Nashville, Tenn. (Sept. 8, 2026) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland announced today that the team’s prospects will report to Nashville for the start of Rookie Camp on Friday, Sept. 11 for physicals and team meetings before heading to Morrisville, North Carolina, for the 2026 Prospect Showcase.
The Predators team, which will be comprised of signed and unsigned draft picks, free-agent signings, players acquired via trade and skaters attending on tryout agreements, will be led by Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville’s AHL affiliate) Head Coach Karl Taylor, Associate Coach Greg Rallo and Assistant Coach Matt Donovan. Among the 23 players scheduled to participate are Brady Martin (2025 first round) and Cole O’Hara (2022 fourth round), who made their NHL debuts with the Predators in 2025-26. Also taking part are several players who helped lead the Admirals to the Calder Cup Playoffs last season – including Tanner Molendyk (2023 first round), Aiden Fink, David Edstrom, Andrew Gibson and Viggo Gustafsson – and others such as free-agent signing Vitali Pinchuk and recent picks Felix Nilsson, Daniel Nieminen and Charlie Puglisi.
Before departing for North Carolina, the prospects will hold a practice on Sept. 12 at 9:30 a.m. CT at Centennial Ice Rink. Nashville will face off against prospects from the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning in the showcase, playing each team once during the two-day event held at Invisalign Arena. Nashville will play Carolina on Sept. 13 at 1:35 p.m. CT and Tampa Bay on Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. CT.
This will mark the 16th time in the last 17 rookie camps that Predators prospects will play games against another Sunbelt franchise, and the 11th time in the last 12 camps that a team of rookies will compete in a tournament. The 2024 edition of the showcase was hosted by the Predators at Ford Ice Center Bellevue; Nashville previously hosted the event at Ford Ice Center Antioch in 2017 and 2019. The Predators prospects have also played two-game sets against Florida (2010-11), Atlanta (2008-09) and Columbus (2002-03); in the franchise’s first four seasons (1998-01), Predators prospects competed in the rookie tournament hosted in Traverse City, Michigan.
The 2026 Prospect Showcase precedes the opening of Nashville’s Training Camp, which begins Sept. 16with physicals and team meetings. The Predators’ first day on the ice will be Sept. 17, with four preseason contests scheduled from Sept. 20-26, including two at Bridgestone Arena (Sept. 22 vs. Tampa Bay at 7 p.m. CT and Sept. 26 vs. Carolina at 2 p.m. CT).
Click here for the full Rookie Camp roster, which is subject to change. Both of the Predators’ 2026 Prospect Showcase games will be streamed live on NashvillePredators.com.
