For starters, country music singer Vince Gill sang the national anthem along with his daughters Jenny and Corinna. You may remember Corinna from her terrific performance of the anthem at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game in Nashville.
Next, out came PGA Tour golfer Brandt Snedeker, a Nashville native, with the 2016 Ryder Cup trophy to get the crowd going.
But even before the building was filled, fans were starting to show their support for forward Kevin Fiala, who was diagnosed with a fractured fibula and will miss the rest of the playoffs.