The 2024-25 season will be Robin Lee’s 12th with the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena. Prior to joining the National Hockey League, Lee spent time working in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Women’s National Basketball Association. Lee currently oversees the Corporate Partnerships Service and Activation team which manages execution and fulfillment for each of the Predators corporate partnerships. During her tenure, Robin served six years on the Predators Employee Advisory Board - two years as a member and four years as President. The Employee Advisory Board, selected by the Preds Executive team, is a vital component of the Preds organization, creating a fun and inclusive workplace for employees. Lee also serves as one of four founders for the Preds DEI board, GUIDER (Growth, Understanding, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, and Representation). Since its launch in the summer of 2020, the Preds GUIDER platform has utilized Preds resources and relationships to build diversity within the Preds front office, create opportunities within youth sports, recognize minority-owned businesses and organizations, and further Bridgestone Arena’s goal towards creating a welcoming environment for patrons of all backgrounds. The Preds GUIDER platform received the Nashville Business Journal's "Leaders in Diversity" Award in 2023 and 2024. Lee was also named in Nashville Business Journal’s 2023 40 Under 40 list for her leadership and contributions to the community. Lee is a proud HBCU graduate of North Carolina Central University. When she is not at Bridgestone Arena, Lee enjoys spending time with her continuously growing family of 10.
The 2024-25 season will be Jack Burk’s 17th with the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena. Burk is the current Vice President of Corporate Partnership, overseeing all partnerships sales and service initiatives for the Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena, Ford Ice Center Antioch and Ford Ice Center Bellevue. Burk is a member of the Nashville Predators Foundation Board of Directors. Burk attended Denison University in Granville, Ohio, where he earned a liberal arts degree in English literature. Upon graduation, Burk began his career as an executive recruiter for Chicago-based executive search firm, Reilly Partners. After going on to perform executive search work for the NHLPA, Burk made a career transition into the sports and entertainment industry. Burk started with the Nashville Predators in the ticket sales department in 2008 and moved into the corporate partnerships department two years later. Following a series of progressively responsible corporate partnerships roles, Burk was promoted to his current role of Vice President in March 2020. Burk is a proud resident of Nashville, where he lives with his wife, Lindsay, and their two beautiful children, Brody and Blake.
2007-18: served as Director of Finance and Chief Operating Officer for Metro Nashville. Earlier career included positions as a newspaper reporter, attorney, and investment banker Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, State of Tennessee 1993-95
Deana Ivey serves as President and CEO for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and has been with the organization since 1997. She has helped oversee and coordinate the organization's marketing efforts as Nashville became a top global destination. The city's tourism industry has been at an all-time high with 16.8 million annual visitors and $10.77 billion in direct visitor spending, one-third of all visitor spending in Tennessee. Ms. Ivey has played a key role leading Nashville in branding itself around the world as Music City. Ms. Ivey's previous roles with the NCVC included President, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. She has been instrumental in creating and producing successful large annual concert events to market the city, including Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th and New Year's Eve in Nashville. She has been a co-producer and helped lead creation of two award-winning Nashville documentaries, as well as the Music City Walk of Fame. Ms. Ivey has been recognized as a Power 100 Trendsetter by the Nashville Business Journal and received their Women in Music award. In 2023, she was named one of the Nashville Post's Most Powerful Women and was featured in the In Charge 2024: Tourism edition. She also received a Women in Business award from Nashville Lifestyles and was ranked No. 7 among The Tennessean's Top 25 Most Influential Sports Figures. Ms. Ivey is a board member of the Academy of Country Music, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, Country Music Association, Music City Bowl, Nashville Sports Council, Nashville Zoo, Rhythms of the South and Tennessee Hospitality Association. Ms. Ivey is a member of the current class of Leadership Nashville and was a member of the 2015 Leadership Music class. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was a driving force behind the city's recovery as a key member of the Mayor's Hospitality Committee advocating on behalf of the tourism industry and as the chief architect behind the Good to Go health and safety program, in partnership with Vanderbilt Health and Ryman Hospitality Properties. She has served as an adjunct professor at Belmont University. Before her work in Nashville, Ms. Ivey had prior CEO-level experience leading the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, having served the tourism industry for ten years in both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and has completed master's work at the University of Tennessee and Western Kentucky. She and her husband Brian have a college-age son.
