text:
Nashville Predators
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Nashville Predators
2017–18 Nashville Predators season
Conference
Western
Division
Central
Founded
1998
History
Nashville Predators
1998–present
Home arena
Bridgestone Arena
City
Nashville, Tennessee
Colors
Gold, Navy, White[1]
Media
FS Predators
The Game (102.5 FM)
Owner(s)
Predators Holdings LLC
General manager
David Poile
Head coach
Peter Laviolette[2]
Captain
Vacant
Minor league affiliates
Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals (ECHL)
Stanley Cups
0
Conference championships
1 (2016–17)
Presidents' Trophy
0
Division championships
0
Official website
nhl.com/predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Predators joined the NHL as an expansion team in the 1998–99 season, and play their home games at Bridgestone Arena.
Contents
[hide]
1 Franchise history
1.1 First attempt to bring NHL hockey to Nashville
1.2 1997–98: NHL expansion and Predators' inaugural season
1.3 Summary of seasons
2 Ownership history
2.1 Ownership dispute
3 Team information
3.1 Fan traditions
4 Season-by-season record
5 Players
5.1 Current roster
5.2 Team captains
5.3 First-round draft picks
5.4 Franchise scoring leaders
6 NHL awards and trophies
7 Franchise individual records
8 References
9 External links
Franchise history[edit]
This section's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (June 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
First attempt to bring NHL hockey to Nashville[edit]
In late 1995, rumors began to circulate that the New Jersey Devils would be relocating to the planned Nashville Arena.[3] Nashville offered a $20 million relocation bonus to any team that would relocate, and the Devils attempted to terminate their lease with the NJSEA before ultimately restructuring it to stay in New Jersey.[4][5]
1997–98: NHL expansion and Predators' inaugural season[edit]
After the attempt to get the Devils, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that Nashville would probably be considered in upcoming expansion.[6] The arena was opened in 1996, and after an attempt to bring the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings did not go through, the city instead went after a hockey team.[7]
In January 1997, a group led by Wisconsin businessman Craig Leipold made a formal presentation before the NHL requesting an expansion franchise.[8] When Bettman and league officials visited Nashville to tour the arena, thousands gathered on the arena plaza to greet them. In June, the league granted conditional franchises to Nashville, Columbus, Ohio, Atlanta, and Minneapolis – Saint Paul. The Nashville team would be scheduled to begin play in 1998 if they met the NHL requirement of selling 12,000 season tickets before March 31, 1998.[9] Of the four cities, Nashville was the only one with a completed arena and therefore began play first. A month later, Leipold named former Washington Capitals general manager David Poile as the franchise's first general manager.[10] Portland Pirates' head coach Barry Trotz was named the franchise's first head coach on August 6.[11]
On September 25, 1997, Leipold and team president Jack Diller held a press conference where they unveiled the franchise's new logo, a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon floridanus).[11] The logo was a reference to a partial Smilodon skeleton found beneath downtown Nashville in 1971 during construction of the First American National Bank building, now the UBS Tower.[12][13]
Once the logo was unveiled, the franchise held a vote among fans to choose a name. Three candidates were culled from 75: "Ice Tigers," "Fury" and "Attack." Leipold added his own submission to the vote, "Predators." On November 13, Leipold revealed at a press conference that his submission had won out and that the new franchise would be known as the "Nashville Predators."[11]
When awarded a franchise, the city of Nashville paid 31.50% of the $80 million fee to join the league. The city has engaged an affiliate of the team to operate the arena, and that agreement protects the city against annual arena operating losses over approximately $3.8 million.[14] The $15 million payroll of the team was the lowest of the NHL.[7]
The Predators first took the ice on October 10, 1998, where they lost 1–0 at home to the Florida Panthers. It was the only sold out game of the Predators' first five bouts in Nashville.[7] Three nights later, on October 13, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3–2 for their first win. Forward Andrew Brunette scored the first goal.
Summary of seasons[edit]
1998–99 season
The Predators, in their first year of existence, finished second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 28–47–7 record.
1999–2000 season
The Predators finished with a similar record to the previous season (28–40–7–7) and finished last in the West behind the Calgary Flames. During a game versus the New York Islanders on February 20, 2000, the Predators scored four goals in 3 minutes and 38 seconds.
2000–01 season
The Predators opened with two games in Japan against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Each team won a game in front of the largest crowds ever to see a hockey game in Japan. Backed by the goaltending duo of Mike Dunham and Tomas Vokoun, Nashville finished the season in tenth place in the West, 10 points out of a playoff spot with a 34–36–9–3 record, for 80 total points.
2001–02 season
A highlight of the season for the Predators was recording their 100th victory as a franchise on December 6, 2001. With that win, Nashville became the second-fastest expansion team of the 1990s to reach the 100-win plateau. The team finished with a 28–41–13–0 record – good for 69 points and a 15th spot in the West.
2002–03 season
In 2002–03, head coach Barry Trotz broke the record for most games coached by the original coach of an expansion team (392 games). Nashville finished the season with a 27–35–13–7 record for 74 points, putting them well out of contention in the Western Conference in 14th place.
2003–04 season
The Predators finished eighth in the Western Conference and made their first trip to the playoffs. The Detroit Red Wings eliminated them in six games in the first round.
The 2004–05 season was wiped out by a labor dispute between NHL owners and players.
2005–06 season
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 the 1993–94 season. The Predators set the franchise mark for wins in a season with a 2–0 shutout of the Phoenix Coyotes on March 16, 2006. In that match, Chris Mason became the ninth goaltender to score a goal. By the end of the season, the Predators had accumulated 106 points—their first 100-point season—and clinched home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in team history. They finished the season with an NHL-best 32–8–1 record at home.
In the 2006 playoffs, the Predators faced the San Jose Sharks in the first round; the Sharks beat them in five games.
2006–07 season
The Predators acquired veteran center Jason Arnott from free agency on July 2, 2006. Arnott and David Legwand led the team in goals with 27 each. Late in the season, the Predators traded two former first round draft picks, Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent, plus their first and third-round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, to the Philadelphia Flyers for five-time NHL All-Star Peter Forsberg.
The Predators finished the season ranked fourth in the Western Conference with a franchise record 110 points (51–23–8), finishing third overall behind the Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings. They were defeated by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs for the second year in a row, losing the series 4–1.
2007–08 season
After having their roster decimated during the off-season, multiple potential buyers, and rumors of the franchise potentially moving hounding the team until almost mid-season, the Predators were not expected to have a successful year. Chris Mason, former backup goaltender to Tomas Vokoun (who was traded to the Florida Panthers) had a shaky season and shared net-minding duties with Dan Ellis. Ellis, who was signed from the Dallas Stars before the season began, had a 233:39 long shutout streak (fifth longest in league history) nearing the end of the season that helped Nashville attain the eighth playoff spot with 91 points.
The Predators met the Presidents' Trophy-winning (and eventual Stanley Cup winners) Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs and were defeated 4–2, their fourth-straight first-round knockout.
2008–09 season
The first off-season of settling in under new ownership was a quiet one for the Predators with little personnel movement. As such, the Predators began the season with little expectation. Following a strong push after the All-Star break and no movement at the trade deadline, the team found themselves still battling for a playoff spot into the last week of the season. Buoyed by the return of Steve Sullivan after almost two seasons recovering from a back injury, the Predators finished with 88 points, settling for 10th place in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.
2009–10 season
