The Predators will honor Roman Josi and complete a three-game homestand this afternoon when they host the Utah Mammoth for a 12:30 p.m. CT puck drop at Bridgestone Arena.
Today’s game, originally scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. CT start, has an adjusted start time due to the winter storm set to impact Middle Tennessee and a large portion of the eastern United States. Arena doors will open at 11 a.m. CT; click here for more information.
Prior to today’s contest, the Preds will honor Josi following his 1,000th career game on Thursday. Josi’s accomplishment will also be honored throughout the game through in-arena features and on the team’s broadcast and social media accounts.
A hat trick from Steven Stamkos led a Nashville comeback on Thursday against the Senators with the Preds scoring five unanswered to snap a two-game skid. Now, they’ll try for a second victory against Utah this season.
“Didn't look pretty at the beginning, but just a character win,” Stamkos said following Thursday’s game. “We stuck with it. Certainly not the recipe [to win games all the time]. We were on a slippery slope there. So, it's one of those games where you're really happy, especially for Roman. He means so much to this organization, to this locker room, not only as a player, but just a pillar in the community, and such a great friend off the ice. So, we wanted to do it for him. I'm glad it worked out.”
Nashville’s lineup remained unchanged on Thursday with Tyson Jost serving as a healthy scratch and Adam Wilsby remaining day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
The Good Guys:
Ryan O’Reilly continues to lead the Preds with 50 points (18g-32a), followed by Filip Forsberg (19g-21a) with 40 points and Luke Evangelista with 30 assists and 37 points. Stamkos has 24 goals and 36 points on the season; Josi and Michael Bunting both have 29 points apiece. Juuse Saros has hit the 20-win mark and is 20-16-3 on the season; Justus Annunen is 4-6-1.
The Opposition:
The Mammoth have lost just twice in the month of January and have won four in a row, including a 5-4 OT victory against Philadelphia on Wednesday. Clayton Keller leads Utah with 49 points (15g-34a), followed by Nick Schmaltz (18g-28a) with 46 points and Dylan Guenther with 24 goals and 43 points. Karel Vejmelka is 24-11-2 in net; Vitek Vanecek is 2-9-2.
All-Time Meetings:
The Preds are 3-1-1 all-time against Utah, including a 1-1-1 mark at home. Nashville fell to Utah back in October, but in the second meeting, the Predators won 4-3 behind a three-point effort (2g-1a) by Stamkos. He scored the game-tying goal and game-winning goal – the 598th and 599th of his NHL career – just 1:37 apart in the third period.
Nashville Notables:
Steven Stamkos scored his 234th and 235th career power play goal on Jan. 22 vs. Ottawa, passing Marcel Dionne for ninth-most in NHL history. The three tallies led the Predators to their first three-goal comeback win since Jan. 21, 2025 (7-5 vs San Jose). It was Stamkos’s 104th career multi-goal game, passing Guy Lafleur (103) and tying Michel Goulet for 23rd most in NHL history. The hat trick was his 16th in his NHL career; the only active players with as many are Alex Ovechkin (33) and David Pastrnak (19). He became the sixth player in team history to record at least three hat tricks with the Predators.
Roman Josi became the 84th player in NHL history to appear in his first 1,000 career games with the same franchise on Jan. 22 vs. Ottawa. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (555) and points (756); Josi ranks first in goals, assists and points among Swiss-born NHL players and became the second Switzerland native to play in 1,000 career games, joining former teammate Nino Niederreiter.
Milestone Watch:
Roman Josi played in his 1,000th career NHL game on Jan. 22 vs. Ottawa and is two goals from 200 in his NHL career.
Fedor Svechkov played in his 100th career NHL game on Jan. 22 vs. Ottawa.
Watch & Listen:
Coverage for today’s contest begins at 12 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analyst Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.
Voice of the Predators Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Max Herz beginning one hour before puck drop. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM. (El partido también se transmite en español por El Jefe en 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM y 810 AM.)
