Forsberg, Josi, Peterson Contribute to Successful Preds Foundation Weekend of Giving

Before the puck drops on Opening Night, prior to the start of Training Camp and even in advance of the first Preds hopefuls stepping on the ice for Rookie Camp, the Nashville Predators Foundation has the honor each and every year of kicking off the hockey calendar in these parts.

The Foundation’s annual Weekend of Giving - which began Saturday with the Filip Forsberg Hockey Clinic presented by Delta Dental of Tennessee, continued Sunday with Petey’s Preds Party presented by Regions Bank, and concluded Monday with the Brent Peterson Golf Classic, also presented by Regions - is the unofficial start to hockey season for the Preds, and this year’s iteration was one to remember.

Even though Forsberg’s clinic saw 80 youth hockey participants lace up the skates at Ford Ice Center Bellevue for the chance to learn from one of the NHL’s best, it may have been No. 9 himself who had the most fun out of anyone. Taking his young son, Felix, for a spin around the rink in between sessions surely contributed to the joy, but for Nashville’s veteran winger, the jubilation from the afternoon never gets old.

“It's one of the greatest days…to be able to put this whole thing together,” Forsberg said. “Growing up, if I would have had the opportunity to have something like this for a day in my hometown, I would have been all over it. Being able to do that with these kids, just teach them a little bit, but have a lot of fun with the kids…it’s been a blast.”

Joining Forsberg on the ice were a handful of rookies - forwards Brady Martin, Joakim Kemell and Matthew Wood, plus defenseman Adam Wilsby - most of them not much older than the participants themselves.

“We brought the youth out today,” Forsberg laughed. “It's awesome that they can come out, and it means a lot to me that the guys are willing to come out and help out.”

“To hang out with a couple of guys like Fil for the day is pretty cool,” Martin, Nashville’s first-round pick (fifth overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, said of the experience. “You can tell [Forsberg’s] having fun with his kid out there, too. So, it’s a lot of fun with him out there.”

Forsberg, who took over running the clinic from fellow Swede and former Preds defenseman Mattias Ekholm, says doing so was a natural fit, and it’s become a family affair. His wife, Erin, was also in attendance, and with a new addition to their family, the desire to give back in this way is stronger than ever.

“Well, especially having a kid now, I think I can see from the parents’ [viewpoint] how cool it is to give your child that opportunity,” Erin Forsberg said. “[Filip’s] doing it because he loves it… He’ s probably having more fun than all the kids combined, but it's something we look forward to every year, and it's fun. Like I said, being a parent now and seeing how happy the kids are - as a parent, that's all you really want.”

And one night later, the Forsbergs turned Saturday’s funds raised from the clinic into a very special donation.

In 2002, then-Preds Assistant Coach Brent Peterson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease - and after a life-changing phone call with actor Michael J. Fox years later, Peterson decided he was going to do something to help others.

In 2009, the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s (PFP) was founded by Brent and his wife, Tami, with a mission to support and enhance the lives of people with Parkinson’s, their care partners and families to achieve their highest possible quality of life through awareness, education and programs within a caring community.

And during Sunday’s Petey’s Preds Party, the annual gala held at Bridgestone Arena in support of PFP and the Preds Foundation, two particular moments stood out above all the rest.

The first came when the Forsbergs graced the stage before Voice of the Preds Pete Weber called fellow Predators broadcaster Willy Daunic and his daughter, Evy, up to join them.

Daunic’s wife, Erin, sadly lost her battle with cancer over the summer. A force for good in the Nashville community, Erin worked with STARS Nashville, a nonprofit that worked to improve the lives of youth across Music City.

With that in mind, the Forsbergs presented the Daunics with a check for $25,000 made out to the Erin Daunic Community STARS Fund in her honor.

A second gesture of goodwill came when Predators Captain Roman Josi presented the Petersons and PFP with a check for $10,000 on behalf of the Roman and Ellie Josi Family Fund.

“It’s always such a cool event,” Josi said of Petey’s Party and the Golf Tournament. “The gala is really touching, and the support [Brent] gets every year and how it's kind of grown into this whole thing with the gala and the golf is pretty cool. We love seeing Petey around. The players love him, we love having him around the room and he'll always be a massive part of this organization.”

Peterson was out on the course early Monday at GreyStone Golf Club for his annual golf outing, as were a number of Predators coaches and staff members during the morning flight, followed by Preds players in the afternoon. Each was paired with a foursome with one more chance to cap off a signature weekend for the organization and those who do everything they can to help those in need.

“This is really close to all our hearts,” Preds Head Coach, and former player coached by Peterson, Andrew Brunette said following the golf tournament. “I think the one thing the Predators have done through being here in year one all the way through to now, is they've made it feel like a family. One of our family members has gone through something. He’s fighting like crazy, and we’re great teammates, the Predators. We pride ourselves on being good teammates, and we're there for him. It’s a great event, and the energy he's shown over the years to get this going and the way it's turned out…I’m so proud to be here, so proud of what he's done and what the Predators have done over the years. It's a special day, for sure.”

For more information on the Nashville Predators Foundation and the impact made across Middle Tennessee, click here.