The Predators made few major additions to their roster in the off-season, signing former San Jose Sharks forward Marcel Goc (who was extended for another year by the club in mid-season) and former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Francis Bouillon. The season also saw the much-anticipated debut of top prospect Colin Wilson; however, due to a groin injury suffered in training camp, Wilson spent the first week and a half of the season on the sidelines, and was sent to the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) in November. He returned to the club in February and scored 11 points in his next 15 games and finished the season with 15 points in 35 games.
The 2009–10 season was also a breakout year for the last pick in the 2005 Draft, Patric Hornqvist. After scoring just two goals in 28 games the previous year, the 23-year-old Swede scored 30 in 2009–10, becoming the fourth Predator to do so (the others being Steve Sullivan, Paul Kariya and Jason Arnott). Hornqvist was often found in front of the net, often drawing comparisons to Detroit Red Wings winger Tomas Holmstrom.
The Predators finished seventh and faced the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs. The Predators earned their first away win in the post-season on April 16 when they beat the Blackhawks 4–1 at the United Center. The Predators lost to the Blackhawks in 6 games.
2010–11 season
On July 9, the Predators announced that defenseman Shea Weber would become the club's fifth captain. On April 24, 2011, the Predators celebrated a team milestone, advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They defeated the Anaheim Ducks at Bridgestone Arena, winning the first-round series in six games. On April 22, 2011, Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne was nominated as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.[15] The Predators played against the number one ranked team in the NHL in the second round, the Vancouver Canucks. The Predators lost the series 4–2.
It was a very successful season for the Predators on-and off-the-ice. The Predators racked up 16 regular season sell-outs and an additional six sell-outs during the playoffs.
2011–12 season
On June 22, 2011, the Predators unveiled their modified logo set for the 2011–12 season. With the color scheme simplified to blue, gold and white and eliminating orange, silver and steel, the Predators cleaned up their primary logo and wordmark. A new alternate logo incorporating elements from a guitar pick and the Tennessee state flag was also introduced.[1]
On November 3, 2011, the Predators signed goaltender Pekka Rinne to a seven-year, $49 million deal. It was the largest contract awarded in Predators' history, as well as making Rinne the highest paid goaltender in the NHL that year.
On February 27, 2012, at the NHL trade deadline, the Predators acquired Andrei Kostitsyn and Paul Gaustad from the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres, respectively. The Predators surrendered draft picks to bolster their team for the 2012 playoffs. On March 19, 2012, Russian forward Alexander Radulov returned to the Predators after a four-year hiatus to play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
On April 20, 2012, for the second year in a row and the second time in the team's history, the Predators won a first-round series in the Stanley Cup playoffs.The 2–1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings ended the series 4–1.[16] On May 7, 2012, for the second year in a row, the Predators were ousted in the Western Conference semi-finals, this time to the Phoenix Coyotes.
2012–13 season
During the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, Nashville missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season. After the season, the Predators signed Weber through a front-loaded $110 million, 14-year offer sheet, $68 million of it as a signing bonus, from the Philadelphia Flyers on July 19. The offer sheet was the richest in NHL history in terms of total money, money per season, and length, surpassing the previous offer sheet record set by Thomas Vanek.
2013–14 season
After missing the playoffs for a second season in a row, the Predators decided not to renew the contract of Barry Trotz as its head coach after 15 years, although he was offered an unnamed position within the organization. On May 6, 2014, the Predators announced Peter Laviolette as their new head coach. David Legwand when he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline.
2014-15 season
In Peter Laviolette's first season as coach, the Predators finished second in the Central Division. Despite having home advantage in the first round of the 2015 playoffs, they lost the first round in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
2015-16 season
The Predators finished as the Western Conference's first wild-card, earning 96 points. When they advanced to the second-round after beating the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7, it was the franchise's first seven-game series and seven-game series win. They were eliminated in seven games by the San Jose Sharks, who went on to win the conference.
On June 29, 2016, the Predators traded their captain, Shea Weber, to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman P. K. Subban. The trade surprised many hockey fans because the details to this trade were kept strictly confidential until the deal was already made.
2016–17 season, First Stanley Cup Final
On September 7, 2016, the Predators announced that Mike Fisher would be the franchise's sixth captain.
In the regular season, the Predators finished fourth in the Central Division with 94 points, which earned them the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. The 2016–17 season marked the first time the Predators sold out all 41 regular season home games.
Their eighth-place finish in the conference gave them a first-round Stanley Cup playoff matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, who finished first in the conference during the regular season. The Predators swept the Blackhawks in four games. This was the first time that an eighth seed swept a playoff series against the top seed in the conference in NHL history as well as the first time that there had been a sweep by an eighth seed against a top seed in a best-of-seven playoff series in the history of North American major league professional sports.[17] In the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Predators defeated the St. Louis Blues in six games, marking the first time the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals. On May 16, the Predators became the first team in 20 years (since Detroit Red Wings in 1997) to achieve 10 straight wins at home in the postseason.[18] On May 22, 2017 the Predators defeated the Anaheim Ducks 6–3 and won the series four games to two and won the Western Conference as a result. It was the franchise's first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.[19]
After going down to the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0, the Predators battled back and evened the Series at 2, winning games 3 and 4 at home in decisive fashion. Returning to Pittsburgh, the Predators lost 6-0 before being eliminated at home 2-0 in game 6 of the Finals.
Ownership history[edit]
On May 23, 2007, Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold was reported to have reached a tentative agreement to sell the team to Research in Motion chairman and co-CEO Jim Balsillie.[20] At the time, Leipold indicated that the team would play the 2007–08 season in Nashville but that the future of the team after that was not clear.[21]
On June 23, information was leaked by several sources indicating that Leipold no longer wanted to sell the Predators to Basillie.[22] Subsequently, a campaign to land the team in Kansas City, Missouri, received a boost in late June 2007.[23] The Canadian National Post, citing anonymous sources, reported that Leipold planned to sell the team to San Jose venture capitalist William "Boots" Del Biaggio III, who wanted to relocate the club to Kansas City's new Sprint Center for the 2008–09 season.[23] Del Biaggio, who had a contract with Anschutz Entertainment Group to own an NHL club that would play home games in Sprint Center, had made an offer reported to be for about $190 million for the Predators. Del Biaggio had entered an agreement two years earlier, in 2005, to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the club backed out of the deal after it won the NHL draft lottery and took Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick.[23]
On July 19, 2007, a group of local business owners known as Our Team Nashville held a rally at the Sommet Center to encourage fans to buy season tickets in order to help the Predators meet the attendance figures needed to keep the team in Nashville. They drew approximately 7,500 fans and sold the equivalent of 726 full season tickets during the rally.[24] The rally was heavily supported by George Plaster, then a sportscaster on WGFX 104.5 "The Zone" sports radio in Nashville. On August 1, 2007, the group released a letter of intent from Craig Leipold.[25] After negotiations with the City of Nashville, the local group headed by David Freeman reached an agreement with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, and the NHL Board of Governors approved the sale on November 29, 2007. The $172 million acquisition of the Nashville Predators included repayment of existing debt of approximately $61 million and $2.2 million in fees and expenses. The sale of the Predators to the Tennessee-based group included Del Biaggio, who had been trying to move the team to Kansas City. The locally based buyers held 73% of the team, while Del Biaggio and a minority partner acquired about 27% of the club.
