Preds Players Serve Nashville During Annual Community Relations Week

Nashville Predators players gave back to the Middle Tennessee Community last week as part of the annual Community Relations Week presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. 

The weeklong event featured visits to 10 different organizations in and around Nashville as part of the Nashville Predators Foundation’s mission to funnel the excitement of professional sports towards the needs of the community.

The Preds spent time with the groups listed below during their 2023 Community Relations Week presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee:

Ghoulish Games at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital
By Emma Lingan

Community Relations Week officially kicked off on Monday, when Preds forwards Colton Sissons and Filip Forsberg and goaltender Kevin Lankinen donned their best Halloween costumes and paid a visit to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. 

“Going to a children’s hospital and seeing what those families go through, it’s hard and kind of puts your own life into perspective,” Lankinen said. “It was a humbling experience.”

The visit came on the heels of Monday’s announcement that the Nashville Predators and Vanderbilt Health had agreed to a 10-year partnership extension which includes marketing, charitable and player involvement, as well as traditional sponsorship and branding opportunities.

The three players, all dressed as characters from the “Trolls” movies, spent the afternoon playing Halloween-themed games and greeting patients and their families in the hospital’s Seacrest Studios.

“We had a lot of fun seeing all the smiles on the kids’ faces,” Lankinen said. “Even the parents had a couple of good laughs, so I think it was the highlight of the week for us.”

Click here to learn more about the Predators partnership with Vanderbilt Health.

Taking Aim at the Nashville Predators Alumni Clay Shoot
By Emma Lingan

After practicing with the team on Wednesday morning, Gustav Nyquist, Ryan McDonagh, Cole Smith and Yakov Trenin headed out to the Nashville Gun Club on the Cumberland River for the Nashville Predators Alumni Clay Shoot. 

Each of the four players joined a foursome of attendees and participated in the 74-bird course clay shooting tournament, hosted this year by former Preds players and current broadcasters Hal Gill and Chris Mason. Registered attendees at the event received ammunition, an exclusive shooter gift bag, lunch provided by Hunt Brothers Pizza, dinner provided by Puckett’s, post-event beverages and awards.

Proceeds from the Clay Shoot will benefit the Preds Foundation, which supports local youth and family-oriented organizations in the Middle Tennessee community.

Click here to learn more about the Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub.

Learning Goalball
By Katie Cafiero

Nashville Predators forwards Kiefer Sherwood and Tommy Novak put their athleticism to the test on Thursday when they participated in a few matches of Goalball at the Tennessee School For The Blind. The students, teachers and coaches were eager to introduce the Preds to their sport and cheer them on as they tried it out for the first time.

Goalball is a sport specifically designed for athletes with visual impairments, and all players must wear blackout goggles at all times to ensure fair competition. A little different from hockey, Goalball is played with teams of three where players stand on their hands and knees to defend their net. The ball is embedded with bells to help the players hear and try to block it with their bodies.

“Goalball is pretty similar to a hand soccer game, where you’re trying to throw the ball into the net,” said Sherwood. “You have three players, a center and two wings, similar to hockey. You can’t see anything obviously because the goggles are on, and you have to try and save the ball. It’s actually crazy to see some of the team work that they are able to do.”

After getting a run down of the rules and watching the girls Goalball team, it was time for Sherwood and Novak to suit up and head out to the gym floor.

“Using your ears only to locate something is pretty difficult,” said Novak after playing for the first time. “I’m sure it gets easier the more you play, but we were definitely rookies today.”

Both Sherwood and Novak were able to get a few points up on the board after a few tries, and Sherwood even made a huge save with his feet during a penalty shot.

“It’s a unique sport and I don’t think there’s a lot of recognition out there right now,” said Sherwood. “Hopefully this is something that can get more support and donations because it’s pretty cool to see all the kids be able to participate in something like this.”

Click here to learn more about Tennessee School For The Blind.

Pickleballing with ACT 
By Zach Gilchriest

At Nashville’s Autism Career Training Center, forward Philip Tomasino spent the afternoon Thursday making new friends and supporting a cause very dear to him and his family. 

“I have a cousin who is autistic, so this is really kind of close to my heart,” Tomasino said. “I feel that especially for places like this, I'm sure they're all very excited to see us and it’s the same for us. So, I think it's awesome to just brighten up their day and maybe their week. It's always nice for the guys, and for me especially, to see those smiles and make their days.”

Since 2020, ACT has provided center-based vocational and prevocational training for individuals aged 16 to 43 who are on the autism spectrum. In 2023 the non-profit received a Helper Grant from the Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub. 

Support from players like Tomasino - who spent his visit Thursday playing games, pressing T-shirts and even stepping onto the court for a friendly round of pickleball - is invaluable to the organization’s many participants.

“It’s showing them that the Preds care about them, and specifically when sometimes they’re not in that limelight, it’s giving them that limelight,” ACT Director Matthew Powell said. “And I think that’s really awesome.”

Click here to learn more about Autism Career Training. 

Preds Pet Club Meet-up
By Emma Lingan

On Thursday evening, members of the Preds Pet Club were invited to bring their furry friends to Fair Park Dog Park for a meet-up with Preds defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and goaltender Juuse Saros. 

While the dogs enjoyed an evening of running around and playing in the park, their owners had the opportunity to meet the players, take photos, receive autographs and swap stories about their four-legged friends.

Saros and his wife Minna, along with their dogs Kesä and Nala, are the ambassadors for the Preds Pet Club and have a passion for helping animal rescue and foster organizations. Pet Club membership includes exclusive Preds pet merchandise and invitations to members-only dog park meet-ups like this one. Proceeds benefit Wags & Walks Nashville and the Preds Foundation.

Click here to learn more about the Preds Pet Club.

Photography Lessons with AbleVoices
By Emma Lingan

On Friday afternoon, Preds forward Samuel Fagemo and defenseman Tyson Barrie headed to the Nissan Stadium pedestrian bridge for a photoshoot with AbleVoices, an organization that teaches photography to youth and adults with disabilities as a means for self-expression, empowerment and advocacy.

Photography for Self-Expression (PSE) is AbleVoices’ flagship program with a curriculum based on the photovoice method, which provides cameras to underrepresented individuals to help them tell their stories visually. PSE participants learn how to use a digital camera and effective composition techniques to share their thoughts and experiences through their photographs.

Fagemo tagged along for one of AbleVoices’ PSE lessons in downtown Nashville, promoting photography as an impactful way to promote learning, build confidence, spark creativity, develop social skills, encourage dialogue, and promote advocacy for people with disabilities. 

Click here to learn more about AbleVoices.

Dodgeball at AMEND Together
By Emma Lingan

On Friday, Preds forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Juuso Pärssinen headed to Shelby Park Community Center in East Nashville for an afternoon of fun and games with AMEND Together.

AMEND Together, empowered by the Nashville Predators, is a primary prevention initiative of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee dedicated to ending violence against women and girls by engaging men and boys to change the culture that supports violence. AMEND Together partners with Metro Nashville Public Schools to provide AMEND clubs across the city where hundreds of boys are provided a safe space to talk about healthy masculinity and gender-based violence.

After a rousing game of dodgeball – featuring a special appearance from GNASH – O’Reilly and Pärssinen participated in a Q&A and autograph session with the kids in attendance.

“Any time you get involved with the community, especially being new here, is great,” O’Reilly said. “This is such a good program with good leadership, and helping them develop better youth is such an incredible thing. Just to be a part of it is a lot of fun.”

Click here to learn more about AMEND Together.

Serving Up Hattie B’s
By Anna Grace Hudson

After last year’s affair with trying the hottest chicken Hattie B’s had to offer, the famous “Shut the Cluck Up” chicken, Alexandre Carrier and Michael McCarron were a little wiser and stuck with a milder flavor of chicken.

The pair met up with Hattie B’s representatives to serve chicken to the Vandy LifeFlight employees at their training facility. While there, they got to explore the warehouse and hangout inside the back of an ambulance and get the chance to connect with fans outside the arena.

As they were walking up to the ambulance, Carrier said, “I have actually never been in one so this is neat.” McCarron responded, “that’s surprising since you play professional hockey.”

Click here to learn more about the Predators partnership with Vanderbilt Health.

No Tricks, All Treats at Boo at the Zoo
By Katie Cafiero

On Friday evening, Preds players Cody Glass, Luke Evangelista and Liam Foudy stopped by the Nashville Zoo after hours to greet fans and pass out candy to trick-or-treaters for the annual Boo at the Zoo. 

“We had a lot of fun at the Zoo, especially with all the kids,” Glass said. “It was really cool to get out here around Halloween and have a good experience meeting with all the families.”

The families, all dressed up in their best Halloween costumes, were so excited to see the Preds at the event. Players took the time to meet with everyone and GNASH even joined in on the fun. In addition to candy, the players also handed out autograph cards, signed schedules and posed for a few selfies.

“It’s always great to be out in the community meeting fans,” Evangelista said. “If the families here have a positive interaction with the Preds, then hopefully we can continue to grow the game of hockey in Nashville.”

Click here to learn more about the Nashville Zoo.

Captain CORE
By Zach Gilchriest

Before Nashville’s Saturday evening contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs, most Predators players likely used Friday as a final chance to rest before game action.

But Preds Captain Roman Josi spent his Friday at Ford Ice Center Antioch speeding around the ice with the newest members of the CORE (Creating Opportunities for Racial Equality) program presented by Bridgestone.

“We had a lot of fun, and it was a good workout for me, too,” Josi laughed. “You can see the joy in the kids' eyes and there was joy in my eyes, too. It was a ton of fun.”

The CORE program works to introduce hockey to children ages 5 to 9 at no cost, providing free equipment and guest instruction from one of the NHL’s biggest stars.

“Hopefully they fall in love with the sport and they can see how great it is and how much fun it is,” Josi said. “I can't wait to see the kids again and get to know them a little bit better, and just getting the opportunity to skate with them and be a part of it is pretty cool.”

Click here to learn more about the CORE Program.