Sean Henry is entering his 15th season in SMASHVILLE and could not be more excited to launch the season, which is so full of optimism and levels of excitement that seem higher than they ever have been. The organization’s “relationships over revenue” philosophy has allowed the organization to have its highest client and fan retention levels in franchise history while also attracting key new partners and members of the SMASHVILLE Loyal. That philosophy has also allowed the franchise’s foundation to continue to grow and impact lives while leveraging the community’s passion for the team to mobilize the foundation and staff in support of the entire Middle Tennessee community in a more profound way than ever before, making that achievement greater than any other in his career. Henry is most grateful for that very community – all of SMASHVILLE, the SMASHVILLE Loyal, and the 7th Man – for creating such an amazingly unique bond with the Preds. Without their support, we would not have been recognized as Arena of the Year by Pollstar magazine, IEBA, CMA and ACM. Our fan support solidifies our constant spot as a Top Workplace by The Tennessean and as the No. 1 professional sports franchise by ESPN, and without their tireless dedication to this franchise and passion for all we aim to achieve, we would not be the organization we are today. Henry is proud to serve these incredible fans alongside the best employees in the industry to reach the ultimate goal. Our fans’ passion for our organization have allowed us to participate in countless league tent pole events, from the All-Star Game to the Winter Classic; to the Stadium Series to the Global Series – our fans have also made Bridgestone Arena the home for the SEC Championship and the CMA Awards! Alongside an annual impact of over $900 million in tangible economic benefits to the community, the memories built within and around Bridgestone offer an intangible and even more valuable impact than the growing success has created. The reach, power and passion of the amazing fan base continue to extend SMASHVILLE’s ripple effect in so many new ways. From the Nashville Predators Foundation and the Ford Ice Centers, to the rising media ratings and the venue’s status of one of the busiest venues in the world and to SS&E’s launch and the opening of F&M Bank Arena and the third Ford Ice Center, the borders of SMASHVILLE’s growth positively impact families and businesses across the region. SMASHVILLE continues to grow, reinforcing what an incredible hockey community we have. SS&E is celebrating the first anniversary of the F&M Bank Arena and consistently is involved to try to create new ice centers and Dek Hockey rinks through the community to join the existing Ford Ice Centers and the Lee Company Dek Hockey Rink in providing economic impact throughout SMASHVILLE while removing more and more boundaries for people to enjoy our wonderful sport. Henry is a graduate of the State University of New York, and was born a Nashvillian, although it took him 42 years to get here from his hometown of West Islip, NY. Before leading his favorite staff in SMASHVILLE, he served for 11 years as the Executive Vice President and COO of the Tampa Bay Lightning, two years as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Unity Motion and 14 years with Volume Services Inc., where he worked with the Detroit Pistons, St. Louis Rams and the Washington Redskins. Though much of his focus is spent moving the organization towards its ONEGOAL alongside the tireless and passionate SMASHVILLE staff, Henry is grateful for each day that he, along with his wife, Tracey, have the opportunity to serve on the boards of the Nashville Predators Foundation, Wings Of Liberty Museum, Nashville Health, The YWCA of Nashville, Nashville Downtown Partnership, Nashville Sports Council, Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt’s Advisory Board and STARS while also staying involved in their children’s schools, teams, and clubs. Henry has been fortunate to have enjoyed some wonderful milestones in his career, but his reigning (it is no longer given out, so the reign will continue!) Father of the Year Award is one that has no equal and one that would not be possible without the support and good humor of his wife of 33 years, Tracey Manning (a.k.a. the Suburban Diva), or his four children, one daughter in law and new granddaughter – Stevie, Katie, Matty, Amy, Jessie and ChaCha. How Henry managed to win this award despite his constant attempts to recreate the National Lampoon’s Vacation and repeated stories (all normally captured in the Diva’s writings), is his greatest achievement. The Henry family ranked those vacations and selected Yellowstone National Park as their top family vacation, though they hope future trips rival that. To memorialize their favorite trip, after years of owning stuffed bears ranging from small to life-sized, they adopted a real, live bear from the wildlife refuge center in the park to join their adopted dogs, Yogi, and Seymour.