In June 2008, Del Biaggio ran into legal trouble over a multitude of unpaid loans, culminating in his filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[26] Furthermore, it was alleged that Del Biaggio acquired the loans he used to buy his stake in the team through fraudulent means, prompting an FBI investigation and criminal charges.[27] The charges culminated in a 97-month prison sentence for Del Biaggio. Under United States bankruptcy law, a trustee was appointed to sell Del Biaggio's assets, including his stake in the Predators, to pay off his creditors.[28]
On March 1, 2010, Freeman stepped down as chairman of the Nashville Predators in favor of Thomas Cigarran.[29] Cigarran announced on September 2 that the local ownership group had completed the purchase of the Del Biaggio stake.[30]
In November 2011, it was announced that Calgary businessman W. Brett Wilson had purchased a 5% interest in the Nashville Predators.[31]
Ownership dispute[edit]
On June 23, 2016, Freeman filed a $250 million lawsuit against the Nashville Predators and Cigarran. His claim was that his ownership stake has been improperly diluted by Cigarran failing to notify him of capital calls, and that he had not received loan guaranty fees that the ownership group had agreed to pay him.[32] The lawsuit stated that Freeman initially owned a 48% share, while the holding company for the Nashville Predators stated that Freeman controlled less than 1% of ownership in the team at the time of the suit.[33] This dilution was exacerbated by the existence of two classes of investments in the Predators: the common units owned by Freeman were subject to capital calls; the Series A units originally owned by Del Biaggio and his minority partner were not subject to capital calls.[34]
The dispute was sent to court-ordered arbitration on July 29, 2016. The arbitration is under the supervision of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.[35]
Team information[edit]
The team practices at Centennial Sportsplex. For the 2011–12 season, the Nashville Predators changed their jersey design and color scheme. The home jerseys are a bright gold with navy and white highlights, while the away jerseys are white with gold and navy highlights. Furthermore, the Predators changed their logo, making it purely white, gold and navy. The jerseys have a guitar pick on the shoulder with the Tennessee state tri-star inside it, lines meant to be guitar lines on the numbers, and piano keys along the neck line inside the jersey as a nod to Nashville's internationally-known music heritage. From the 2016–17 season gold helmets became a permanent part of the home uniform.[36]
Fan traditions[edit]
Fans of the Nashville Predators have modified the octopus-throwing tradition of Detroit Red Wings fans to show their support: on occasion, a fan will throw a catfish onto the ice. The Tennessean newspaper of Nashville cites the first instance of this as being on October 30, 2003.[37] At the Stanley Cup playoffs Western Conference (NHL) Final Game 3 at Bridgestone Arena on May 16, 2017, country star Keith Urban, who had performed the National Anthem at the game, was viewed on the Jumbotron hoisting a massive fish.[38]
Section 303 is where a section of fans at the Bridgestone Arena sit, stand, and cheer, colloquially known as The Cellblock. The group refers to themselves as "the loudest section of the loudest arena in the NHL."[39] The fan-based organization has been recognized by the Predators' front office. A large banner was produced by the front office for posting on the wall behind the section.
On April 3, 2008, with the Predators clinging to a 3–2 lead with 4:30 in their final home game of the regular season, a sellout crowd at the then-Sommet Center gave the team a standing ovation through the entirety of the final TV timeout. The Predators went on to win the game against the St. Louis Blues and advanced to the playoffs that year, where the "standing O" during the final TV timeout has since become a fan tradition.
The mascot of the Predators is Gnash, a blue saber-toothed cat. Introduced in 1998, Gnash's trademark includes stunts, such as very fast rappels, zip lines, and a pendulum swing that takes him under the scoreboard and just inches off the ice.
To go along with the saber-toothed cat mascot, Predators fans proudly use their Fang Fingers during each power play of the game. There are foam saber-fang gloves that can be purchased, but most fans simply curl their index and middle fingers on each hand into fang shapes and brandish them in an up-and-down motion. Fang Fingers are done to the horror sounds from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Psycho.[40]
Fans are also known for a variety of chants taunting players of the opposing team, particularly the goalie. For example, after each Predators goal, fans call the opposing goalie's name, accompanied by shouts of "It's all your fault" and other epithets. These cheers are sometimes said to originate from tradition at college football games,[41] but some of these derive from traditions held by fans of pre-NHL hockey clubs Nashville Dixie Flyers, Nashville South Stars, Nashville Nighthawks, and Nashville Knights.[42]
Nashville's fanbase is said by many to be among the loudest in the National Hockey League, with sound levels reaching over 120 dB during the playoffs.[43]
Season-by-season record[edit]
Nashville's third jersey logo (2001–2007); a more detailed, three-quarters front view of the team's saber-toothed cat logo.
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Predators. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Nashville Predators seasons.
GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
2012–13 48 16 23 9 41 111 139 5th, Central Did not qualify
2013–14 82 38 32 12 88 216 242 6th, Central Did not qualify
2014–15 82 47 25 10 104 232 208 2nd, Central Lost in First Round, 2–4 (Blackhawks)
2015–16 82 41 27 14 96 228 215 4th, Central Lost in Second Round, 3–4 (Sharks)
2016–17 82 41 29 12 94 240 224 4th, Central Lost in Stanley Cup Finals, 2–4 (Penguins)
Players[edit]
Main article: List of Nashville Predators players
Current roster[edit]
view
talk
edit
Updated August 29, 2017.[44]
#
Nat
Player
Pos
S/G
Age
Acquired
Birthplace
7001460000000000000♠46
Sweden ! Aberg, PontusPontus Aberg 6.0 !LW R 23 2012 Stockholm, Sweden
7001330000000000000♠33
Sweden ! Arvidsson, ViktorViktor Arvidsson 6.0 !LW R 24 2014 Skellefteå, Sweden
7000200000000000000♠2
United States ! Bitetto, AnthonyAnthony Bitetto 2.0 !D L 27 2012 Island Park, New York
7001130000000000000♠13
United States ! Bonino, NickNick Bonino 4.0 !C L 29 2017 Hartford, Connecticut
7001140000000000000♠14
Sweden ! Ekholm, MattiasMattias Ekholm 2.0 !D L 27 2009 Borlänge, Sweden
7000400000000000000♠4
Canada ! Ellis, RyanRyan Ellis (A) 2.0 !D R 26 2009 Hamilton, Ontario
7001250000000000000♠25
Russia ! Emelin, AlexeiAlexei Emelin 2.0 !D L 31 2017 Tolyatti, Soviet Union
7001560000000000000♠56
Switzerland ! Fiala, KevinKevin Fiala 6.0 !LW L 21 2014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
7000900000000000000♠9
Sweden ! Forsberg, FilipFilip Forsberg 6.0 !LW R 23 2013 Östervåla, Sweden
7001890000000000000♠89
Canada ! Gaudreau, FrederickFrederick Gaudreau 4.0 !C R 24 2016 Bromont, Quebec
7000800000000000000♠8
Sweden ! Granberg, PetterPetter Granberg 2.0 !D R 25 2015 Gällivare, Sweden
7001170000000000000♠17
Canada ! Hartnell, ScottScott Hartnell 6.0 !LW L 35 2017 Regina, Saskatchewan
7001520000000000000♠52
Canada ! Irwin, MattMatt Irwin 2.0 !D L 29 2016 Victoria, British Columbia
7001190000000000000♠19
Sweden ! Jarnkrok, CalleCalle Jarnkrok 4.0 !C R 25 2014 Gävle, Sweden
7001920000000000000♠92
Canada ! Johansen, RyanRyan Johansen 4.0 !C R 25 2016 Vancouver, British Columbia
7001590000000000000♠59
Switzerland ! Josi, RomanRoman Josi (A) 2.0 !D L 27 2008 Bern, Switzerland
7001910000000000000♠91
Russia ! Kamenev, VladislavVladislav Kamenev 6.0 !LW L 21 2014 Orsk, Russia
7001550000000000000♠55
Canada ! McLeod, CodyCody McLeod 6.0 !LW L 33 2017 Binscarth, Manitoba
7001290000000000000♠29
Canada ! O'Connor, MattMatt O'Connor 1.0 !G L 25 2017 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
7001350000000000000♠35
Finland ! Rinne, PekkaPekka Rinne 1.0 !G L 34 2004 Kempele, Finland
7001200000000000000♠20
Finland ! Salomaki, MiikkaMiikka Salomaki 7.0 !RW L 24 2011 Raahe, Finland
7001740000000000000♠74
Finland ! Saros, JuuseJuuse Saros 1.0 !G L 22 2013 Forssa, Finland
7001100000000000000♠10
Canada ! Sissons, ColtonColton Sissons 4.0 !C R 23 2012 North Vancouver, British Columbia
7001150000000000000♠15
United States ! Smith, CraigCraig Smith 7.0 !RW R 28 2009 Madison, Wisconsin
7001760000000000000♠76
Canada ! Subban, P. K.P. K. Subban 2.0 !D R 28 2016 Toronto, Ontario
7001510000000000000♠51
United States ! Watson, AustinAustin Watson 6.0 !LW R 25 2010 Ann Arbor, Michigan
7000700000000000000♠7
Switzerland ! Weber, YannickYannick Weber 2.0 !D R 28 2016 Morges, Switzerland

