Poile Reflects on Rinne's Career, Impact Made with Preds in Nashville

David Poile admitted he was on the verge of tears when he first heard the news.
His franchise goaltender, the true definition of a "legend" on and off the ice, had decided he would no longer be spending time on the frozen sheet in a Gold jersey.
The reaction from Nashville's general manager was understandable - just about everyone else in the organization shared the sentiment when they learned of Pekka Rinne's decision to retire from the game of hockey - but a sense of finality has also been present, one that makes the conclusion a bit easier to take.

Still, imagining the Predators crease without Rinne - even if the appearances had become more sporadic in recent years - is somewhat difficult to do. That's something Poile and the rest of the Preds organization and fanbase will have to come to terms with, however, and there's only three short months to do so.
Poile revealed Tuesday, following Rinne's press conference to officially announce his retirement, that the goaltender met with the GM "a couple of weeks ago" to deliver the verdict. Over the course of that gathering, Poile ran through the gamut of emotions, but by the time Rinne was ready to depart, it became clear his decision was the right one.
"We met after the [season was finished], and I told him clearly that if he wanted to come back, we would be happy to have him come back," Poile explained of his correspondence with Rinne. "I probably said more than that, like I'd like him to come back, and honestly, when we talked…and he said he was going to retire, I guess I didn't believe it or want to accept it at the beginning. But he kept talking, just like he did here today in front of you, and he was very well thought out in terms of what he was thinking family-wise, career-wise, all the things that have been mentioned. At the end of the conversation, it was like, he's going to retire - this is not a situation where we should be talking to him begging him to come back and play.
"I truly believe [Rinne's] last game against Carolina was huge in terms of him in playing, [recording] the shutout, how his teammates reacted to him, how the fans reacted to him right from the warmup, and then the fact that he won the King Clancy [Memorial Trophy] this year getting recognized for a lot of things that he did off the ice, it was like the total package, the circle came to a close. So, I'm at peace with the decision."

The now-former goaltender feels the same way, and as each day passes, the realization Rinne won't be back when training camp begins in September is becoming clearer. Plus, there's another aspect of all of this that leaves Poile feeling satisfied, and that's the manner in which Rinne arrived to this point.
He did it his way.
"So often, unfortunately, this never ends in a good way with players," Poile said. "Like, they should have had one more year, or the organization didn't treat them correctly; I guess what I'm saying is they don't really go out on their own terms, and Pekka is going out on his own terms. This is fantastic. He wrote the script, he signed off, I mean, that's perfect for everybody."
Rightfully so, the attention has now turned to recognizing and celebrating what Rinne has meant to the franchise and the city of Nashville, and Poile knows better than most what exactly those contributions entail.
From his on-ice numbers to his off-ice humanitarianism, summarizing Rinne's vast impact is nearly impossible to do in one try, but that's just it. Encapsulating what Rinne has done over the past 17 years in this town - and for this town - goes far beyond the game of hockey, and that's all one needs to know.
"As I should be, I'm a little prejudiced here, but to me, he's been the most influential athlete here in Tennessee," Poile said of Rinne. "It's unbelievable the things that he's done on the ice, the importance that he's been to creating an environment where the level of hockey has been so high, and then, of course, you combine that with, as I recall, the complete person that does all the things off the ice. I mean, who has done more for the community than Pekka Rinne? Who has done more for the individual sport than Pekka Rinne? [He's] the most important athlete that we've had in the time that he's been here."

Because of those accolades, many have wondered aloud when Rinne's No. 35 will be retired and raised to the rafters inside Bridgestone Arena, when the statue will be placed outside the building, even perhaps when the city of Nashville might undergo a name change, if only for a day.
Poile knows there will be plenty of time to celebrate Rinne - who plans on returning to the Music City to reside here with his fiancée and son next season - but for now, he's focused on enjoying the moment and appreciating everything the Finn did to make this place, and everyone who calls Nashville home, better.
"He certainly has been the face of the franchise, arguably the most important player that has ever played for the Predators," Poile said. "Nashville was a smaller city and [was] a little bit of a hockey town when he started here, and when you count the people that should be responsible for the influence there, Pekka is right at the top of the list. His performance of creating fans as a hockey player, allowing us to win a lot of games, and then of course off the ice, everything that he's done in the community was just the total package for me. What more could we have wanted in the last 15 years from a goaltender, from a player?
"Pekka Rinne, he's the best."