Poile Fitted for Hockey Hall of Fame Blazer as Induction Ceremony Nears

When one is preparing to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, they also must look the part. That’s why David Poile’s tailor, David Levy, was inside Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday morning.

Along with Hockey Hall of Fame Director of Corporate and Media Relations, Kelly Masse, and Hall of Fame Resource Center and Archives Manager, Craig Campbell, the former Predators general manager - who will officially enter the Hall on Nov. 11 - was measured for his Hockey Hall of Fame blazer, an essential part of the experience.

“It’s a bit like planning a wedding,” Masse joked. And in a way, it truly is.

Prior to the actual induction ceremony, Poile and the rest of the honorees - including former Preds Captain Shea Weber, who is being inducted in his first year of eligibility - will receive their Hall of Fame rings, attend the Hall of Fame Game between Toronto and Detroit, receive their blazers prior to the annual Legends Game and enjoy a few special dinners as well over the span of four days in Toronto.

The winningest general manager in NHL history, Poile will be inducted into the Hall in the Builder category, just as his father, Bud Poile, was back in 1990. During Tuesday’s ceremony, Campbell displayed the late Poile’s Hall of Fame blazer, and David wore his father’s Hall of Fame ring while remembering the impact the family has made on the game of hockey.

The induction speech is also an imperative part of the experience, and while Poile will likely still be making edits in the two-plus weeks that remain until the night arrives, there’s one thing he’s certain he’ll be mentioning.

“I have to make a couple of speeches when I get up to Toronto, and I think that's going to be harder than I ever thought,” Poile said to gathered media and Predators staff inside Bridgestone Arena. “The one thing that I am going to say in one of my speeches, for sure, and I say this to everybody through all the Preds people and the media, but when a player gets into the Hall of Fame, it’s because of their unique skill, elite skills and talent. We all know why a player gets in. And when a builder gets in, it's because of the village. And the village is always around me.

“Whether it's the support that I get from all the business side of the Predators, and the sales and all the different areas, or with the management team I have with coaches and assistant general managers, it totally takes a village for a builder to be successful, for a manager to be successful. I have never forgotten that, I always believed in that and I always needed that. I’m going to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and that’s so cool, but every one of you here has been part of the journey and part of why I’m getting in.”

Poile threw his hands into the air with delight when Masse said his ring would have “more diamonds” than the one his father wore, and the soon-to-be honoree joked he thought he was a “good model” as he was measured for his blazer in front of the crowd.

But amidst all of the fanfare that is set to come with a weekend such as this, Poile is just trying to let it all sink in ahead of time - and Tuesday’s fitting brought him one step closer to hockey’s ultimate honor.

“A great thing about this is when it happens, then you kind of sit down and [think about] what does it all mean to you, and all the people [who helped get you here],” Poile said. “I've probably received, and I'm not exaggerating, at least 500 emails and texts from different people I've known, mostly in the hockey world. And then you get your invite list and you call certain people that you want to thank. I bet I've talked to 250 people in the last two or three months, basically to either invite them to the parties or to just to say, ‘Thank you for being part of my family's life and my hockey life.’

“It’s the pinnacle, it's the end, it’s what everybody wants but not everybody gets. And so I'm very grateful, I feel very lucky, and like I say, hockey's been fantastic to me. You think about how hard you work, and I certainly think I was a hard worker and I gave as much as I had, but I also think that hockey gave me and my family even more. So, I'm a happy guy.”

Poile, Weber and five other honorees make up the 2024 class of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will come on Monday, Nov. 11, at the Hall of Fame in Toronto. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets to the ceremony.