The Nashville Predators now have not one, but two, representatives enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In a ceremony held in Toronto on Monday, former general manager and current senior advisor David Poile was inducted into the Hall alongside the defenseman he drafted in 2003, former Predators captain Shea Weber.
Poile joined the Hall as a builder, along with Colin Campbell, while Weber joined as a player, joined by Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl. Poile joins his father, Bud, who was inducted into the Hall as a builder in 1990.
Related: Former Predators Captain Shea Weber Inducted Into The Hockey Hall of Fame
The first general manager in franchise history, Poile led the Predators for 25 seasons from 1998-2023. Before becoming Nashville’s architect, Poile was the general manager of the Washington Capitals from 1982-1997. He is the only general manager to lead two different franchises to 1,000 games and 500 wins, and he became the winningest GM in NHL history with his 1,320th victory during the 2017-18 season. He finished his career with 1,533 wins.
The Predators made the playoffs 15 times under Poile’s leadership, including eight consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2022. They made the Stanley Cup Final once (2017) and won the Presidents’ Trophy once (2018). Barry Trotz took over the general manager role upon Poile’s retirement in 2023, but Poile stayed on as a senior advisor in the Predators’ hockey operations department.
“I was able to score the hat trick of life – who you marry and share your journey with, the job you have and the places you live,” Poile said during his induction speech. “[My wife] Elizabeth and I have been a team from Atlanta to Calgary to Washington and ultimately to Nashville. She’s been the rock of our family throughout our shared hockey journey.”
Poile’s NHL journey began in 1972, when he began working in the front office for the Atlanta Flames, a new expansion franchise. He was named assistant GM in 1977, and when the Flames relocated to Calgary in 1980, he remained with the franchise for two more seasons before accepting the GM job in Washington.
“I have been so fortunate to spend my entire professional career in the game of hockey,” Poile said. “I have poured my heart and soul into the game, but hockey has given me and my family so much more. Thank you, hockey. Thank you to my family. Thank you to my friends. Thank you.”
In honor of their induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Predators announced that they will welcome Poile and Weber back to Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 23. The pair will take part in a pregame ceremonial puck drop prior to the Predators’ game against the Winnipeg Jets.
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