Nashville, Tenn. (June 5, 2026) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland announced today that the team has hired Rob Blake as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. Blake will work alongside MacFarland in all areas of the hockey operations department, including team and staff development, long- and short-term strategies, free agency, player recruitment, drafting and more.
“We are ecstatic to welcome Rob Blake to the Nashville Predators as our executive vice president of hockey operations,” MacFarland said. “Rob is a two-time Stanley Cup winner, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and a legend of our game. Additionally, he brings a wealth of knowledge in management and I will rely on him to assist me in many areas across the department as we look to build a winning team in Smashville. I couldn’t think of a better person to join me and the organization on this journey.”
Blake, 56 (12/10/69), most recently served as the vice president of hockey operations and general manager of the Los Angeles Kings from 2017-18 through 2024-25 and won the Stanley Cup with the franchise in 2014 as an assistant general manager. During his eight-season tenure with the Kings as general manager, the team had a regular season record of 309-238-71 and made the Stanley Cup Playoffs five times. His work as Los Angeles’ GM included acquiring All-Star forward Kevin Fiala in a trade; drafting forward Quinton Byfield with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and subsequently signing him to a long-term deal; selecting promising young defenseman Brandt Clark with the No. 8 overall choice in the 2021 NHL Draft; signing Kings icon Anze Kopitar to his final NHL contract; and locking in star forward Adrian Kempe to two separate multi-year agreements.
“My family and I are very excited to join the Predators franchise and would like to thank Chris MacFarland for his trust in me,” Blake said. “This is an organization with a great history and a very bright future, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I am grateful to work with Chris, who is one of the best general managers in today’s game, and build something special here in Nashville.”
A native of Simcoe, Ont., and one of the League’s greatest defensemen, Blake played 1,270 games for Los Angeles, Colorado and San Jose from 1989-10. He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 1998 and won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Avalanche in 2001. Blake was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014, was a seven-time NHL All-Star and won multiple gold medals representing Canada internationally, most notably at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Known as one of the best leaders of his generation, Blake served as Los Angeles’ captain for seven seasons (1995-01 and 2007-08) and wore the ‘C’ for San Jose in 2009-10, his final NHL campaign.
Blake and his wife, Brandy, have three children – sons Jack and Max, and a daughter, Brooke.
The Predators’ hockey operations department remains focused on the upcoming key dates on the NHL’s calendar, including the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine (June 1-6 in Buffalo); 2026 NHL Draft (June 26-27 in Buffalo); Nashville’s annual development camp (June 28-July 3); and the start of free agency (July 1).
Become Smashville Loyal today! Full, Half and Quarter Season Ticket plans are available for the 2026-27 Nashville Predators season presented by Regions Bank. For more information, please call 615-770-7800, visit NashvillePredators.com or text PREDS to 833-453-2488 to begin receiving ticket offers directly to your phone.
