The now-former goaltender feels the same way, and as each day passes, the realization Rinne won't be back when training camp begins in September is becoming clearer. Plus, there's another aspect of all of this that leaves Poile feeling satisfied, and that's the manner in which Rinne arrived to this point.
He did it his way.
"So often, unfortunately, this never ends in a good way with players," Poile said. "Like, they should have had one more year, or the organization didn't treat them correctly; I guess what I'm saying is they don't really go out on their own terms, and Pekka is going out on his own terms. This is fantastic. He wrote the script, he signed off, I mean, that's perfect for everybody."
Rightfully so, the attention has now turned to recognizing and celebrating what Rinne has meant to the franchise and the city of Nashville, and Poile knows better than most what exactly those contributions entail.
From his on-ice numbers to his off-ice humanitarianism, summarizing Rinne's vast impact is nearly impossible to do in one try, but that's just it. Encapsulating what Rinne has done over the past 17 years in this town - and for this town - goes far beyond the game of hockey, and that's all one needs to know.
"As I should be, I'm a little prejudiced here, but to me, he's been the most influential athlete here in Tennessee," Poile said of Rinne. "It's unbelievable the things that he's done on the ice, the importance that he's been to creating an environment where the level of hockey has been so high, and then, of course, you combine that with, as I recall, the complete person that does all the things off the ice. I mean, who has done more for the community than Pekka Rinne? Who has done more for the individual sport than Pekka Rinne? [He's] the most important athlete that we've had in the time that he's been here."