Shea Weber was the team's longest serving captain serving from 2010 to 2016.
Team captains[edit]
Tom Fitzgerald, 1998–2002
Greg Johnson, 2002–2006
Kimmo Timonen, 2006–2007
Jason Arnott, 2007–2010
Shea Weber, 2010–2016
Mike Fisher, 2016–2017
First-round draft picks[edit]
Main article: List of Nashville Predators first-round draft picks
Franchise scoring leaders[edit]
These are the top-ten point-scorers, goal scorers, and assist leaders in franchise regular season history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
David Legwand is the franchise leader in goals and points, and was the final member of the inaugural team to retire or move.
* – current Predators player
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
Points
Player
Pos
GP
G
A
Pts
P/G
David Legwand C 956 210 356 566 .59
Martin Erat RW 723 163 318 481 .67
Shea Weber D 763 166 277 443 .58
Kimmo Timonen D 573 79 222 301 .53
Jean-Pierre Dumont RW 388 93 174 267 .69
Steve Sullivan LW 317 100 163 263 .83
Scott Walker RW 410 96 151 247 .60
Roman Josi* D 406 64 175 239 .59
Greg Johnson C 502 93 145 238 .47
Ryan Suter D 542 38 200 238 .44
Goals
Player
Pos
G
David Legwand C 210
Shea Weber D 166
Martin Erat RW 163
Mike Fisher* C 109
Jason Arnott C 107
Patric Hornqvist RW 106
Steve Sullivan LW 100
Craig Smith* RW 98
Scott Walker RW 96
Colin Wilson LW 95
Assists
Player
Pos
A
David Legwand C 356
Martin Erat RW 318
Shea Weber D 277
Kimmo Timonen D 222
Ryan Suter D 200
Roman Josi* D 175
Jean-Pierre Dumont RW 174
Steve Sullivan LW 163
Scott Walker RW 151
Greg Johnson C 145
NHL awards and trophies[edit]
Main article: List of Nashville Predators award winners
Lester Patrick Trophy
David Poile: 2000–01
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Steve Sullivan: 2008–09
NHL Foundation Player Award
Mike Fisher: 2011–12
Mark Messier Leadership Award
Shea Weber: 2015–16
NHL First All-Star Team
Shea Weber: 2010–11, 2011–12
NHL Second All-Star Team
Pekka Rinne: 2010–11
Shea Weber: 2013–14, 2014–15
NHL All-Rookie Team
Filip Forsberg: 2014–15
NHL All-Star Game selections
Sergei Krivokrasov: 1998–99
Kimmo Timonen: 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2006–07
Tomas Vokoun: 2003–04
Jason Arnott: 2007–08
Shea Weber: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
Ryan Suter: 2011–12
Pekka Rinne: 2014–15, 2015-16
Filip Forsberg: 2014–15
Roman Josi: 2015–16
James Neal: 2015–16
P. K. Subban: 2016–17

