Preds Top 20, No. 13: Bridgestone Arena's 'Remarkable' Reopening

The Nashville Predators 2022-23 season has officially come to an end, and what a season it has been. From momentous firsts to bittersweet farewells, this year was full of memorable moments both on and off the ice.

We've already taken a look back at the Top 10 goals scored by the Predators this season. Now, we're counting down the Top 20 moments and milestones that highlighted a special season of hockey in SMASHVILLE.

We'll take our trip down memory lane in chronological order, so we'll head back to Thanksgiving weekend to continue our countdown at No. 13.

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The Predators were gearing up to host back-to-back games as part of a busy Thanksgiving weekend; but on Friday morning, Preds President and CEO Sean Henry woke up to a phone call that changed everything.

A water main break was reported on Sixth Avenue at 6 a.m. CT on Nov. 25, just outside Bridgestone Arena. The break sent water pouring into the main concourse and flowing down to the event level. Metro Public Works worked with arena staff to get the situation under control quickly, but the water caused damage to the floors, ceilings and tiles inside the arena, sitting up to three feet high in some areas.

By the time the water was shut off a couple of hours later, it had accumulated approximately four feet near the loading dock on the event level. There were several inches of water in the locker rooms and adjoining areas as well, including the coaches' offices, meeting rooms, Lexus Lounge and more.

It didn't take long for the Predators to announce the postponement of that night's game against the Colorado Avalanche. By Saturday, most of the water had been pumped out and about 1,000 box fans were set up to expedite the drying process. Temporary ductwork and portable HVAC units were also put in place, but Nashville was still forced to postpone that night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets as well.

Due to the extent of the damage to the building, many began to fear the worst: no hockey in SMASHVILLE for months.

"It would have been really easy to shut the building down for 20, 30, 40, 50 days, relocate the games, work a deal with another city, temporarily postpone or cancel concerts," Henry said. "But we sat together on Friday night, Saturday, Sunday and said, 'How do we host all those events, because it's an important thing that we do?'"

It took a village, but Henry and his team made it happen. Thanks to the efforts of arena operations staff, custodial crews and countless others inside and outside the Predators organization, Bridgestone Arena reopened its doors in time to host Nashville's matchup with the Anaheim Ducks as scheduled, a mere four days after the water main break.

"The fact we're hosting a game tonight is pretty remarkable," Henry said on Nov. 29. "We can not say thank you enough to everyone that has worked tirelessly to restore Bridgestone Arena and ready it for Preds games and events once again. More than 30 public agencies and private companies have mobilized with us in our mission to safely reopen the venue for games and events this week," Henry said.

Some of the arena's systems and guest support functions were not 100 percent operational for the reopening, however. Only about half the building's elevators were working, and many of the building's electrical systems were impacted. The arena's video control room, forcing the team to pivot to a mobile production truck to operate all video elements, including the Jumbotron, for the remainder of the season.

"We're probably going to remediate from this for the next three, four, five, six months," Henry said. "Every single electrical system, every piece of video, will either be replaced or taken apart to be dried out and cleaned."

Yes, there were plenty of fried electronics and scuffs on the walls; still, considering the extent of the damage and the risks involved when mixing water with electricity, these became just minor details when it came to reopening the arena and providing fans with the world-class experience they've come to expect when attending a Predators game.

"They all say - wow, where was the flood? And we're looking at each other - well, it's where you're standing," said Henry.

The team and the venue still have a long road ahead. Full restoration is estimated to take six to 12 months, making it all the more impressive that the Predators were able to play the full remainder of their home slate on Bridgestone Arena ice this season.

"It was obviously a ton of extra work for a lot of people around here that did an amazing job getting this place back up and going," Preds forward Matt Duchene said. "We were thinking [more games] might be canceled as well. It's great to be back in our building. I know it shook a lot of us. We love this building. It's one of the most special places to play in the League."

Worth a click:

Video: Bridgestone Arena Flooding Recovery
Video: Bridgestone Arena Flooding Recovery
Video: Bridgestone Arena Flooding Recovery
Video: Bridgestone Arena Flooding Recovery
Video: Bridgestone Arena Flooding Recovery
Video: Bridgestone Arena Flooding Recovery
Video: Bridgestone Arena Flooding Recovery