NASHVILLE -- When Barry Trotz replaced the retired David Poile as Nashville Predators general manager on July 1, he made it clear that he wanted to establish a culture centered around building daily habits that lead to winning.
It didn’t take long for Trotz to identify Ryan McDonagh as somebody who embodies everything he’s looking for. The 34-year-old defenseman’s impact has been far greater than his nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 22 games with the Predators this season.
McDonagh has played a key role in the Predators winning 11 of their past 14 games (11-3-0), heading into a road game at the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET: HULU, ESPN+).
His teammates rave about McDonagh’s team-first attitude and the leadership role he’s earned in Nashville since he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lighting on July 3, 2022. The intentionality of developing relationships with teammates and embracing what it takes to be a leader has been a part of McDonagh’s hockey makeup since he was a kid.
“I’ve always kind of had that instilled in me just from the people that raised me as far as looking out for a teammate and helping each other,” McDonagh said. “It’s a team sport. You can choose to play an individual sport or you can choose to play a team sport. That was taught to me at a young age. So, if you’re going to be part of a team, you’ve got to be all in on what it takes to give yourself the best chance to win and help each other along the way. I had great leadership in high school, in college and the beginning of my pro career. So, I’m just trying to pass that along to the guys here.”
It was evident early in McDonagh’s NHL career that he had the tools to be a special player. Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella, who coached McDonagh with the New York Rangers from 2011-13, especially loved his approach to each game.
“There wasn’t a lot of maintenance with him,” Tortorella said. “He was ready to play. I watch him throughout his career and how he’s handled himself, we talk about our young D, watch what type of pro he is. How he prepares himself on the ice, how he prepares himself off the ice, there’s not a better model than that guy. I felt very fortunate to get him early in his career, and It’s really fun to watch him as he’s gone to other teams and watch him throughout his career.”
When the Lightning traded for McDonagh in February of 2018, he was viewed as a missing piece that would help them win a Stanley Cup. It took a couple tries, but ultimately the Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with McDonagh in 2020 and 2021.
“We had been a team on the rise and he came to us to kind of push us over the top,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We got close, we didn’t get there, but a big reason we did get over the top was because of him. I don’t think there’s a guy in this room that’s played with Ryan McDonagh that doesn’t put him at the top of the list of unbelievable gamers, unbelievable human, unbelievable teammate. And I’m pretty sure if you walked into the Nashville locker room they’d be saying the same thing.
“I’m so glad he was able to fulfill his dream and win a Stanley Cup. I’m so glad I was standing there beside him when he did it. He’s one of the first guys I was around when we won that Cup, tears in his eyes. I’ll always remember that of a guy that cared so much. I’m so fortunate I was able to share it with him.”
McDonagh is trying to use the championship experience he gained with the Lightning to help the Predators become a team that will compete for the Cup as well. Nashville (16-13-0) currently holds the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, with McDonagh playing in all key situations and averaging 20:44 of ice time per game.
Predators defenseman Luke Schenn also was McDonagh’s teammate with the Lightning. He sees the impact McDonagh’s attention to detail on the ice and his leadership off it is having with the Predators.
“It’s so contagious,” Schenn said. “Obviously he was a captain with the Rangers as a young guy, so it just goes to show what people think about him. And then in Tampa, every year he was there they had nothing but success. A couple of Cups, go to the [Stanley Cup Final] and lose the one year, but it rubs off on everyone. In Tampa, obviously [Steven Stamkos] was the captain, but ‘Mac’ wasn’t far off from being the next guy up in the room as far as leadership. We’re really lucky to have him in Nashville.”
