First NHL Game (October 10, 1998)

Lore & Background

The Predators' inaugural game was the payoff of a long-shot bet by local ownership and the NHL to plant the puck in Dixie. Awarded the franchise in 1997, general manager David Poile assembled a roster from expansion-draft castoffs and raw prospects, crafting a blue-collar identity from day one. The game itself unfolded as a tense defensive chess match: Nashville's Mike Dunham and Florida's Kirk McLean traded saves like duelists, neither blinking until late in the third period. Then, with 5:21 left, a deflected shot from Ray Whitney slipped past Dunham, silencing the gold-clad crowd—but only for a moment. The roar that followed wasn't for the goal against; it was for the team that had dared to bring hockey to Music City.

In Their Own Story

The puck dropped, and the Predators' first-ever shot, a wrist shot by Scott Walker, was calmly swallowed by Kirk McLean. The crowd erupted with every thunderous hit and lunging save, but the scoreboard stayed stubbornly at 0-0. As the third period wore on, the tension grew thick enough to cut with a skate blade. Then, with 5:21 left, Ray Whitney's point shot took a wicked deflection off a stick and fluttered past Mike Dunham. For a split second, the arena fell silent—a collective gasp of heartbreak. Then the applause began, not for the goal, but for the team that had fought tooth and nail and proved hockey belonged in Tennessee.

Reader's Guide

The Nashville Predators' first NHL game on October 10, 1998, wasn't just a debut—it was a statement. As an expansion team cobbled together from waiver-wire pickups and unproven youngsters, the Predators stood toe-to-toe with the established Florida Panthers, losing 1-0 in a defensive slugfest. Mike Dunham turned aside 28 of 29 shots, showcasing the goaltending that would become a franchise hallmark. The game's lasting significance isn't the score, but the seed it planted: a sellout crowd that night proved Nashville craved hockey, laying the foundation for a fanbase that would grow into one of the loudest and most passionate in the league. The Predators didn't win, but they won over a city—and that night, Music City found its second heartbeat.

Did You Know?

• The Predators' first-ever draft pick was David Legwand, selected second overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, but he did not play in the inaugural game.
• The game was broadcast nationally in the United States on ESPN2, marking the Predators' first national TV appearance.
• The Predators' first-ever penalty was taken by defenseman Drake Berehowsky for hooking in the first period.
• The team's first win came two nights later, on October 12, 1998, a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.