Original Predators laid foundation for current Stanley Cup Final run

Earlier this month New Jersey Devils assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald emerged as a candidate to become the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres.

It hasn’t taken long for Fitzgerald to shoot up the ranks from player development to assistant coach on the way to becoming a rising star as a front office prospect.

And while his NHL future as an executive is bright, it may never outshine Fitzgerald's past as a player. More specifically as a player for the original Nashville Predators.

There were plenty of struggles that first season in 1998-99 for the expansion franchise, which posted a 28-47-7 record and the second-fewest points (63) in the Western Conference.

But a solid foundation was laid, according to Fitzgerald, 48, and several of his former teammates, for the organization that finds itself 18 years later in the Stanley Cup Final.

“If I were to write a book about my career, the biggest chapter would be about my time with the Predators and what Nashville meant to me,” said Fitzgerald, the Predators first captain who played for a total of seven NHL teams before retiring in 2006. "So many great things happened that year and so many unique things happened that helped me to develop not only as a player, but also as a person."

Building a fan base

Fitzgerald knew that being one of the higher-profile players of the new pro team in a town where hockey had only been played on the minor league level in the past, was about more than simply playing well on the ice.

Having been part of a new franchise in Florida, Fitzgerald was keenly aware that the Predators not only had to play an entertaining style of hockey, but also educate fans about the nuances of the game along the way.

“I was older; I had been five years with the (New York) Islanders, five years with Florida, and then you get to Nashville and you’re looked on, not just as a player, you’re a leader,” Fitzgerald said. “I understood exactly what players had to give to the community to help get that project off the ground. It was about reaching out to the fans. I am very proud of being an original Predator and especially with where they’re at now. It's really a testament to (general manager) David Poile.”

Historic win

Goalie Mike Dunham was a key in the Predators’ first victory, which came in their second game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Dunham stopped 34 of 36 shots in the historic 3-2 win.

Dunham, 44, said fans were eager to learn the game in those days and the Predators relied on a style that helped keep them interested.

“The organization did a great job of selling hockey and how exciting it is,” said Dunham, who is now the goaltending coach for the New York Islanders. “Those first few years it would have been easy for us to kind of play a boring trap system and clog up the neutral zone and try to win games like that — 2-1, 3-2, 1-0. But (coach) Barry (Trotz) said from day one we’ve got to sell hockey down here so we’re going to open it up and we’re going to skate with teams and we’re going to make it entertaining. I think we did a good job of that and people got hooked.”

Andrew Brunette scored the first goal in Predators' history in that win over Carolina. Nashville had been shut out 1-0 in the first game against Florida.

Unlike Fitzgerald, Dunham and some of the others, Brunette didn’t spend much time with the Predators. In fact, 1998-99 was his only season.

But it remains one of the most memorable for Brunette, 43, who is still in the game today serving as assistant general manager for the Minnesota Wild, which is owned by the Predators original owner Craig Leipold.

“What I remember most is the excitement level and the passion of the city for having its first major league franchise,” said Brunette, who played in more than 1,100 NHL games. “I’ll never forget the excitement in the building every night. I’ll never forget maybe the lack of hockey knowledge, but also the appetite the fan base had to learn the game and understand it and to love it. It’s something unique to be a part of, even though I was only there one year.”

Nashville Red Wings fans

One of the early struggles for the Predators was the number of Detroit Red Wings fans, who had migrated south with the automotive industry growing in the Middle Tennessee area.

There were games against Detroit where the Predators felt there were more fans cheering against them than for them.

Dunham said that was particularly frustrating and is glad to see it is no longer the case. He still visits Bridgestone Arena when the Islanders are in town.

“I’ve watched these games on TV and I’ve come down a few times with the Islanders and the (Predators) fans are fantastic — they’re so supportive, they’re so loud,” Dunham said. “It’s a tough building to go play in. Back in our day it was a tough building to play in for us when Detroit came in because of all the Detroit fans. But I have a feeling you don’t see many Detroit fans in those stands anymore.”

The current success

Dan Keczmer, 49, was a part of the original Predators as a defenseman and remains close to the team today.

He's a big fan who still lives in Brentwood. Until last season, he was coach of the Ravenwood High hockey team.

"People should know that us being alumni, we're not a big fixture with the day-to-day activity of the Preds themselves," Keczmer said. "But the way that we've been treated by the organization with (CEO/president) Sean Henry especially gives you a real warm feeling."

The former players, Keczmer said, are provided with seats for every home game and invited to many of the team's special functions.

Getting to watch the current team up close has allowed Keczmer to form an opinion on why it has been so successful.

"You usually win championships through defense no matter what sport it is, football or hockey especially," Keczmer said. "That has been the foundation of this team, certainly with (goalie) Pekka Rinne and moving on up to the core defensive guys (Ryan) Ellis, (Roman) Josi, (Mattias) Ekholm and (P.K.) Subban. The unsung heroes are guys like (Yannick) Weber and (Matt) Irwin, who don't get all the notoriety but they've been logging some pretty darn good minutes in the first three rounds."   

