Presidents' Trophy (2017-18)

Lore & Background

The 2017-18 Predators were a juggernaut built on a deep blue line, relentless forechecking, and the goaltending of Pekka Rinne, who won the Vezina Trophy that season. After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, the team entered the year with a chip on its shoulder. They stormed through the regular season, winning 53 games and clinching the Presidents' Trophy on the final day with a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The trophy was a testament to their balanced attack and defensive prowess, but it also raised expectations to an almost unbearable level. Yet the postseason told a different story. The Predators were upset in the second round by the Winnipeg Jets, a bitter end to a season that had promised so much. The Presidents' Trophy became a symbol of both the franchise's peak regular-season achievement and the cruel unpredictability of playoff hockey. For fans, it remains a proud but poignant milestone—proof that the team could dominate the league, but also a reminder that regular-season glory does not guarantee a championship.

In Their Own Story

The ice at Bridgestone Arena was a cathedral of sound on April 7, 2018. The Predators needed a win against the Blackhawks to secure the Presidents' Trophy outright. As the final horn sounded, the scoreboard read 4-2. The crowd roared, but there was a knowing edge—this was the prize for 82 games of excellence, but the real test was yet to come. Players hoisted the trophy, a silver bowl gleaming under the lights, while the chant 'We want the Cup!' echoed through the rafters. For one night, the Predators were kings of the regular season, and the city believed.

Reader's Guide

The 2017-18 Presidents' Trophy was the first major regular-season award in Nashville Predators history, capping a remarkable rise from the team's 1998 expansion debut. Despite the regular-season dominance, the Predators were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets in seven games. The Presidents' Trophy thus stands as a bittersweet milestone—a testament to the franchise's ability to compete at the highest level, but also a reminder that the ultimate prize remained out of reach. It remains the only Presidents' Trophy in Predators history, and the team has not finished first overall since.

Did You Know?

• Pekka Rinne's Vezina Trophy win in 2018 was the first by a Predators goaltender.
• The team's penalty kill that season (85.2%) led the NHL and was a franchise record.
• The Predators clinched the Presidents' Trophy on the final day of the regular season with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks.