While certain "no-brainer" items were included - Rinne's goalie glove, locker room nameplate and goalie mask cage among them - the majority of the capsule's content came from the people who supported Nashville's franchise goaltender throughout his career.
"It's hard to appreciate Pekka Rinne's legacy here without first acknowledging the incredible relationship he's enjoyed with our fans," Predators President & CEO Sean Henry said. "There really is this love affair for him. So we thought, 'You can't put a statue of Pekka on the plaza without putting that love underneath it."
That special love - articulated by thousands of words in more than 100 handwritten letters from Season Ticket Citizens, Best Buddies and 365 Fund patients - was certainly sealed inside the capsule as well, honoring not only the man himself, but the people who meant the world to him too.
"Our fans mean everything to us, and they meant everything to him," Henry said. "They should be enshrined right there with them, and that's really what we're doing. We're honoring that love and passion they have for him and that he has for all of them."
While he enjoyed getting to know hundreds of fans, few were quite as important to Rinne as Best Buddy Mikey Maguire, who developed a special bond with the Finnish netminder during his 15 seasons in Nashville.
It was only fitting, then, that before the capsule was sealed and buried on the Bridgestone Arena plaza, a special photo album made for Rinne by Maguire himself was placed inside the capsule too.
The final act of the process will commence on Saturday morning, when the capsule is covered by the 11-foot, bronze statue of Rinne - not to be seen again for 35 years.
While it's impossible to predict what Smashville will look like over a quarter century from now, we can all rest assured that Rinne's legacy will continue to stand tall in the heart of Music City, held up by the undying support of thousands of his closest friends.
The Predators will unveil Rinne's statue during a special public dedication ceremony on the Bridgestone Arena plaza on Saturday, March 25 at 10 a.m. CT. The ceremony will be streamed on NashvillePredators.com, BallySports.com and the Bally Sports app.
See the full list of items inside Rinne's time capsule below:
- Locker room nameplate
- Goalie mask cage
- Goalie glove
- Practice jersey
- Glass used on the boards at Bridgestone Arena during the 2017 Stanley Cup Final
- Limited Edition Hunt Brothers Pizza Pekka Rinne bobblehead
- Pekka Rinne limited edition Gentleman Jack whiskey - bottled before his jersey retirement ceremony on Feb. 24, 2022
- 365 Fund Presented by Twice Daily Pekka Rinne bobblehead
- Signed Stand With Us puck
- Pekka Rinne canvas print
- Pekka Rinne Goat stuffed animal with 35 pin from jersey retirement ceremony attached
- Handmade photo album from Best Buddy Mikey Maguire
- Original copy of Pekka's retirement speech
- Over 100 letters from fans, staff and 365 Fund patients
