all those things, & they've done a tremendous job helping us."
More on how touches of home have made Edmonton feel more like Predmonton → https://t.co/QDOhKj4lFL#ForSmashville | #Preds pic.twitter.com/LAMuF4CYdu
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) August 5, 2020
The Nashville Predators were declared the home team for the first two games, which meant they had plenty of hometown feel from the beginning, including hearing Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It,” and Jessie James Decker performing the National Anthem in a pre-recorded video. The small touches were just enough to remind the players of the powerful fanbase they have waiting for them in Music City.
“There’s definitely plenty of energy in Bridgestone Arena back home,” Preds center Ryan Johansen said (via NHL.com). “To have those little things, the little reminders of what it’s like to play at home, it’s definitely nice to hear as the game’s going along to get those reminders of fans back home their passion for our hockey club. It’s been nice hearing all those things.”
The Arizona Coyotes beat the Preds 4 to 3 in the first game, while the Preds beat the Coyotes 4 to 2 in the second game. Their third game will take place on Wednesday, August 5, at 1:30 PM.