Franchise individual records[edit]
Most games played: David Legwand, 956
Most games played, goaltender: Pekka Rinne, 508
Most goals in a season: Jason Arnott; Filip Forsberg, 33 (2008-09; 2015-16)
Most assists in a season: Paul Kariya, 54 (2005–06)
Most points in a season: Paul Kariya, 85 (2005–06)
Most penalty minutes in a season: Patrick Cote, 242 (1998–99)
Most goals in a season, defenseman: Shea Weber, 23 (2008–09 and 2013–14)
Most points in a season, defenseman: Roman Josi, 61 (2015-16)
Most goals in a season, rookie: Filip Forsberg, 26 (2014–15)
Most points in a season, rookie: Filip Forsberg, 63 (2014–15)
Most wins in a season: Pekka Rinne, 43 (2011–12)
Most shutouts in a season: Pekka Rinne, 7 (2008–09 and 2009-10)
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b "Preds Unveil New Logos". NHL.com. Nashville Predators. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Nashville Predators Name Peter Laviolette Head Coach". NHL.com. Nashville, TN: Nashville Predators. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
Jump up ^ MacFarquhar, Neil (June 29, 1995). "HOCKEY; Fans Caught Between Devils and Nashville". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
Jump up ^ Sandomir, Richard (June 8, 1995). "1995 N.H.L. PLAYOFFS; Devils Reject Offer on New Lease". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
Jump up ^ Sandomir, Richard (July 14, 1995). "HOCKEY; Devils and New Jersey Call Truce and Strike Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
Jump up ^ "HOCKEY; Nashville Still Seeks Team". The New York Times. July 14, 1995. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c Farber, Michael (9 November 1998). "Hockey-Tonk Town Nashville and its biggest country music stars have taken a down-home hankerin' to the expansion Predators". SI.com. Time, Inc. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
Jump up ^ Litsky, Frank (January 14, 1997). "Cities Line Up To Join The N.H.L". The New York Times.
Jump up ^ "N.H.L. Names 4 Cities For Its New Franchises". The New York Times. June 18, 1997. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
Jump up ^ "NHL Expansion Franchise Nashville Chooses Poile For GM".Boston Globe. July 10, 1997.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Nashville Predators Timeline". WSMV. Nashville, TN. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
Jump up ^ Ingram, Tom (October 2, 1971). "Specialists to Study Cave Bones". Nashville Tennessean. p. 7.
Jump up ^ Guilday, John E. (July 1977). "Sabertooth Cat, Smilodon Floridanus (Leidy), and Associated Fauna From a Tennessee Cave (40DV40), the First American Bank Site.". Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science. 52 (3): 84–94.
Jump up ^ Jones, Donald W. (April 15, 2008). "Metropolitan Nashville Council, Analysis Report for April 15, 2008" (PDF). nashville.gov. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2010.
Jump up ^ Pekka Rinne named a finalist for Vezina Trophy, ontheforecheck.com, April 22, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Predators Eliminate Redwings". New York Times. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
Jump up ^ Curtis, Cory (April 21, 2017). "Predators sweep Blackhawks with 4-1 win". wkrn.com.
Jump up ^ "Ducks Resting Up for Aggressive Preds Down 2-1 in West". The New York Times. The Associated Press. May 17, 2017.
Jump up ^ "Colton Sissons' hat trick pushes the Predators into their first Stanley Cup finals appearance". espn.com. 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
Jump up ^ Balsillie attempting to buy Predators, tsn.ca, May 23, 2007. Archived October 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ "Canadian Billionaire To Buy Predators". newschannel5.com. Nashville, TN: WorldNow. May 24, 2007. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007.
Jump up ^ Cox, Damien (23 June 2007). "NHL calling the tune in Nashville". TheStar.com. Toronto, ON: Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b c Covitz, Randy. Kansas City's chances for the NHL's Predators get boost Kansas City Star, June 28, 2007.[dead link]
Jump up ^ Wilson, Kevin (July 20, 2007). "Local supporters stage successful ticket rally". predators.nhl.com. Nashville Predators. Archived from the original on August 7, 2007.
Jump up ^ "Predators set to sell team to local group". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
Jump up ^ National Post story on Del Biaggio bankruptcy[dead link]
Jump up ^ Maki, Allan (13 June 2008). "Del Biaggio's trials take another twist". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
Jump up ^ "Nashville reaches deal to consolidate ownership". The Globe and Mail. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
Jump up ^ Hoag, Dirk (1 March 2010). "David Freeman steps down as chairman of the Nashville Predators". On the Forecheck. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
Jump up ^ Hoag, Dirk (2 September 2010). "Nashville Predators complete purchase of Boots Del Biaggio shares". On the Forecheck. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
Jump up ^ "St. Denis takes rare path to NHL". The Montreal Gazette. November 17, 2011. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011.
Jump up ^ Rau, Nate (23 June 2016). "Predators owner sues team, chairman for $250M". The Tennessean. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
Jump up ^ Steimer, Jacob (29 July 2016). "Predators lawsuit sent back to arbitration, major win for team". Nashville Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
Jump up ^ "IN RE BIAGGIO | Case No. 08-30991 TEC, Adv. Proc. No. 12-3065 TEC.". Leagle.com. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
Jump up ^ Barchenger, Stacey; Rau, Nate (29 July 2016). "Judge rules in favor of Predators, Cigarran, arbitration". The Tennessean. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
Jump up ^ Bratten, Brooks (September 15, 2016). "Preds Adopt Gold Helmets for Every Home Game". NHL.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
Jump up ^ Tennessean.com, Catfish hunters: Fans throw a curve at Preds
Jump up ^ Barrett Caldwell on Twitter
Jump up ^ Bonvissuto, Dominic. "Section 303: I came, I saw - I yawned". Nashville City Paper. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
Jump up ^ "An Introduction To Smashville". NHL.com. Nashville Predators. 27 April 2010.
Jump up ^ Godfrey, Steven (17 April 2015). "How the Nashville Predators built a fan base in the heart of college football country". SBNation.com. Vox Media, Inc.
Jump up ^ "Nashville Knights hockey team statistics and history at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com.
Jump up ^ "Preds' postseason run has turned Music City into Smashville". FOX Sports. Associated Press. 11 May 2017.
Jump up ^ "Predators Roster". "Nashville Predators". Retrieved May 20, 2017.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nashville Predators.
Official website
[show]
v
t
e
Nashville Predators
Founded in 1998
Based in Nashville, Tennessee
Franchise
Team
General managers
Coaches
Players
Captains
Draft picks (Expansion draft)
Seasons
Current season
History
Records
Award winners
Personnel
Owners
Predators Holdings LLC (Thomas Cigarran, chairman)
General manager
David Poile
Head coach
Peter Laviolette
Team captain
Mike Fisher
Current roster
Arena
Bridgestone Arena
Affiliates
AHL
Milwaukee Admirals
ECHL
Norfolk Admirals
Media
FS Predators
The Game (102.5 FM)
Nashville Predators Radio Network
Culture and lore
Gnash
"I Like It, I Love It"
[show]
Links to related articles
[show]
v
t
e
Nashville Predators seasons
1990s
1990–91 . 1991–92 . 1992–93 . 1993–94 . 1994–95 . 1995–96 . 1996–97 . 1997–98 . 1998–99
1999–00
2000s
2000–01
2001–02
2002–03
2003–04
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10
2010s
2010–11
2011–12
2012–13
2013–14
2014–15
2015–16
2016–17
2017–18
[show]
v
t
e
National Hockey League
Western Conference Eastern Conference
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Events
Seasons
structure
Stanley Cup
Playoffs
Conference Finals
Finals
Champions
Winning players
Traditions and anecdotes
Presidents' Trophy
All-Star Game
Draft
Players
Association
Retired jersey numbers
All-Star Teams
Awards
Captains
Outdoor games
Winter Classic
Heritage Classic
Stadium Series
Centennial Classic
Hockey Day
America
Canada
International games
Kraft Hockeyville
History
Lore
Organizational changes
Potential expansion
All-time standings
All-time playoff series
Defunct teams
NHA
Original Six
1967 expansion
WHA
merger
Others
Streaks
Droughts
Hall of Fame
Members
Rivalries
Arenas
Rules
Fighting
Violence
Ice hockey in Canada
Ice hockey in the United States
Collective bargaining agreement
Lockouts
Television and radio coverage
Attendance figures
Category
Portal
2017–18 season
[show]
v
t
e
Sports teams based in Tennessee
Baseball
PCL
Memphis Redbirds
Nashville Sounds
SL
Chattanooga Lookouts
Jackson Generals
Tennessee Smokies
ApL
Elizabethton Twins
Johnson City Cardinals
Kingsport Mets
Basketball
NBA
Memphis Grizzlies
Football
NFL
Tennessee Titans
WFA
Memphis Dynasty
Hockey
NHL
Nashville Predators
SPHL
Knoxville Ice Bears
Roller derby
WFTDA
Chattanooga Roller Girls
Hard Knox Roller Girls
Little City Roller Girls
Memphis Roller Derby
Nashville Rollergirls
Soccer
USL
Nashville SC
PDL
Nashville SC U23
Tri-Cities FC
NPSL
Chattanooga FC
Inter Nashville FC
Knoxville Force
Memphis City FC
Ultimate
AUDL
Nashville Nightwatch
College athletics
(NCAA Division I)
Austin Peay
Belmont
Chattanooga
East Tennessee State
Lipscomb
Memphis
Middle Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
UT-Martin
Vanderbilt
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nashville_Predators&oldid=796696528"
Categories:
Ice hockey clubs established in 1998
Nashville Predators
Sports in Nashville, Tennessee
Ice hockey teams in Tennessee
Central Division (NHL)
National Hockey League in the Sun Belt
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
All articles with dead external links
Articles with dead external links from June 2016
Articles with dead external links from August 2016
Twitter username not in Wikidata
Use mdy dates from March 2012
Wikipedia articles needing style editing from June 2017
All articles needing style editing
Articles with hCards
Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
العربية
Беларуская
Беларуская (тарашкевіца)
Български
Català
Čeština
Dansk
Deutsch
Español
Euskara
Français
Galego
한국어
Հայերեն
हिन्दी
Hrvatski
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
Latviešu
Lietuvių
Magyar
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk
Polski
Português
Русский
Simple English
Slovenčina
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
Türkçe
Українська
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 22 August 2017, at 14:58.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