Harmonizing with country music

The original Predators were quick to embrace country music, which had long been a part of the Nashville landscape.

Some of the hottest acts at the time would show up for games, be introduced and shown on the big screen.

It didn’t take long before country music stars started performing during breaks in the game.

And it didn't happen by accident. It was a strategic part of making the game day experience more enjoyable.  

“Everybody understood that first year that we were a young team and the expectations weren’t high,” said Bob Boughner, a wing who scored five goals and 14 assists in the first season. “It was more of an entertainment value back then. People who came to the games were loud and supported us and we had the base for what they have now with country music being a big part of the game night experience and the organization as a whole.”

Hard work paid off

The expectations may not have been all that high early on, but they quickly rose when veteran center Cliff Ronning was acquired in late October of 1998.

He became the Predators first true offensive threat and went on to have back-to-back 62-point seasons during his four years in Nashville.

While Ronning, 51, realized he was brought to town to bolster the offense, he also knew he was being counted on to help grow the fan base in other ways.

“The biggest thing was the fans really didn’t know the game of hockey,” Ronning said. “David Poile really emphasized on the older players to get out in the community, get out in the hospitals and visit the sick kids and really be a part of the community of Nashville. And he was right. The people embraced us because they saw that we cared about them and where they lived and who they lived with.”

Ronning was traded in 2001-02 to the L.A. Kings, but was in Nashville long enough to see the game catch on.

“All of a sudden you were seeing kids playing road hockey on the street,” Ronning said. “And that was an amazing feeling knowing that you were a part of that.”

Where are they now?

Here are some of the players on the Predators' first team in 1998-99 and what they're doing today: 

BLAIR ATCHEYNUM
RIGHT WING
Coaches youth hockey in Saskatchewan.

DRAKE BEREHOWSKY
DEFENSEMAN
Coach of the East Coast Hockey League’s Orlando Solar Bears.

JOEL BOUCHARD
DEFENSEMAN
President, general manager and head coach for Blainville-Boisbriand of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

SEBASTIEN BORDELEAU
DEFENSEMAN
After retiring in 2012 returned to Montreal to become skills coach for Hockey Canada’s women’s national team. Coaches youth hockey there today.

BOB BOUGHNER
DEFENSEMAN
Assistant coach of the San Jose Sharks and majority owner of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.

ANDREW BRUNETTE
DEFENSEMAN
Assistant general manager for the Minnesota Wild.

J.J. DAIGNEAULT
DEFENSEMAN
Assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens.

JEFF DANIELS
LEFT WING
Scout for the Charlotte Checker of the American Hockey League.

MIKE DUNHAM
GOALTENDER
Just completed his eighth season as New York Islanders goaltending coach.

TOM FITZGERALD
RIGHT WING
Headed into his third season as assistant general manager for the New Jersey Devils.

JAMIE HEWARD
DEFENSEMAN
Assistant coach and director of player development for the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League.

GREG JOHNSON
CENTER
Financial advisor for Concorde Investment Services in the Detroit area.

DAN KECZMER
DEFENSEMAN
Vice president of sales for Carlin Obrien Batson Grocery. 

PATRIC KJELLBERG
RIGHT WING
Police officer and investigator in Falun Borlänge, SwedenBlair

DENNY LAMBERT
LEFT WING
Hired in January as associate coach of the Allen Americans (Texas) in the East Coast Hockey League.

JAY MORE
DEFENSEMAN
Lives in Brentwood and is involved in several independent business ventures.

JEFF NELSON
CENTER
Recently completed his sixth season as varsity head coach/director of hockey of the Naperville Central Redhawks in Naperville, Ill.

CLIFF RONNING
CENTER
Vice-president and co-founder of BASE Hockey (custom hockey stick company) in Vancouver and Calgary.

JOHN SLANEY
DEFENSEMAN
Headed into his third season as assistant coach of the Arizona Coyotes.

BRAD SMYTH
RIGHT WING
Owner and head instructor of NHL Alumni Hockey Camps & Clinics.

KIMMO TIMONEN
DEFENSEMAN
Retired after helping the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2015 and became an advisor for Finland's team in the World Cup.

DARREN TURCOTTE
CENTER
Coach of the Nipissing University Lakers women’s hockey team in North Bay Ontario.

TOMAS VOKOUN
GOALTENDER
Coach of the U16 team at the new South Florida Hockey Academy at Glacier Ice in Lighthouse Point.

JAN VOPAT
DEFENSEMAN
Head of European scouting for the St. Louis Blues.

SCOTT WALKER
RIGHT WING
Co-owner of the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.

VITALI YACHMENEV
LEFT WING
Coaching for Rubin Tyumen in Russia’s VHL (second league).

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.