Just moments after celebrating Nashville’s victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday night, Nic Hague and Michael McCarron helped deliver another dose of holiday joy.
The two Preds players made their way to the Bridgestone Arena meeting rooms to find children and their families from the East Nashville Hope Exchange for the Nashville Predators Foundation’s annual holiday party - and the atmosphere was jovial, to say the least.
McCarron and Hague sponsored this year’s party and, along with their wives, helped purchase gifts for the festivities. Hattie B’s served a pregame meal for the families, while Dippin’ Dots provided dessert and Shell gifted gas cards to each of the families as well.
A total of 70 attendees from the Hope Exchange enjoyed the Preds win before Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, plus Hague and McCarron, joined postgame for the unwrapping gifts, including toys, clothing and even bicycles.
“I think the Preds Foundation does a really good job, and I always try to help them out, help out our community,” McCarron said. “It always feels good that we're in a position to be able to help people… When you're in that position, I think the more you help, the better it helps our community. And it's great. They support us a ton, so it’s a great way for us to give back.”
McCarron, who was in his second year sponsoring the party, was originally recruited by former Preds forward Colton Sissons who was a mainstay at the event for years. McCarron smiled while saying he’d be thinking of his former teammate during the party, but he was also happy to have a new teammate in Hague on board this year.
“I love doing it, and I try to leave a good example for the new guys coming in here, kind of like what ‘Siss’ did for me,” McCarron said. “It’s great.”
Hague, who was acquired from Vegas in a trade for Sissons last summer, also helped deliver Thanksgiving meals with McCarron last month throughout the community. While the pairing of Nashville’s two tallest players wasn’t necessarily a purposeful endeavor, one of the newer members of the Preds has certainly appreciated the opportunity to get to know his new city in this manner - especially during the holiday season.
“We’re so blessed, and we get to play a game that we love for a living, so it's great anytime we can give back and help out where we can,” Hague said. “It's something that's always meant a lot to me, and the Preds do a great job here in town of facilitating different things. It's been really cool since I got here. There’s definitely no shortage of opportunities, and it’s definitely fun to do that kind of stuff.”