attrs: id class style

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: th

attrs: colspan style

values: text-align:center;font-size:125%;font-weight:bold;color:#000000; background-color:background:#FFFFFF;border-top:#FFB81C 5px solid;border-bottom:#041E42 5px solid;;

value: tr

value: img

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href title

value: i

value: td

attrs: href class

values: background-color:#FFB81C; color:; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#041E42; color:; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values: background-color:#FFFFFF; color:; border:1px solid #000000; text-align:center;

values:
nofollow
external text
http://nhl.com/predators

values:
infobox
width:22em;font-size: 90%; width:300px

values: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-style ambox-Tone

values: Edit section: First attempt to bring NHL hockey to Nashville

values:
/wiki/Nashville_Arena
mw-redirect
Nashville Arena

values: New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority

values: Edit section: 1997–98: NHL expansion and Predators' inaugural season

values:
/wiki/NHL_Commissioner
mw-redirect
NHL Commissioner

values:
/wiki/2004-05_NHL_Lockout
mw-redirect
2004-05 NHL Lockout

values:
/wiki/Chapter_11_bankruptcy
mw-redirect
Chapter 11 bankruptcy

values:
/wiki/United_States_bankruptcy_law
mw-redirect
United States bankruptcy law

values:
/wiki/Bankruptcy_trustee
mw-redirect
Bankruptcy trustee

values:
/wiki/2008_Stanley_Cup_Playoffs
mw-redirect
2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs

values:
/wiki/Gnash_(mascot)
mw-redirect
Gnash (mascot)

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: Template talk:Nashville Predators roster

values: text-align:center; position:relative; white-space:nowrap; color:black; position:absolute; right:0; top:0; margin:0 5px;

attrs: width data-sort-type class tabindex role title

values:
5%
number
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values:
/wiki/File:Injury_icon_2.svg
image
Injured Reserve

values:
/wiki/Binscarth,_Manitoba
mw-redirect
Binscarth, Manitoba

values:
/wiki/Morges,_Switzerland
mw-redirect
Morges, Switzerland

values: background-color:#CCFFCC; color:; border:1px solid darkgray; text-align:center;

values: text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding-left: 1em;

values: border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; border: 0; background:transparent; width:auto;

values: List of Nashville Predators award winners

values: 49th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values:
/wiki/Tomas_Vokoun
mw-redirect
Tomas Vokoun

values: 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 57th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 59th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 60th National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 61st National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: 62nd National Hockey League All-Star Game

values: Edit section: Franchise individual records

values:
/wiki/Boston_Globe
mw-redirect
Boston Globe

values:
/wiki/Nashville_Tennessean
mw-redirect
Nashville Tennessean

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.nhl.com/predators/roster

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: ;background:#FFFFFF;border-top:#FFB81C 5px solid;border-bottom:#041E42 5px solid;;background:none transparent;border:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none;

values: width:1%;background:#FFFFFF;-moz-box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #041E42, inset -2px -2px 0 #041E42; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #041E42, inset -2px -2px 0 #041E42; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #041E42, inset -2px -2px 0 #041E42;

values: List of Nashville Predators general managers

values: List of Nashville Predators head coaches

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: background:#e8e8ff;background:#FFFFFF;border-top:#FFB81C 5px solid;border-bottom:#041E42 5px solid;

values: Template talk:Nashville Predators seasons

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Traditions and anecdotes associated with the Stanley Cup

values: National Hockey League Players' Association

values: List of National Hockey League retired numbers

values: List of current NHL captains and alternate captains

values:
/wiki/Hockey_Day_in_America
mw-redirect
Hockey Day in America

values:
/wiki/Hockey_Day_in_Canada
mw-redirect
Hockey Day in Canada

values: List of international games played by NHL teams

values: History of organizational changes in the NHL

values: Potential National Hockey League expansion

values: List of defunct and relocated National Hockey League teams

values: List of NHL franchise post-season appearance streaks

values: List of NHL franchise post-season droughts

values: List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame

values: List of National Hockey League attendance figures

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/File:Flag_of_Tennessee.svg
image
Flag of Tennessee

values:
navbox-image
8
width:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 2px

values:
/wiki/Chattanooga_Mocs_and_Lady_Mocs
mw-redirect
Chattanooga Mocs and Lady Mocs

values: nowraplinks collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values: Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1998

values: Category:National Hockey League in the Sun Belt

values: Category:Webarchive template wayback links

values: Category:All articles with dead external links

values: Category:Articles with dead external links from June 2016

values: Category:Articles with dead external links from August 2016

values: Category:Twitter username not in Wikidata

values: Category:Wikipedia articles needing style editing from June 2017

values: Category:All articles needing style editing

values: Category:Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Nashville_Predators
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: ناشفيل بريداتورز – Arabic

values: Нэшвіл Прэдатарз – Belarusian

values: Нэшвіл Прэдатарз – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)

values: Нашвил Предатърс – Bulgarian

values: 내슈빌 프레더터스 – Korean

values: Նեշվիլ Պրեդատորզ – Armenian

values: नैशविले प्रीडेटर्स – Hindi

values: נאשוויל פרדטורס – Hebrew

values: ナッシュビル・プレデターズ – Japanese

values: Нэшвилл Предаторз – Russian

values: Нешвил предаторси – Serbian

values: Нашвілл Предаторс – Ukrainian

values: 納什維爾掠奪者 – Chinese

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Nashville_Predators rootpage-Nashville_Predators skin-vector action-view


