Nashville, Tenn. (June 2, 2026) – Nashville Predators Chairman and Majority Owner Bill Haslam announced today that Chris MacFarland has been hired as President of Hockey Operations/General Manager. MacFarland replaces Barry Trotz, who transitions into an advisory role within the organization after announcing in February his intention to retire as general manager once his successor was identified. MacFarland becomes the third GM in Predators history and the second to hold the president of hockey operations title.
“We could not be more pleased that Chris has elected to join the Predators organization and lead our hockey operations group,” Haslam said. “We conducted an exhaustive search and were able to meet with several very qualified and impressive candidates, but all along, we were hopeful to interview Chris. He turned out to be a perfect fit for us – just what we were looking for to lead our organization moving forward.
“I’d like to thank the Colorado Avalanche, the Kroenke family and Joe Sakic for giving Chris permission to talk with us and for supporting his desire to make this move. I’d also like to thank the members of our search committee, those who expressed interest in joining the Predators in this role, and especially Barry Trotz for his work in positioning Chris for success. We appreciate everyone’s time and effort in this endeavor.”
MacFarland, 56 (3/28/70), joins the Predators organization after spending the previous 11 seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, including the past four as general manager. He worked with Sakic, the Avalanche’s president of hockey operations and Hockey Hall of Famer, to build the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team; Colorado has also made the playoffs in nine straight campaigns – tied for the longest active streak in the NHL – reaching the Western Conference Final this postseason. During his four-season tenure as Avalanche GM, which began in July 2022, Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2025-26, earned two Central Division titles, led the NHL in wins (205), scored the second-most goals per game (3.50) and allowed the fourth-fewest goals-against per game (2.75).
“My wife Chandra and I, together with our children, are grateful to Bill and Crissy Haslam and the entire Nashville Predators family for this opportunity,” MacFarland said. “We also thank everyone at the Avalanche, including Joe Sakic and the Kroenke family, for their support in pursuing this position with the Predators; I believe Nashville will be a great fit for me.
“I know this is a proud organization with a solid track record of putting together teams that the fans of Smashville support wholeheartedly. My goal here is to build a winner, working with Bill Haslam, Sean Henry and our hockey operations staff and players to put a team on the ice that will compete for the Stanley Cup. I am excited about our future.”
MacFarland earned his first career nod as a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award on May 12 after assembling an Avalanche squad that, in 2025-26, led the NHL in points with a franchise-record 121 (55-16-11 record) and reached the Western Conference Final. Building around a core featuring 2024 Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and two-time Norris Trophy recipient Cale Makar, he signed veteran defenseman Brent Burns in the offseason and inked center Brock Nelson to a three-year contract after acquiring him at the trade deadline the previous campaign. MacFarland then added to his roster, landing forwards Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy and defensemen Brett Kulak and Nick Blankenburg prior to the 2026 trade deadline. Consistently seeking to add to the organization’s depth at all positions, the 2025-26 version of the Avalanche saw 15 different players record at least 20 points – tied for the most among all NHL teams – and 11 different skaters score at least 10 goals.
MacFarland was initially hired by Colorado as an assistant general manager under Sakic in May 2015 and played a pivotal role in transforming the franchise into a perennial Stanley Cup contender over the past 11 years. After finishing last in the NHL in 2016-17, he helped guide Colorado to a Presidents’ Trophy in 2020-21 and the Stanley Cup the following season. The Avalanche used the draft to surround MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog with additional NHL All-Stars such as Mikko Rantanen (10th overall in 2015) and Makar (fourth overall in 2017) and blueliner Bowen Byram (fourth overall in 2019). MacFarland was part of Sakic’s management group that landed forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Devon Toews in trades and signed forward Valeri Nichushkin in free agency; all three won the Cup in 2022 on a roster that featured 20 players skate in postseason games after being acquired with MacFarland in the organization.
“As we considered the leader of our hockey future with the search committee, Chris’ name continued to rise to the top as a candidate we’d really like to focus on if we could,” Predators CEO Sean Henry said. “His background in Colorado, coupled with his extensive experience, makes him the perfect leader to propel our organization to new heights. He is a proven builder and winner and respected throughout the NHL. We extend a warm welcome to him in Smashville!”
As general manager of the Avalanche, MacFarland was aggressive in the trade market, further bolstering his team’s roster while also leading contract negotiations with several of the franchise’s cornerstone players. In addition to acquiring Nelson, Kadri and goaltenders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood, MacFarland also executed one of the largest trades in recent NHL history, adding Martin Necas and Jack Drury from Carolina in exchange for Rantanen, among other pieces, in January 2025. He also set Colorado up for long-term success by signing MacKinnon, Toews, Necas, Nelson, Nichushkin, Lehkonen and Blackwood – along with others on the Avalanche roster – to significant multi-year contracts while GM.
Prior to his time in Colorado, MacFarland spent 16 years (1999-15) in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ hockey operations department, working his way from manager of hockey operations to assistant general manager.
The Nanuet, N.Y., native played collegiate hockey at Pace University, where he earned a business degree in 1992 and graduated from its law school in 1998. His stops prior to joining the Blue Jackets included a spell as an intern for the NHL’s office in New York and with NHL Productions. He additionally serves on the USA Hockey Men’s National Team Advisory Group alongside several other American-born NHL general managers.
MacFarland and his wife, Chandra, have four children – sons Jake, Gavin and Sawyer, and a daughter, Cara.
As MacFarland assumes control of the Predators’ hockey operations department, Trotz transitions into an advisory role following a three-season tenure as the team’s general manager. Trotz modernized the franchise’s hockey operations department while creating organizational depth, one of the NHL’s top prospect pools and holding 33 selections over the next three NHL Drafts. Perhaps the most recognizable figure in Nashville’s hockey history, Trotz spent 15 seasons as the Predators’ first-ever head coach (1998-14) and is fifth in NHL history in games coached (1,812) and wins (914).
“I am pleased to welcome ‘C-Mac’ to the Predators organization, and I pledge to help him fulfill his vision in any way that I can for the next year,” Trotz said. “Chris is a great competitor and one of the best in the business – I know he is going to do an excellent job leading our hockey operations group, and I look forward to assisting him as we move forward. Since making my announcement this past February, I have been working with a focus on turning the team over to our new general manager in the best possible position to achieve success, and I am confident that Chris has the tools necessary to build a winner here in Nashville.”
The Predators’ hockey operations department – now led by MacFarland – remains focused on the upcoming key dates on the NHL’s calendar, including the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine (June 1-6 in Buffalo); 2026 NHL Draft (June 26-27 in Buffalo); Nashville’s annual development camp (June 28-July 3); and the start of free agency (July 1).
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