Justin B. Bradford Nashville Predators

Annotation

Nashville may be the country music capital, but local hockey fans know it as Smashville. The Predators adopted their name from the bones of a saber-toothed tiger found beneath a local building. Craig Leipold first purchased the expansion rights in 1997, and the team quickly built a loyal following. It won twenty-eight games in the inaugural season. Twelve seasons later, the team finished second in the Central Division and appeared in its first-ever conference semifinals. One year later, it finally dispatched its long-standing rival Detroit Red Wings 4-1 in the opening round of the playoffs. Author Justin Bradford details the fascinating history through unique player anecdotes and perspectives from those involved in the team's rise to prominence.