text:
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to the Forum
theatrical release poster
Directed by
Richard Lester
Produced by
Melvin Frank
Screenplay by
Melvin Frank
Michael Pertwee
Based on
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
1962 play
by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Starring
Zero Mostel
Jack Gilford
Phil Silvers
Music by
Stephen Sondheim
Cinematography
Nicolas Roeg
Edited by
John Victor-Smith
Distributed by
United Artists
Release date
October 16, 1966 (1966-10-16) (United States)
December 14, 1966 (1966-12-14) (United Kingdom)
Running time
99 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
United States
Language
English
Budget
$2 million
Box office
$3.4 million
(US/Canada)[1]
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a 1966 British-American DeLuxe Color musical comedy film, based on the stage musical of the same name. It was inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251-183 B.C.) – specifically Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Mostellaria – and tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door.
The film was directed by Richard Lester, with Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford reprising their stage roles. It also features Buster Keaton in his last motion picture role; Phil Silvers, for whom the stage musical was originally intended; and Lester favorites Michael Crawford, Michael Hordern and Roy Kinnear.
The musical was adapted for the screen by Melvin Frank and Michael Pertwee from the stage musical of the same name with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. The film's cinematography was by Nicolas Roeg.
Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Songs
4 Production
5 Release
6 Reception
6.1 Box office
6.2 Critical reception
7 Awards and honors
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Plot[edit]
In the city of Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero, Pseudolus (Zero Mostel) is "the lyingest, cheatingest, sloppiest slave in all of Rome", whose only wish is to buy his freedom from his master's parents, the henpecked Senex (Michael Hordern) and his dominating wife Domina (Patricia Jessel). When he finds out that his master, Senex's handsome but dim son Hero (Michael Crawford), has fallen in love with Philia (Annette Andre), a beautiful virgin courtesan from the house of Marcus Lycus (Phil Silvers), buyer and seller of beautiful women next door, Pseudolus makes a deal: he will get the girl for Hero in return for his freedom.
Unfortunately, the virgin has been sold to the great Roman soldier, Captain Miles Gloriosus (Leon Greene), who even now is on his way from conquering Crete to claim her as his bride. In an attempt to fake out the great Gloriosis and buy enough time to come up with a plan that will give Philia to Hero, Pseudolus and his overseer, Hysterium (Jack Gilford), stage a sit-down orgy for fourteen. Pseudolus informs the captain that his bride is dead and blackmails Hysterium into masquerading as the corpse of Philia to fool the captain and send him heartbroken away; but things go wrong at every turn.
When the supposedly dead "Philia" suddenly comes back to life after the great Gloriosis announces his intention of cutting "her" heart out as a memorial, an hilarious chase across Rome and on into the countryside ensues. Eventually, Miles Gloriosis collars Hero, the real Philia, Hysterium, Marcus Lycus, Pseudolus, and Gymnasia, the silent woman courtesan fancied by Pseudolus, and brings them back to Rome to untangle the skein of deception and see that justice is done.
In the end, Hero gets Philia; Senex's next-door neighbor Erronius (Buster Keaton) learns that Philia and Miles Gloriosus are in fact his long-lost children; Marcus Lycus is spared from execution for breaking a marriage contract; Miles Gloriosis takes the gorgeous Gemini twins as his consorts; and Pseudolus gets his freedom, the beautiful Gymnasia to be his wife, and a dowry of 10,000 minae, compliments of Marcus Lycus.
Cast[edit]
Zero Mostel as Pseudolus
Phil Silvers as Marcus Lycus
Michael Crawford as Hero
Jack Gilford as Hysterium
Annette Andre as Philia
Buster Keaton as Erronius
Michael Hordern as Senex
Leon Greene as Captain Miles Gloriosus
Patricia Jessel as Domina
Inga Nielsen as Gymnasia
Peter Butterworth as Roman Sentry
Roy Kinnear as Gladiator Instructor
Pamela Brown as High Priestess
Beatrix Lehmann as Domina's Mother
Bill Kerr as Gladiator-in-Training
Jon Pertwee as Crassus
Frank Thornton as slave driver
Ingrid Pitt as Courtesan
Cast notes
Veteran film comedian Buster Keaton was terminally ill with cancer at the time of filming. Nevertheless, the 70-year-old actor was able to do many of his own stunts in the film, to the amazement of the cast and crew.[2] Forum would be his final film appearance.[3]
Former Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee, brother of screenwriter Michael Pertwee, appears briefly as Crassus, who reports that there is no plague in Crete. He had originally played the part of Lycus in the 1963 West End stage production.
Roy Kinnear appeared in eight other films directed by Richard Lester: Help! (1965), How I Won the War (1967), The Bed Sitting Room (1969), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers (1974), Juggernaut (1974), Royal Flash (1975) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989).[4]
Songs[edit]
"Comedy Tonight" — Pseudolus and Company
"Lovely" — Philia and Hero
"Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" — Pseudolus, Senex, Lycus, and Hysterium
"Bring Me My Bride" — Miles Gloriosus and Company
"Lovely" (reprise) — Pseudolus and Hysterium
"Funeral Sequence" - Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus and Company
"Finale" — Company
Songs from the original Broadway score which were cut for the film: "Love I Hear" (Hero), "Free" (Pseudolus and Hero), "Pretty Little Picture" (Pseudolus, Hero, Philia), "I'm Calm" (Hysterium), "Impossible" (Senex and Hero), "That Dirty Old Man" (Domina) and "That'll Show Him" (Philia)[5]
Sondheim's music was adapted for the film version of Forum by Ken Thorne, who previously worked with The Beatles on Help! (1965).[6][7] Thorne won the only award that Forum received, a 1967 Academy Award for "Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment".[8]
Production[edit]
Although the musical had originally been written with Phil Silvers in mind, Zero Mostel starred on Broadway as Pseudolus,[9] and Richard Lester was his choice to direct the film version. Other directors who were considered included Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles and Mike Nichols.[6]
It was filmed at the Samuel Bronston Studios in Madrid, Spain, and on location around that city,[10] on an estimated budget of $2 million. Filming took place from September to November 1965.[11]
Jack Gilford was also re-creating his stage role, as Hysterium,[9] and there are other connections to the Broadway production. Tony Walton, who designed the production, including the costumes, was also the designer of the Broadway show. For Walton, who was married to Julie Andrews from 1959 to 1967, Forum came at the beginning of both his film and stage careers: it was his second Broadway production, and his third film - he had designed costumes for Mary Poppins in 1964, and did the overall production design of Fahrenheit 451 in 1966.[12][13]
Bob Simmons, a renowned stunt coordinator, designed and performed many of the action scenes in the film.
Forum is remarkable as one of the few films in which Buster Keaton appeared where he employed a double. Keaton was suffering from terminal cancer at the time – a fact of which he was not aware – and Mick Dillon stood-in for him for the running sequences. However, Buster performed the pratfall after running into a tree in the chase sequence near the end of the film himself, as no one could properly imitate his pratfalls.[14]
The animated end credits created by Richard Williams feature many houseflies, a reminder of the fly problem the production suffered through when the fruits and vegetables which festooned the set were left out to rot overnight after the end of the shooting day.[6]
George Martin, who with Ethel Martin is credited with the choreography of the film,[15] was the assistant to choreographer Jack Cole on Broadway.[16] (Jerome Robbins also did some uncredited work on the stage show.[9]) Other members of the Forum team are notable as well. Cinematographer Nicholas Roeg moved up to the director's chair to make films such as Walkabout (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), and The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) with David Bowie.
Release[edit]
Forum premiered in New York City on October 16, 1966[17] and in London on December 14 of that year.[18] It went into general release in January 1967.
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The film received about $3 million in rentals in the U.S.[11]
Critical reception[edit]
Reviews from critics were mostly positive. Variety wrote, "Flip, glib and sophisticated, yet rump-slappingly bawdy and fast-paced, 'Forum' is a capricious look at the seamy underside of classical Rome through a 20th-Century hipster's shades ... Generally assayed with satirical thrust and on-target accuracy, almost all of the performances are top-rung and thoroughly expert."[19] In a generally favorable review for The New York Times, Vincent Canby praised the "handsomely realistic settings" and determined that "Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics hold up well," but also found it "hard to decide whether Mr. Lester has gone too far, or not far enough, in translating into film terms the carefully calculated nonsense originally conceived for the theater. He's done a lot of tricky things — with his penchant for quick cutting and juxtaposition of absurd images — but there are times when this style seems oddly at variance with the basic material, which is roughly 2,000 years older than the motion-picture camera."[20]
Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the film moved so fast that "I simply couldn't ingest it all in one viewing," but "I was able to register enough to realize I was enjoying myself hugely. 'Forum' is a bawdy, ribald romp that rips Rome's Great Society right up the middle, an out-and-out burlesque show that may even—underneath all the frenetic foolery, the flourishing of floozies and the pratfalls—have something satirical and cynical to tell us about nations and why they fall."[21] Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post raved, ""Bawdy, gaudy and lawry, how funny! 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' has arrived at the Cinema, where laughter should be exploding for months."[22] Brendan Gill of The New Yorker wrote that "I laughed my way mindlessly through ninety percent of the picture," calling the jokes "both awful and exactly right for Mostel, Silvers and company."[23] A review in the UK's Monthly Film Bulletin thought that Lester's fast-moving direction style made for a "curious effect of dislocation," writing that Mostel and Silvers "constantly find the editor snapping at their tails while Lester dashes down some attractive byway and the laugh they probably would have got is stopped short." The review concluded, "Apart from the long chase at the end, which is boring and irrelevant, this is an odd, good-humoured mess of a film, in spite of everything decidedly likeable."[24]
Awards and honors[edit]
Music director Ken Thorne received an Academy Award for "Oscar Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment" in 1967. In addition, the film was nominated that year for a Golden Globe as "Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy".[8]
See also[edit]
List of American films of 1966
Up Pompeii!
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Big Rental Films of 1967", Variety, 3 January 1968 p 25. Please note these figures refer to rentals accruing to the distributors.
Jump up ^ Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, Thames Television documentary (aired in the U.S. on Turner Classic Movies)
Jump up ^ IMDB Buster Keaton
Jump up ^ IMDB Roy Kinnear
Jump up ^ "Songs" on the Internet Broadway Database
^ Jump up to: a b c Jessica Handler "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (TCM article)
Jump up ^ IMDB Ken Thorne
^ Jump up to: a b IMDB Awards
^ Jump up to: a b c IBDB "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"
Jump up ^ IMDB Filming locations
^ Jump up to: a b IMDB Business data
Jump up ^ IMDB Tony Walton
Jump up ^ IBDB Tony Walton
Jump up ^ Freese, Gene Scott (2014) Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s (Second Edition). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company ISBN 978-1-4766-1470-0
Jump up ^ TCM Full credits
Jump up ^ IBDB George Martin
Jump up ^ TCM Overview
Jump up ^ IMDB Release dates
Jump up ^ "Film Reviews: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum". Variety: 6. September 28, 1966.
Jump up ^ Canby, Vincent (October 17, 1966). "Screen: 'Funny Thing' Happens Here". The New York Times: 48.
Jump up ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (December 4, 1966). "'Fahrenheit' Freezes Blood, 'Forum' a Funny Thing". Los Angeles Times. Calendar, p. 11.
Jump up ^ Coe, Richard L. (December 24, 1966). "'Funny Thing' A Funny Thing". The Washington Post: D7.
Jump up ^ Gill, Brendan (October 22, 1966). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker: 165.
Jump up ^ "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 34 (398): 41. March 1967.
External links[edit]
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum on IMDb
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at AllMovie
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the TCM Movie Database
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the American Film Institute Catalog
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Rotten Tomatoes
show
v
t
e
Films directed by Richard Lester
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1959)
It's Trad, Dad! (1962)
The Mouse on the Moon (1963)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
The Knack …and How to Get It (1965)
Help! (1965)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
How I Won the War (1967)
Petulia (1968)
The Bed Sitting Room (1969)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
Juggernaut (1974)
The Four Musketeers (1974)
Royal Flash (1975)
Robin and Marian (1976)
The Ritz (1976)
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979)
Cuba (1979)
Superman II (1980)
Superman III (1983)
Finders Keepers (1984)
The Return of the Musketeers (1989)
Get Back (1991)
show
v
t
e
Musicals by Stephen Sondheim
Saturday Night
West Side Story
Gypsy
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Anyone Can Whistle
Do I Hear a Waltz?
Evening Primrose
The Race to Urga
Company
Follies
A Little Night Music
The Frogs
Pacific Overtures
Side by Side by Sondheim
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Marry Me a Little
Merrily We Roll Along
Sunday in the Park with George
Into the Woods
Assassins
Putting It Together
Passion
Road Show
Sondheim on Sondheim
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum_(film)&oldid=853348658"
Categories:
1966 films
English-language films
American films
British musical comedy films
British films
1960s musical comedy films
American musical comedy films
Films based on musicals
Films directed by Richard Lester
Films set in ancient Rome
Films set in the Roman Empire
Films set in the 1st century
Films shot in Madrid
United Artists films
Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award
American sex comedy films
British sex comedy films
Hidden categories:
Use mdy dates from May 2014
Film articles using image size parameter
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
العربية
Català
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Svenska
Українська
4 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 4 August 2018, at 03:32 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

