Preds Top 20, No. 8: P.K. Subban Returns to SMASHVILLE

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 let's go back to February to continue our countdown at No. 8.

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On Feb. 13, the Predators honored former defenseman P.K. Subban with a day full of festivities that culminated in a pregame video tribute and ceremonial puck drop ahead of Nashville's home game against the Arizona Coyotes.

The Predators welcomed Subban back to SMASHVILLE with open arms, celebrating his accomplishments on and off the ice during the three seasons (2016-19) he spent in Nashville. He spent the morning making his way around the home locker room at Bridgestone Arena, exchanging hugs and handshakes with the players - several of whom were his former teammates.

The three-time NHL All-Star, who announced his retirement in September, was an integral part of the Predators' 2016-17 Stanley Cup Final run, Nashville's 2017-18 Presidents' Trophy and back-to-back Central Division titles. He had 130 points (35g-95a) in 211 regular-season games played with Nashville and 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 41 Stanley Cup Playoff games before he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2019.

The 33-year-old is most often associated with the Montreal Canadiens, where he spent the first seven years of his career and won the 2013 Norris Trophy. But Subban said many of his favorite NHL memories occurred during his three seasons in Nashville.

"I believe that some of the best years and most enjoyed years were here in Nashville for me, no doubt," Subban said. "When you look at my playing career, I had some really good years here, some playoff runs. And a lot of how I evaluate my career is in the postseason.

Now a studio analyst for ESPN, Subban was a prominent figure both on and off the ice in Nashville. During his time in Nashville, he launched P.K.'s Blueline Buddies Program - an initiative to bring together youth and law enforcement. During every Predators home game, Subban brought together a member of the Metro Nashville Police Department with a big and little from Big Brothers Big Sisters. The program is still in existence today, now funded by the team, with a rotating cast of Preds players volunteering in Subban's place.

"I didn't really have a chance to talk about that fully when I got traded and I left," Subban said. "But it meant so much to me to see the players embrace that program. Not because it was my program. I never looked at it as my program because it takes everyone to make that program work. It just seemed like the players just said, 'We're in. We love the program.'"

During his visit, Subban also stopped by the United by Hockey Mobile Museum on the Bridgestone Arena Plaza. The Museum, which made a stop in Nashville as part of a league-wide celebration of Black History Month, represents hockey's underrepresented and multicultural innovators, leaders, and changemakers. The goal of the United by Hockey Mobile Museum is to create new opportunities and celebrate diversity within the game. The Museum makes stops in several NHL franchise cities to share the stories of those that influence the game and reinforce the message that Hockey Is For Everyone™.

"Well, history is knowledge, right?" Subban said. "So the more you know about the game... I just think it also shows you how far the game has come, too. We have to know the strides we've made, the opportunities that have been created and the people that have benefited. So I think it's great. We just have to continue to open those doors. And continue to have people educate themselves, and I think this is another tool to do that."

Worth a click:

No. 20: Cody Glass Makes the Team

No. 19: Roman Josi's Homecoming

No. 18: Perfect in Prague

No. 17: Return of the Mustard Cat

No. 16: Nashville's 900th Franchise Win

No. 15: Juuso Parssinen's NHL Debut

No. 14: David Poile Reaches 1,500 Wins

No. 13: Bridgestone Arena's 'Remarkable' Reopening

No. 12: Roman Josi Becomes Nashville's All-Time Leading Scorer

No. 11: Filip Forsberg Joins the 500-Point Club

No. 10: Juuse Saros Sets Franchise Saves Record

No. 9: Juuse Saros Shines at NHL All-Star Weekend