The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Their nickname is the "Preds."

Franchise history
The team was named after the fossil skull of a saber-toothed cat, a species extinct for at least 10,000 years, was found in a cave during the excavation for the AmSouth Center in August 1971, in Nashville. The fossil is only the fifth of its kind found in North America.

When awarded a frachise, the Predators got a very lucrative deal. The city of Nashville paid 31.25% of the $80 million fee to join the league. The city also absorbs operating losses from the arena, despite the fact that the Gaylord Entertainment Center is operated by a subsidiary of the team.

The Predators first took the ice on October 10, 1998, where they lost 1-0 at home to the Florida Panthers. Three nights later, on October 13, they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 for their first win. Forward Andrew Brunette scored the first goal on a play that was reviewed by the video goal judge.

Legend of the catfish

Fans of the Nashville Predators have created their own unique tradition to show their support: on occasion, a fan will throw a catfish onto the ice. The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville cites the first instance of this on October 30, 2003. The Predators were facing the Detroit Red Wings at the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and a fan managed to toss the raw fish over the glass and onto the ice in celebration of Nashville's first goal of the contest, which the Predators ultimately won. The fan's fish-toss set a precedent, and fans smuggle the catfish into the arena (likely by keeping them up against their skin, as security searches bags but doesn't frisk fans) and fling the fish onto the ice, often in celebration of the Predators' first goal of the game. In fact, at least four catfish wound up on the ice after the first Nashville goal in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on November 13th, 2003. Fans who get caught throwing anything onto the ice are escorted out of the arena, yet it doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent—this tradition continues on occasion even now.

The reason for choosing a catfish is not entirely clear. It is possible (though unlikely) that the fish referenced the Predators' status as "bottom-feeders" in the NHL's Western Conference for much of the team's early existence. It may also have had something to do with the Catfish Out of Water art festival which took place around the time the tradition began; this festival resulted in over 50 fiberglass catfish sculptures being placed throughout Music City, including one painted in a hockey scheme located on the GEC plaza.

The most plausable theory regarding the smelly fish regards a rivalry. The biggest rivals of the Nashville Predators are the legendary Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings have a similar tradition where fans fling octopuses onto the ice, with the creature's eight legs symbolizing the eight wins it once took the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. With the deep dislike of the Red Wings, it is likely a fan decided to create a Southern answer to the longstanding tradition, and the catfish--a Southern trademark--was a fairly logical choice.

Sometime around 8:34pm Central time on Wednesday, February 8th, 2006 (with 13 minutes and change left in the 3rd period), the Predators and their foul-smelling tradition made history again. The Preds were playing the Red Wings in Detroit, and the Joe Louis Arena got its first known taste of catfish. Nashville was down 4-0, and a fan calmly approached the glass and heaved the fish to the ice--the very same ice which has seen so many octopuses in the past. After chucking the catfish, the fan removed his jacket to reveal an autographed jersey of Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun, who had been pulled after two periods, giving up the four goals. According to the Predators' announcers (Pete Weber and Terry Crisp) the fan known as Catfish Kenny likely was waiting for Nashville's first goal of the game, but whether due to impatience or the likely growing odour of the catfish, decided to throw the fish early. His actions - including revealing his jersey and thus, his allegiance, earned him a hasty exit from the game. The Predators had no luck on that night, however, as the Red Wings and their historically octopus-flinging fans would enjoy being the 6-0 victor in that contest. Catfish Kenny also struck again in the season finale April 18 vs the Red Wings shortly after Paul Kariya's Hat Trick.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Nashville Predators".

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Nashville Predators