The Predators will celebrate and say farewell to one of their own on Monday, and fans are invited to pay their respects.
Brent Peterson, a former Preds coach, broadcaster and one of the most impactful figures in franchise history, will be honored with a Celebration of Life ceremony at 12 p.m. CT on Monday, Sept. 21, at Bridgestone Arena.
Peterson, who had courageously battled Parkinson’s disease for 23 years, passed away last Friday at the age of 68.
In 2009, the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s (PFP) was founded by Brent and his wife, Tami, with a mission to support and enhance the lives of people with Parkinson’s, their care partners and families to achieve their highest possible quality of life through awareness, education and programs within a caring community.
Over the course of Peterson’s life, the Foundation raised millions of dollars, with much of that coming from a pair of staples on the Nashville Predators Foundation’s calendar.
The annual Petey’s Preds Party and Brent Peterson Golf Classic always bring Predators players, coaches, staff, fans and members of the Nashville community together for a cause close to so many of those attendees’ hearts.
Peterson passed away the morning after viewing a livestream of this year’s Petey’s Preds Party, one last chance to appreciate how much he meant to the Smashville community.
His wife, Tami, his children, Brad - who is an assistant equipment manager with the Preds - and Kristin, and all those who were lucky enough to know him will ensure he’ll never be forgotten across Smashville and beyond.
Guests attending the Celebration of Life are invited to enter Bridgestone Arena from the plaza entrance located at the corner of Broadway and Rep. John Lewis Way beginning at 11 a.m. CT on Monday.
A livestream will be available for those wishing to watch the celebration remotely at NashvillePredators.com/Peterson (the link will be active prior to the celebration).
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s.
As the Predators began Training Camp on Thursday, President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland, Head Coach Andrew Brunette and Captain Roman Josi each shared what Peterson meant to them.
“I just want to say how amazing a person Petey was, and how amazing he was to me, and so many guys around the rink,” Josi said. “He made such an impact in the community, made such an impact on the Preds, and our thoughts are with their family. He was an amazing human being, and he's done so much for this community, and I'm lucky to be part of it for the last 15 years. He’s definitely had a massive impact on me. I just think about them, and as a team, supporting them as much as we can.”
“I just want to express my condolences to the Petersen family,” Brunette said. "Brent was an amazing person. I was very fortunate to play for him, to be around him, and with Brent, it was never about Brent. Petey was all about who he was talking to, and through the course of my career, regardless of where we were, different teams, different spots in my career, whether I was still playing, he always had the time to come and ask about me. You try to get how he's feeling, and he just kept spinning it around. He's an incredible, supportive coach and a friend, and he’ll be very dearly missed.”
“One of our family members, Brad Peterson, him and his family, his mom Tami, his sister Kristin - they're going through a really tough time right now with the loss of Brent,” MacFarland said. “A lot of people here had the good fortune of knowing Brent a lot more than I did. I knew Brent as a player, I knew him as a coach to say hello in the hallway or when he's chatting up with our coaches, always a gentleman. But people here had the honor of knowing him as a colleague, a friend, and somebody they admired. So, I just want to keep the Peterson family in our thoughts and prayers.”
