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For the past two decades or so, USA Hockey has held their annual winter meetings in Florida - and why not?

Sunshine always seems to feel better in January when most of the attendees are coming from freezing locales. But change can be good sometimes, and as the governing body for hockey in the United States began to discuss other options, they had a few questions in mind.

“Our volunteer leadership just thought, ‘Let’s go somewhere else,’” USA Hockey Senior Director of Communications Dave Fischer said. “Where else can we go? What’s a fun city? What’s a hockey city?”

Ask those questions 25 years ago - especially the latter - and Nashville may not have been on the list. But now? Those who live in Music City and cheer on the Preds know this is, in fact, a hockey town, and everyone else in the sport continues to realize it, too.

So, Fischer and about 400 volunteers across the sport have descended on Middle Tennessee - and will do so for the next three years - to hold their annual meetings in a place that simply loves the game.

“When you think about the evolution of what the Predators have meant to the sport since they arrived in 1998 and how that fits in with the core mission of USA Hockey - continue to grow and share the sport with people - Nashville has done that so well,” Fischer said.

Those meetings, which are used to discuss everything from the foundation of youth hockey in the United States, as well as adult hockey, disabled hockey, coaching, officiating, safety and so much more, are a must for the organization.

And it’s the ideas that are spawned there and implemented at the grassroots levels that lead to successes around the world - like the U.S. capturing their second straight Gold medal at the World Junior Championship two weeks ago, with Preds prospect Teddy Stiga scoring the winner in overtime.

“USA Hockey is a volunteer-led organization - all the volunteers and youth programs all across the country, that infrastructure - I don't think we can overlook that,” Fischer said. “But hopefully all the people in youth hockey across the country celebrate the success of our National Team, obviously at the World Juniors, and then the great system we have in place where kids can come up on the boys side through the USHL or North American League, then can move along to college hockey and then the National Hockey League.

“The great thing now is if we don't win a Gold medal in any tournament we play in, you feel let down,” Fischer said. “I give credit to our friends up north, maybe a Canadian way of thinking, and they probably still think that way, but we feel that way now. And that’s a guy like David Poile having a big influence on helping fuel the success of USA Hockey.”

The winningest general manager in NHL history - and now a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame - Poile was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame back in 2018 when they held the ceremony in, you guessed it, Nashville for the first time.

While serving as general manager of the Predators for a quarter of a century, Poile was also involved with his home country’s governing body helping to serve on the Hall of Fame Selection Committee and the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group. He brought an NHL influence combined with his tireless work ethic and seemingly endless knowledge of the game - and how to make things better.

“His influence is everywhere,” Fischer said of Poile. “He’s just a really great human being that cares about the betterment of the sport.”

And on Friday, someone who has benefited from Poile’s tutelage over the years became the next Preds executive to be tapped by USA Hockey.

Predators Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting Jeff Kealty was named as the General Manager for the 2025 U.S. Men’s National Team that will compete at the 2025 IIHF World Championship this coming May in Denmark and Sweden. A native of Massachusetts, Kealty is in his 24th season with the Preds, and as anyone in sports would attest to, the opportunity to represent a home country is too good to pass up.

Kealty will also do so with a nod to his NHL club as well, just one more accolade for a franchise whose reach goes far beyond the Volunteer State.

But back home in Nashville? That’s just where the game of hockey continues to thrive.

“When I was growing up, it was the three M’s - Minnesota, Massachusetts and Michigan,” Fischer said of the states where hockey was king. “And they are still prominent, obviously, but I'll never forget watching the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 and what was going on outside here on Broadway and just going, ‘Wow.’ It just brought tears of joy to my eyes.”

An American boy won't make it to the NHL, nor will an American girl find her way to the PWHL, the collegiate ranks or perhaps an Olympic squad - without first learning how to play with the help of USA Hockey.

The journey begins at a hometown rink - perhaps at one of the Ford Ice Centers around Nashville. And the dedication of players, coaches, volunteers and the like on those sheets of ice?

That’s what makes the game of hockey - and a child’s wildest dreams - possible.

"Hockey is the greatest sport in the world because there's fun, passionate people involved,” Fischer said. “A team sport like hockey teaches so many great life lessons. We always use the example of a little kid learning to skate - stand up, fall down. Get up, fall down. As long as you keep going, that’s life right there, no matter what age you are.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities within the USA Hockey organization, visit USAHockey.com.