This Month in Preds Franchise History: August

August is traditionally the quietest month in the hockey world, but the Predators have still had their share of notable milestones in the dog days of summer over the years.
In addition to playing their first games ever in the month of August just a few weeks ago, a number of notable individuals have joined - or extended their stay - in Smashville in the past two-plus decades.
As the final full month of summer comes to a close, take a look back on the franchise's August timeline.

August, 1971: Saber-Toothed Tiger Bones Discovered in Nashville
Those who found the fang and bone couldn't have imagined the impact their discovery would have on an NHL franchise a quarter of a century later, but the first August moment in Predators history, it could be argued, came all the way back in 1971.
In May of 1971, excavation began at the downtown Nashville site of what today is the 28-story UBS Tower (formerly First American Center). Construction workers drilled through 20 feet of solid rock before coming to a soft muddy area. Further digging revealed a cave containing the nine-inch fang and a foreleg bone of a saber-toothed tiger, extinct for at least 10,000 years.
Radiocarbon tests on the specimen revealed that it could have possibly been one of the last of its breed to exist. Scientists believe that sometime during the last glacial period (15,000-80,000 years ago) part of the cave was the den of the saber-toothed tiger. The discovery, made in August 1971, marked only the fifth of its kind in North America. The cave, located beneath the building, is preserved under concrete for historic and educational purposes.
The Predators unveiled their logo, a saber-toothed tiger, in Nashville's downtown First American Center on Sept. 25, 1997, 26 years after a fang and foreleg bone of a saber-toothed tiger were found in a cave just below the building's address.

August 6, 1997: Trotz Named Nashville's First Head Coach
Barry Trotz was named as the first head coach in Nashville Predators franchise history in August of 1997, more than a year before the Preds were set to play their inaugural game. Trotz stood behind the Nashville bench for the club's first 15 seasons, amassing 557 wins over 1,196 games, with both numbers ranking third all-time with a single franchise.
The former Preds bench boss was nominated for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach in both 2010 and 2011. The Dauphin, Manitoba, native served as an assistant coach for the Western Conference All-Stars at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game and was named the 2006-07 Sporting News NHL Coach of the Year.
Trotz won the Stanley Cup in 2018 as head coach of the Washington Capitals and is currently the head coach of the New York Islanders.

August 5, 2005: Kariya Signs Deal with Preds
The Predators announced the signing of forward Paul Kariya on Aug. 5, 2005, the most prominent player - at the time - to ever sign with Nashville through free agency. Kariya spent two seasons in Music City, scoring 55 goals and 161 points, skating in all 82 games on both occasions. His total of 31 goals during the 2005-06 season is tied for the third highest goal total in a single season in team history, while his 54 assists and 85 points during the same campaign are single season franchise records.

August 6, 2005: Nichol Begins First of Two Stints with Nashville
The Predators signed free-agent forward Scott Nichol in early August of 2005. The Edmonton, Alberta native, spent four seasons as a player in Nashville from 2005-09, tallying 47 points in 209 games. Nichol led the League in face-off efficiency in 2007-08 with Nashville and he also shares a Nashville franchise record for shorthanded goals in a game/period with two in the second period of a 5-2 victory at St. Louis on Jan. 19, 2008.
Soon after retiring as a player, Nichol joined the Predators once more, this time stepping into the front office. Not only is he Nashville's director of player development, but Nichol also holds the title of general manager of the Milwaukee Admirals, the top developmental affiliate of the Preds.
Nichol is set to enter his third season as GM of the Ads and eighth as the Predators director of player development in 2020-21. During Nichol's seven seasons of guidance in his player development role, he has helped players such as Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Colton Sissons and Austin Watson secure full-time spots in the NHL.

August 29, 2006: Dumont Signs with Preds
After establishing himself as a productive winger with the Buffalo Sabres, J-P Dumont signed a two-year deal with the Predators in August of 2006 and enjoyed the most successful seasons of his career in Nashville. Dumont posted a career-high 29 goals and 72 points in the 2007-08 campaign with the Preds and skated a total of five seasons with the club to conclude his NHL career.
Dumont's 72-point season is still tied for the third-highest single-season total in franchise history, and the Montreal native holds the top three Nashville records for assists by a right wing in a single season with 49, 45 and 43, respectively.

August 8, 2010: Henry Becomes President of the Predators
The Predators appointed a new senior management team with the addition of Sean Henry as President and COO in 2010. Henry, known on Twitter as the "Predsident," has guided the franchise to unprecedented success over the past decade, and he continues to help lead that momentum off the ice for the organization.
The most recent highlight of Henry's career is the successful approval by Metro Nashville Sports Authority of a new lease, which ensures that Nashville's team, the Nashville Predators, will remain at Bridgestone Arena through the year 2049. Most importantly, the new lease eliminates the Metro Davidson County General Fund's support and relieves local taxpayers of any financial responsibility for Bridgestone Arena and the Predators by utilizing existing in-arena revenue streams to maintain, improve and expand the building.
Since the last agreement in 2012, the growth of the franchise and arena serve as testaments to a strong model of public-private partnership. As a result of this partnership and a community-wide embrace of the Predators, the creation of projects like the Ford Ice Centers in Antioch and Bellevue have and will continue to spark economic development and growth in communities throughout Tennessee.
In addition to President, Henry is now the CEO of the Predators and Bridgestone Arena, consistently one of the busiest sports and entertainment venues in the world.

August 9, 2018: Poile Named to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2018
The winningest general manager in NHL history - and the only GM the Predators have ever had - David Poile's longstanding support and commitment to hockey in the United States was etched in history with his nomination to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018. Surrounded by friends and family, he was formally inducted at a ceremony held on Dec. 12, 2018 at the JW Marriott in Nashville.
Poile was joined by Gordon "Red" Berenson, Natalie Darwitz, Leland "Hago" Harrington and Paul Stewart in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2018.

August 14, 2018: Ellis Signs Eight-Year Contract to Remain with Predators
The Predators locked one of the most important pieces of their core up long term in August of 2018 when Associate Captain Ryan Ellis inked an eight-year, $50 million contract to keep him in Nashville through the 2026-27 season.
"Ryan is a huge part of our team on and off the ice and we are happy to have his leadership remain in our locker room for the foreseeable future," Preds GM David Poile said at the time. "We have talked about wanting to keep the core of our team together, and this is another opportunity to help us do so, while continuing to compete for a Stanley Cup. Ryan is entering his prime and is one of the reasons why we feel this team has a chance to win every time we step on the ice."
Ellis skated in all 82 games during the 2018-19 season and set career-highs with 34 assists and 41 points. In just 49 contests in the 2019-20 campaign, Ellis tallied eight goals and 38 points and alongside Predators Captain Roman Josi, made up arguably the top defensive pair in the NHL.