Hall of Fame inductions to have lasting memories for Predators

NASHVILLE -- The 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Toronto on Monday will be one that the Nashville Predators and their fans will remember for a long time.

Retired defenseman Shea Weber and general manager David Poile will become the first homegrown Predators to get inducted. Peter Forsberg (Class of 2014) played 17 games for Nashville in 2006-07 and Paul Kariya (2017) from 2005-07.

For Weber and Poile, the Predators are deeply ingrained into their hockey identity. Weber was selected by Nashville in the second round (No. 49) of the 2003 NHL Draft and had 443 points (166 goals, 277 assists) in 11 seasons. Poile was GM for 24 seasons from 1998 to 2023.

"They were big parts of establishing hockey in Tennessee," Predators GM Barry Trotz said. "You don't know if it would've made it but two people that had an enormous impact on the game, on the NHL globally and especially in Nashville."

Weber was Nashville's first homegrown star and named captain July 8, 2010. His intimidating physical presence (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) and devastating slap shot routinely among the hardest in the NHL made him one of the most complete defensemen during his era. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for P.K. Subban on June 29, 2016, but Poile believes he deserves the honor of being the first player drafted by the Predators to enter the Hall of Fame.

"It's not like baseball where you go in with a certain team, but I think we all know he's going in as a Predator," Poile said. "Obviously the captain of our team. He, along with (retired Predators goalie Pekka Rinne) are the best players ever in the history of our team. It's meaningful, and it shows kind of the growth and progress of the franchise getting some recognition."

Trotz coached Weber for nine seasons in Nashville and got a front row seat to the impact he had on the game.

"He was an elite defenseman," Trotz said. "Different than a lot of the defensemen today. He was a combination of Scott Stevens and a little bit of Al MacInnis with that shot. He was a game-changer. He could beat a goalie from 80 feet away. He could beat you up, or he could prevent you from getting to the net. He was an impactful player. The biggest validation for Shea is the respect that he got from the best players in the League in that era."

Trotz has often spoken of Weber's presence in the locker room and the respect that he got from opposing players around the NHL, leadership traits and on-ice impact that left a legacy with the Predators organization.

"You saw a person who demanded the room," Trotz said. "Didn't have to say much but demanded the room. Just a look or a stare could put you in your place pretty quickly. I don't think he was a hoot-and-holler type of guy, but when he spoke it got pretty quiet in there pretty quickly. Everybody put their eyes on him. If you weren't, he would one way or another get your attention."

Poile will be inducted as a Builder. He was the architect of a franchise that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 15 of his 24 seasons, including eight of his final nine, and when the Predators reached the Stanley Cup Final for the only time in team history in 2017, a six-game loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The accomplishments were numerous during his long NHL career.

"More than anything, he was a builder of people," Trotz said. "I mean, I'm not coaching in the National Hockey League if it wasn't for David Poile trusting in a guy that had the least experience. There's so many people in management and scouting and coaching that he's given opportunities to and have learned from David. He's just a great mentor and teacher."

Poile's 1,533 wins and 3,075 regular-season games with the Predators and Washington Capitals rank first among GMs in NHL history. His Hall of Fame induction will be the culmination of his life's work in the game that he so deeply loves.

"We talk about how hard you work, and I certainly think I was a hard worker and gave as much as I had, but I also think that hockey gave me and my family even more," Poile said. "I'm a happy guy."