GAME DAY: Opening Night, Blue Jackets vs. Preds, October 9

Hockey is back.

The Nashville Predators begin their 2025-26 NHL season this evening when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Opening Night at Bridgestone Arena. The 7 p.m. CT puck drop is preceded by the annual Opening Night Plaza Party and Player Gold Walk, which begins at 3:30 p.m. CT on the Arena plaza.

The pregame festivities will lead into a fresh campaign for the Preds - a team that is eager to make amends for an underwhelming previous season and prove they’re capable of so much more.

“I think we're all playing with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder,” Preds forward Michael Bunting said. “Obviously, last year didn't go the way we wanted, but I think we're turning the page. I don't think we're going to bring up last year anymore. We're ready to get this thing going… We’ve had a great camp. Guys have worked really hard. I don't know if you guys have been watching these practices, but guys are really working and putting the effort in. So, you see that and that excites you. I think we're all really ready to get this thing going.”

There’s plenty of reason for optimism around the group, and the anticipation for one member to make his NHL debut is certainly a contributing factor.

Brady Martin, selected by the Preds with the fifth overall pick in last June’s NHL Draft, will play his first NHL game tonight and is expected to center Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly on Nashville’s top line.

Combine that occasion with the simple wave of excitement that comes with Opening Night in the NHL, and the Predators are more than ready to give their fans something to cheer about once more.

“Greatness as always,” Forsberg said of what he expects from Preds fans. “I mean, they always show up ready to go. Hopefully we can match that energy right off the bat and get off to a great start.”

The Good Guys:

In addition to Martin making his NHL debut, the Preds may have three more rookies - forwards Joakim Kemell and Ozzy Wiesblatt, plus defenseman Adam Wilsby - in the lineup tonight. Additionally, forward Fedor Svechkov and defenseman Spencer Stastney have made the Opening Night roster for the first time, providing a youthful infusion to an otherwise experienced lineup.

Preds Captain Roman Josi is healthy and ready to play following an offseason POTS diagnosis, and Nashville’s captain is set to lead his club for the ninth consecutive campaign.

Defenseman Nic Hague (upper-body, 2-3 weeks) and forward Matthew Wood (lower-body, week-to-week) will both start the season on Injured Reserve.

The Opposition:

The Blue Jackets will also begin their season tonight as they come off a 2024-25 campaign that saw them just miss qualifying for the playoffs. Former Preds defenseman Dante Fabbro will make his return to Nashville tonight after playing the first five-plus season of his career with the Preds.

Columbus is led up front by players like Boone Jenner, Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli, as well as Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov on the backend.

All-Time Meetings:

The Preds are 70-24-(1)-8 all-time against the Blue Jackets, including a 43-6-(1)-3 mark at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville is 4-1-0 in its last five meetings with Columbus and 6-3-1 in the last 10 games overall.

The Predators have not lost at home to the Blue Jackets since March 30, 2019, a span of nine games.

Notables Versus Columbus:

Brady Skjei has tallied 20 points (8g-12a) in 36 career games against the Blue Jackets, his most against a single franchise in his NHL career.

Steven Stamkos has posted 40 points (20g-20a) in 35 career games against Columbus, including two four-point outings (April 9, 2024, 3g-1a; April 26, 2022, 2g-2a).

Milestone Watch:

Tyson Jost is five games from 500 in his NHL career.

Michael Bunting is five goals from 100 in his NHL career.

Steven Stamkos (228) is five power play goals from passing Dino Ciccarelli (232) for the 10th-most in NHL history.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for tonight’s season opener begins at 6 p.m. CT with a special one-hour 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.)