Preds Employee, Active-Duty Military Member Proud to Serve, Honored to Represent Country and Team

Drew Harris has had plenty of “pinch-me” moments in his role as a Content Producer with the Predators in recent years.

But over the past nine months? Those instances have come halfway around the world.

“Especially when there’s a sandstorm,” Harris laughed.

He’s a few miles from home these days, and for good reason. Instead of capturing the Preds on video, Harris is currently serving as an Ammunition Specialist with the United States Army Reserves in Kuwait. The work is admirable, to say the least, and as the Predators continue to host Military Appreciation Week, people like Harris are top of mind around the organization.

In partnership with Ford, Middle Tennessee State University and Fort Campbell military base, Military Salute Week has featured military elements activated on the Bridgestone Arena plaza, concourse and throughout the in-game presentation each night as the Preds have hosted the Blues and Ducks, with a final contest to come against the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

There have been a number of active duty service members and veterans who have come through the Arena doors over the past few days, but Harris, who remains employed by the Preds during his deployment, is a unique case.

And the pride he feels? Well, it’s twofold - first and foremost, to serve his country, but secondarily, to also to be a part of an organization that didn’t think twice when one of their own had a duty to perform.

“Obviously, the Preds love the military, and so they've been absolutely fantastic from the moment that I got my orders to deploy,” Harris said via video call from the camp where he’s based. “They’ve been very understanding and helpful through the whole thing, and they said my job is going to be waiting for me when I get back, which is awesome. It takes a load of stress off of me, because I can't imagine not having that guarantee… The Preds connection is really cool.”

A St. Louis native, Harris played football, was a wrestler and a cheerleader as well while growing up, but hockey wasn’t necessarily top of mind. He went to school for video production, but he thought he’d be making movies upon graduation. Instead, the lifelong sports fan, who never imagined filling a video role for a professional team, found himself in Smashville starting October 2022 doing something he now calls a dream job.

Couple that with joining the Army Reserves back in 2021, and Harris has had quite a run over the past few years. After basic training, Harris went through individual training before being assigned to his unit in Gainesville, Georgia.

Of course, considering his employer, Harris is now very much a fan of the Predators, but most of the men and women he serves alongside from the Peach State didn’t have a particular penchant for the game of hockey - until now.

“A lot of these guys aren't hockey fans, so I’ve been kind of their intro,” Harris said with a Smashville flag hanging in his tent. “I’ll say, ‘Hey, you want to hear what I do back home?’ And they think it's super cool. They think it's awesome… And then our Game Presentation department was super nice and sent a bunch of gear for all these guys, and they sent it because a bunch of people, from just me talking about the Preds, wanted some of that gear. They were like, ‘Yeah, I'll take a t-shirt, I'll take a flag.’ And so they love it that somebody back home was looking at them and saying, ‘Hey, we want to do something special for you.’”

A simple act like that can do wonders for morale, and Harris imagines he’ll have a much different perspective on those little things when he returns home, which he expects to happen in the coming weeks.

Having something to eat from a restaurant is high on his list among the things he’s looking forward to, and, of course, seeing his wife again tops the anticipation. But Harris is also excited to get back to work with a new outlook he simply couldn’t have envisioned prior to this experience.

“I have a new appreciation for the work I do at home,” Harris said. “When you get into the monotony of everyday, you can let some things slip, some effort, but I feel like I have a new perspective. So, I’m looking forward to the small things like being able to sit down and being able to edit video, being asked to go somewhere, get in a car and drive somewhere, like the small things that I'm not able to do here but had the privilege of doing it at home.”

There’s also the relationship aspects of his work and dealing with different people that have taught him plenty, simply because the stakes are a bit higher in the Middle East than at a hockey arena in Nashville.

“I'm looking forward to being in Nashville and being able to just exist, hang out, be at work, be at home and not have that cloud hanging over, which gives an extra little layer of purpose, but it's definitely a heavy weight,” he said.

And when he does get back to his job with an NHL hockey club? Harris knows working a Tuesday night game in the middle of February won’t feel the same as it did before his deployment.

Serving his country has been an indescribable honor, and working for an organization that feels the same way makes things that much better - with plenty more “pinch-me” moments to come.

“Not all workplaces are as welcoming as the Preds,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of people who come home from these things and they're looking for an outlet, or something like that. And that's how we end up with so many homeless veterans, because they have this routine and they have this discipline, and they don't know where to put it. The Preds, thankfully, they're great outlet for that with my job. I can come back, and I can have a place to funnel that focus, and they’re super supportive.

“What I’m doing over here, this is cool, and it has its moments. I'm sure when I get back home, it'll be the same way, and I'll miss parts about this. But they’re both very special, of course.”