Among the most tired and ignorant arguments in all of sports is the incessant criticism of the NHL’s Sun Belt expansion strategy. On Tuesday night, two of the top Sun Belt success stories will meet in a potential Stanley Cup Final preview, as the Nashville Predators will host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Not only are these two of the best teams in the NHL, but they are also teams that have developed strong and passionate fan bases. The Preds and Bolts are shining examples of how the NHL can succeed at nontraditional markets.
Hockeytonk – Carrie Underwood’s Team
Country music superstar Carrie Underwood is not just a Nashville Predators fan, but also a wife of Preds center Mike Fisher. Music City has been a shining example of how a hockey team can win over a football oriented community. Other notable country music stars like Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, and Wynonna are fans that will sometimes join the Predators house band and sing to the crowd. Keith Urban and his actress wife Nicole Kidman are also fans of the Preds. And Hockeytonk has become a favorite city of opposing teams to visit with its outstanding lineup of restaurants and bars. With this re-energized and celebrity fanbase behind them, Nashville is playing to 98 percent capacity this season. Nashville fans have adopted their own tradition of tossing catfish on the ice to celebrate wins, much like Detroit Red Wing fans have done for decades with the octopi.
The Thunder for the Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been in business since 1992 and quickly developed a strong following that set records for crowds when the team played at the then-called Thunderdome where the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team now resides. Tampa Bay would routinely draw over 20,000 fans for games back then and has since been a top draw at the Amalie Arena where they play to 97.2 percent capacity. The Bolts have developed into one of the classiest organizations in professional sports and are highly active in the community.
Top Contenders
There is nothing like winning to promote a sport and both the Lighting and Predators have become top contenders for the President’s Trophy as the top regular season team in the NHL.
Tampa Bay’s strength is the center ice tandem of Tyler Johnson and Steven Stamkos. Johnson has 19 goals and 32 assists while Stamkos has 28 goals and 20 assists on the season. Johnson is 24 years of age while Stamkos is 25 as their best years are yet to come.
Nashville boasts the top defensive corps in the game led by Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, Seth Jones, and Mattias Ekholm. They may well boast the best goaltender in the world in Pekka Rinne. Center Filip Forsberg is a top contender for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year with 17 goals and 30 assists. Championship hockey teams are built from the goal out and down the middle. Nashville is a team that nobody will want to deal with come playoff time.
Selling the South
The mainstream media, in its unbridled ignorance of hockey, loves to bash the NHL’s expansion citing the struggles of the Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, and the defunct Atlanta Thrashers. But what is left out of their snark is the undeniable fact that winning is what sells not just in the south, but anywhere for any sport. Before LeBron James, the Miami Heat tarped over thousands of empty seats. The mediocre Miami Dolphins of the NFL long ago stopped selling out their games. When the Florida Panthers made the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, they were the toast of Miami and ran the town when it came to sports.
The Predators and Lighting have demonstrated the potential of hockey and its appeal in a nontraditional market. By putting high quality winning teams on the ice, the Preds and Bolts are rocking sellout crowds that are dressed in their team colors, and are among the loudest throngs in the game. It’s a great success story that will continue to grow in the years to come.