attrs: class href

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

value: p

attrs: colspan class style

attrs: scope style

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values:
/wiki/Emperor_Nero
mw-redirect
Emperor Nero

values: text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding-left: 4em;

values:
/wiki/The_Four_Musketeers_(film)
mw-redirect
The Four Musketeers (film)

values:
/wiki/Academy_Award
mw-redirect
Academy Award

values:
/wiki/Madrid,_Spain
mw-redirect
Madrid, Spain

values:
/wiki/Fahrenheit_451_(film)
mw-redirect
Fahrenheit 451 (film)

values:
/wiki/The_Man_Who_Fell_to_Earth_(film)
mw-redirect
The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)

values:
/wiki/Golden_Globe
mw-redirect
Golden Globe

values:
/wiki/Gross_rental
mw-redirect
Gross rental

values:
nofollow
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000036/
external text

values:
nofollow
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0455702/
external text

values:
nofollow
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006322/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
http://ibdb.com/production.php?ID=2779

values:
nofollow
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910589/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
http://ibdb.com/person.php?ID=25417

values:
nofollow
external text
http://ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=22028

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060438/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.allmovie.com/movie/v18964

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible mw-collapsed

values: Category:Films directed by Richard Lester

values: Category:Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award

values: Category:Film articles using image size parameter

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: شيء مضحك حدث في الطريق إلى المحكمة (فيلم) – Arabic

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ca
display: none;

values: Toll trieben es die alten Römer – German

values: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film) – Dutch

values: Zabawna historia wydarzyła się w drodze na forum – Polish

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-pl
display: none;

values: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – Portuguese

values: Забавная история, случившаяся по дороге на форум – Russian

values: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film) – Serbo-Croatian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sh
display: none;

values: En kul grej hände på väg till Forum (film) – Swedish

values: Веселий випадок по дорозі на Форум – Ukrainian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-uk
display: none;

values: All languages (initial selection from common choices by you and others)

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum_film rootpage-A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum_film skin-vector action-view