Scott Hartnell on Broadcasting, Fatherhood, Roman Josi and Preds Hockey

There aren't many who can say they played their first NHL game in Tokyo, Japan.

Perhaps it's fitting that Scott Hartnell's 17-year career in the League began in such a unique manner, considering his one-of-a-kind personality became a fixture in the game for almost two decades.

That journey started and ended in Nashville, the spot where Hartnell spent his first six seasons before his final campaign in 2017-18 and one last run with the Preds.

Two years removed from his time on the ice, Hartnell recently sat down with Voice of the Predators Pete Weber for a Fifth Third Bank Hockey at Home session to discuss a myriad of topics, including that journey to Japan all those years ago.

"I just tried to make a mark as best as I could, play my style and make it through training camp," Hartnell recalled. "[Predators General Manager David] Poile, I remember him saying, 'We're going to take you along to Tokyo [where the Predators were opening the 2000-01 season against Pittsburgh], and I'm sure you'll get a few games and we'll make our decision after that 10-game mark whether to send me back to junior or not.' But jumping on that 10, 12, 14-hour flight…and then waking up, you're in Tokyo, Japan, for Pete's sake. It was just so cool."

That 10-game mark came and went in Hartnell's rookie season, and the 6-foot-2 winger ended up dressing in 75 contests - quickly establishing himself as a regular in the Nashville lineup. Five more seasons with the Predators followed, including a 25-goal, 48-point and 101-penalty-minute output in the 2005-06 season, as he continued his run as a fan favorite in Music City.

Hartnell was dealt to Philadelphia in the summer of 2007, and he put up the best offensive numbers of his career - and became an NHL All-Star - as a member of the Flyers. The Regina, Saskatchewan, native then spent three more seasons in Columbus, before returning to Nashville for a final NHL campaign that saw him add 13 more goals and 24 points to help the Predators to the Presidents' Trophy as the League's top team in the regular season.

Known for his gritty, hard-nosed style, Hartnell's personality shone through over the course of his career, and there weren't many nights where he didn't make some sort of an impact.

"You have to play the game with emotion, you have to play with your heart on your sleeve and it's just a game of ups and downs," Hartnell said. "You've got to keep an even keel throughout it, but I was a guy that always played better when I was punched in the face or gave a guy a punch or gave a big hockey hit or was chirping somebody after a whistle or something like that. If I wasn't involved, I wasn't doing very good in that game."

Hartnell certainly found a way to balance the physicality with his offensive abilities over time, and a discussion with his father early on in his career may have led to a few extra seasons before it was all said and done.

"I would go after some established guys…getting in their face and trying to make a name for yourself, and that's kind of what I set out to do," Hartnell said. "When I had my first 20-goal season, I kind of learned I can't just be an idiot out there, I can't put my body on the line. I had a couple concussions early [in my career] where I was taken off on a stretcher, and I was talking with my father after those couple things and he's like, 'Well, you kind of play a little reckless. You can't put yourself in some bad situations all the time and you've got to save your head, which is the most important thing, and your body.' It was a very smart lesson that I learned early on in my career. I would have kept playing that way, and my career would have been probably cut short because of injuries."

Instead, Hartnell ended up with over 40 points in 10 of his 17 seasons, including a career-high 37 goals and 67 points with the Flyers in 2011-12 with 16 of those tallies coming on the power play.

But, as with all good things in life, everything must come to an end at some point. Following the 2017-18 season with the Preds, Hartnell announced his retirement and began to venture into the broadcasting side of the game with the NHL Network, a natural fit for someone of his makeup - although, just like hockey, he's worked hard on his craft.

"I feel a lot more comfortable being a couple years in now than I was my first time on NHL Network. I was driving home thinking, 'I'm never coming back on TV ever again,'" Hartnell laughed "For a newbie like myself, I was so nervous and my heart rate was probably 180 my first couple questions that I answered.

"But with everybody in the business, everyone wants to see everyone succeed. And it's not like you're going against a teammate or a guy you hate. Everyone's on the same page, everyone's trying to share the information and all that kind of stuff, and I didn't really realize it was like that until being kind of immersed in it… It's all about reps, it's all about getting out there [and just doing it]."

In addition to his newfound television duties, Hartnell is also a father of two young children - son Wesley, who is 2 years old, and daughter Molly, born less than two months ago. Hartnell enjoys his gig in front of the cameras, but there's nothing better for him than being a dad.

"I love the baby stage, and it's so amazing just to see how cute they are and how much they rely on mom," Hartnell said. "I love my little baby snuggles and naps with them… But you have to have the patience, all that kind of stuff. Being a new dad, you've got to learn all that stuff. But [Wesley] loves to play hockey, loves to run and jump and all sorts of fun little activities, so we've had a great bonding time, especially in the last few months when we haven't left the house in 100 days or so."

Even when he's in dad mode, Hartnell still has hockey on the brain, especially with his role as an analyst. With that in mind, he was asked to give an opinion on his former teammate - and Predators captain - Roman Josi, a frontrunner for the Norris Trophy as the game's best blueliner.

And just as Hartnell did so many times throughout his career, he didn't hesitate to stick up for one of his teammates and friends.

"Oh, he is the best defenseman," Hartnell said of Josi. "He's the best defenseman in the NHL. I think he was trending that way the last few years, but he knows how he needs to play and he's probably the most dangerous guy in the Preds lineup… The way he flies away and finds his teammates, the way he can just pick pucks up, the way he shoots, he's unbelievable. I'm not trying to knock [fellow Norris candidate] John Carlson from Washington, but I think Roman is a better defensive player… I'd just give the tip of the cap to Roman…and he's the nicest human being that I've met in hockey."