2017 Stanley Cup Final run
From expansion to the brink of glory.
The 2017 Stanley Cup Final run was the defining moment of the Nashville Predators' first two decades, transforming a small-market expansion team into a legitimate championship contender. As the first-ever Western Conference title for the franchise, this playoff journey captivated the city and announced the Predators as a force in the NHL. The run culminated in a six-game Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins, marking the deepest playoff advance in club history—and cementing a spring that turned Bridgestone Arena into a deafening cathedral of gold, catfish, and belief.
- Conference
- Western Conference
- Championship
- Western Conference Champions
- Final opponent
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Result
- Lost in 6 games
- Playoff series wins
- 3 (Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks)
- Notable player
- Pekka Rinne (goaltender)
Lore & Background
The 2017 run began with a stunning first-round sweep of the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks, a statement that the Predators were no longer just a gritty underdog. The team's speed, physicality, and relentless forecheck overwhelmed opponents, with goaltender Pekka Rinne delivering a Vezina-caliber performance. The 'Smashville' atmosphere at Bridgestone Arena became legendary, with catfish raining down from the rafters and the crowd's roar a palpable force—so loud it shattered a Guinness World Record, shaking the ice and rattling visiting teams.
In Their Own Story
The ice in Pittsburgh was cold, but the fire in their chests burned hotter than any February night. They had come this far—swept the Blackhawks, outlasted the Blues in a six-game slugfest, and silenced the Ducks in a six-game Western Conference Final that felt like a coronation. Now, with the Cup in sight, they stood on the brink. But the Penguins were champions, and they knew how to close. The final horn came too soon—a 2-0 loss in Game 6, the Cup slipping away on Pittsburgh ice—but the memory of that run—the catfish, the chants, the belief—would never fade.
Reader's Guide
The 2017 Stanley Cup Final run represents the golden era of the Predators' first 20 years. It was the culmination of a patient rebuild under general manager David Poile, who built a team around a core of homegrown talent like Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Pekka Rinne. The run defined the club's identity as a hard-working, defensive-minded team that could also score in bunches, blending grit with a lethal transition game. It mattered because it proved that a non-traditional hockey market could compete for the ultimate prize, galvanizing a fanbase and putting Nashville on the hockey map. The legacy of that spring—the 'Smashville' phenomenon, the catfish tradition, and the pride of a city—continues to shape the franchise's culture, a reminder that on any given night, a small-market team can roar loud enough to shake the hockey world.
Did You Know?
- The Predators became the first team in NHL history to sweep the conference's top seed (Chicago) and the defending conference champion (Anaheim) in the same playoffs.
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