Andrew Brunette Meets With Predators Fans at Select-a-Seat Event

On Thursday evening, the Nashville Predators welcomed fans to Bridgestone Arena for their second select-a-seat event of the summer. Fans were invited to skate on the ice, tour the arena, schedule appointments with sales team members and lock in season tickets for next year's 25th Anniversary season.

In light of Wednesday's announcement that Andrew Brunette had been hired as the fourth head coach in franchise history, additional programming was added to Thursday's event to allow fans to meet Brunette and welcome him to SMASHVILLE. Following a meet-and-greet where he signed autographs and posed for photos with fans, Brunette joined former Predators players and current broadcasters Chris Mason and Hal Gill for a panel discussion in the arena's atrium.

The topics covered ranged from Brunette's playing career to his relationship with incoming General Manager Barry Trotz and more. Brunette - or "Bruno," as he prefers to be called - received a round of applause from the fans in attendance when he spoke on why he chose Nashville amidst a host of other coaching opportunities. Above all, his long-standing relationships with Trotz and outgoing General Manager/President of Hockey Operations David Poile factored heavily into his decision.

"You can't put a price tag on people that care about you, people that are there for you and support you through all the different stages of your life," Brunette said. "And they've been there the whole time. So when an opportunity [arose] to come to Nashville and to work for those who brought me here, it was hard to say no… There were a lot of really good offers and teams, but this was the place that my heart was at and with the people I want to be with."

Brunette received more applause when he reflected on how much Nashville has changed in the last 25 years, from an expansion city relatively unfamiliar with hockey to one of the NHL's premier markets for marquee events like the NHL Awards and Draft, which will be held at Bridgestone Arena later this month.

"It's going to be great for SMASHVILLE to have the draft and to be the center of the hockey world for that week or so," Brunette said. "So that just tells you how far we've come and what we've done. I think it's pretty awesome to be part of that."

As for how he plans to approach his new role, Brunette says he is taking things one day at a time. His top priorities at this stage include getting to know the players, staff and other members of the organization on a personal level.

"For me, it's all about connection," he said. "It's about building a relationship, and obviously it starts with communication. And I think once you're open and you're honest with each other, you build trust - and trust in everything, not just in the game, but in life, which is probably the most important thing."

Ultimately, Brunette's goal is for his players to be enthusiastic about playing - which will make them even more fun to watch. He looks forward to providing an entertaining product on the ice this fall in front of the best fans in the NHL.

"We're going to grab this building and get it rocking," Brunette said. I think that's always been here, and we're going to enjoy ourselves."

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