Back in Smashville, P.K. Subban Reflects on Franchise's Current & Past Successes

Nearly two weeks ago, a robed P.K. Subban picked up his phone and took to social media to warn the hockey world of the streaking and exceedingly dangerous Nashville Predators.

On Tuesday, with the retired defenseman back in Smashville for the annual Blueline Buddies reunion, little had changed in his eyes.

“It's definitely exciting to watch,” Subban said. “Because a lot of these players I played with and got close to winning the Stanley Cup with - [Roman] Josi, [Filip] Forsberg, Juuse [Saros], [Colton] Sissons - to see all these guys now back in contention again to potentially go on a nice run is pretty awesome to see.”

A crucial piece of the franchise’s now second-longest point streak (14-0-1) in 2018 and their historic run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, Nashville’s former blueliner credited this iteration’s successes to a winning culture, above all else.

“You start at the top, and you’ve got to give Barry Trotz a ton of credit,” Subban said. “It's funny, doing what I do. It’s so different from playing, because you look at things differently, but what I appreciate the most is being able to appreciate people like Barry who have been doing this a long time, and how they do it. And to see him come in and put his fingerprint on the team right away, bringing in the right coach, building the right culture, you see how quickly the team has responded. And I think it's a good message that when you treat people the right way and you create a good culture, you get those types of results. You can. And Barry always seems to get the most out of everybody, [and] he's doing it again.”

Subban additionally pointed to Nashville’s young core, which has heated up considerably down the stretch, as another indicator of a healthy, winning culture. 

“When you're rebuilding a team or retooling a team, you’ve got to start with the young players, and they've had some great young players come in with energy,” Subban said. “I know Gustav Nyquist, Luke Schenn, Ryan O'Reilly, Ryan McDonagh, all these guys were great acquisitions and obviously, bringing in veteran players like that is going to make a difference. But make no doubt about it, the [Luke] Evangelistas, the [Tommy] Novaks - these guys that come in with the fresh legs and the energy - that's what you need. And that starts with management drafting, and you can see it last year and the year before. They invested in those guys, giving them opportunities, and now you're starting to see it blossom. You bring in the right veteran players and it's the perfect mix. And it starts with leadership.”

Indeed, Nashville’s leadership - their captain in particular - has been a major part of the Predators success as well. While Subban may have lovingly referred to his former teammate as ‘the ugliest captain in the NHL,’ he couldn’t disagree there, either.

“I remember when he was selected as captain for our team, I really didn't think there was anybody else who deserved it more than him,” Subban said. “Don't let the smile and pretty eyes fool you, he competes and he wants to be a leader, he wants to lead his team and he's committed to the game… There are so many things to like about Josi, but definitely what he brings on the ice is second to no one right now in his position. It starts with culture, starts with leadership. And I think, the captaincy, as sports goes on, people look at it like, ‘OK, how important is the captain?’ But when guys like [Josi] come along, and they’re such great people and they can have that impact on the ice, it is important and it can make a big difference. And I think you're seeing the difference that he's made since he's been in Nashville, whether the team has been pegged as a contending team or not, it always seems that the team has exceeded expectations, and it starts with him leading the way.”

Of course, as the regular season ticks down, the 2013 Norris Trophy winner said he could see Josi’s name etched alongside his on the prestigious hardware once more.

“He should definitely be in the conversation,” Subban said. “I'm one of his biggest fans, and I love watching him play and watching him lead. But he continues to get better and better and he's tweaking his game. You can see guys are adjusting to playing with him and his style, and that's what you watch for in players over their careers. Can they adjust to the new players that come in? And he always seems that he's comfortable out there, and he looks great. He should definitely be in the conversation with those guys.”

On Tuesday, Subban will be reunited with former participants from his Blueline Buddies program, which he kickstarted in tandem with the Predators Foundation during his first year with the Predators.

The program, which aims to bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement by pairing a Metro Nashville Police Officer with a youth from a local organization at every Predators home game, has prospered well after Subban’s departure from the Music City in 2019.

“I don't know how many players are able to start a program, leave and then have the team continue it,” Subban said. “It's not so much a reflection on me and the team, but the players. The guys wanted to continue it and have supported it, and I'm grateful, but it's reciprocated. It's always been that way since I've come to Nashville. They've always appreciated what I brought to the organization and vice versa. I think that this program has been spectacular, and I hope to see it blossom and grow into something potentially bigger and in other cities eventually. But one thing is for sure, it started in Nashville and this will always be the Blueline Buddies home.”

Subban also took a moment on Tuesday to sign his puck and permanently etch his spot in team history on the new Gary Force Acura Alumni Wall, located on the south end of Bridgestone Arena’s Gary Force Acura level.

“As your life goes on and you see careers end and careers start, you appreciate every time you can look back and reflect on bright moments,” Subban said. “And my time here in Nashville was one of the highest moments, if not the highest moment in my career. Going to a Stanley Cup Final and meeting all these guys. And I think personally, from my life, there's an attachment here. Coming out of a city like Montreal, where I was drafted and did everything there, and then to start something new, what I’ll always remember about Nashville is how they treated me when I first got here, like the players. Forget everything else, it was just the players and how they welcomed me and wanted me to be a part of things. To me, that's the best thing that I'll take away. So being on this wall with them is pretty special.”

Click here to learn more about Subban’s Blueline Buddies program and click here to learn more about the new Gary Force Acura Alumni Wall.