The Nashville Predators have played in one arena since their first NHL season in 1998: the downtown Nashville building now called Bridgestone Arena, which opened in 1996 before the city had an NHL team.
Here is the Predators’ arena history, with what makes the building matter and how its name has changed.
The Predators’ Arena, 1998 to Today
- Nashville
- 1998–presentCurrent home
Opened in December 1996 as the Nashville Arena, two years before the Predators' first season. Later named Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center. Hosted Games 3, 4 and 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
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Predators Arena FAQ
Have the Predators ever played anywhere else?
Not as a regular home. Bridgestone Arena has been their only home arena since 1998. They opened the 2000–01 season with two games in Tokyo against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but those were one-off games.
Why did Nashville get an expansion team in 1998?
Nashville already had a finished arena. Of the four cities that got expansion teams at the time, it was the only one with a completed building, so it began play first.
What was Bridgestone Arena called before?
It opened as the Nashville Arena in 1996 and was later the Gaylord Entertainment Center and the Sommet Center before the Bridgestone name.
Where do the Predators play now?
At Bridgestone Arena at 501 Broadway in downtown Nashville. It seats 17,159 for hockey and hosted three games of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final and the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.