Janet Miller has been a key player in Nashville's real estate and development community for over 30 years. She joined the Nashville office of Colliers as CEO and Market Leader in September of 2014, following 21 years of service as the Chief Economic Development Officer for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Miller is responsible for strategy, business and brand development, talent development, and all operations for the Colliers Nashville office. Colliers Nashville houses Nashville's largest commercial real estate brokerage team, with 41 brokers, and achieved a 2024 transaction volume of over $1.2 billion. In addition to her leadership of Colliers, Miller is also deeply involved in a wide range of community initiatives, including key leadership roles with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Leadership Nashville, and the Rotary Club of Nashville. In her role at the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Miller led the ten-county region's top agency for economic development, working with over 400 corporations on major job-creation projects during that time, including Asurion, HCA, Beretta, Mars Petcare, Nissan, Bridgestone, Dell, BNY Mellon, UBS, and numerous others. She currently also serves on the boards of Studio Bank and Delta Dental of Tennessee.
Freddie O'Connell is the tenth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Mayor O'Connell's administration is focused on two priorities: making the city more affordable and improving quality of life for everyone who lives in Nashville. In his first year, the O'Connell Administration secured overwhelming voter approval of dedicated funding for transportation for the first time in the history of Nashville and the State of Tennessee, delivered an East Bank developer agreement that achieved historic commitments to affordable housing, and worked with the Metro Council to pass a Capital Spending Plan and Operating Budget that prioritized investments in Nashville's best asset: it's people. O'Connell served on the Metro Council from 2015 to 2023 where he worked to limit the impact of poverty, strengthen neighborhoods, and ensuring everyone participates as Nashville's economy grows. Mayor O'Connell has experience in Nashville's software and start-up industry. He holds degrees in Music and Computer Science from Brown University. He and Dr. Whitney Boon, an attending child neurologist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, have two young daughters, Halley and Violet, who attend Metro Nashville Public Schools. The family shares their home with their adopted chorkie, Cocoa Bean.
Robert Johnson was named Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Bridgestone West in January 2025. In this role, he is responsible for leading the Finance and Business Services teams across Bridgestone West, which includes the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Johnson joined Bridgestone in 2016 as Executive Director of Finance for Bridgestone Retail Operations and progressed to be Executive Director of Finance for Bridgestone America’s Integrated Consumer Group two years later. In 2020, he was promoted to Vice President of Finance for the Americas Tire Group and Marketing function. Then, in 2021 he transitioned to the role of Vice President of Stores for Bridgestone Retail Operations, where he worked until being named Americas CFO in 2024. Prior to joining Bridgestone, he has held a series of increasingly large and complex Finance and Operations roles with leading companies including Advance Auto Parts, Best Buy and Lifepoint Health. He earned an undergraduate degree in finance and information systems from Belmont University in Nashville and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Michelle Kennedy joined the Predators in March 2008 as In-House Counsel. Kennedy, also a certified public accountant (CPA), accepted the additional charge of Chief Financial Officer for the Predators and Powers Management in 2010 while continuing to serve as the organization’s General Counsel. In 2017, Kennedy was named the organization’s Chief Operating Officer and in July 2023, Kennedy was named the organization’s President and an Alternate Governor, also retaining the role of Chief Operating Officer. Kennedy often has the opportunity to speak to groups about SMASHVILLE, Smashville Loyal, the 7th Man and the amazingly unique bond that all of those groups share with the Predators organization. Without their support, Bridgestone Arena would not have been recognized as Arena of the Year on multiple occasions by Pollstar magazine, IEBA, CMA and ACM. The same fan support and unique bond referenced above solidified the organization’s status as a Top Workplace in The Tennessean for the 12th consecutive year and also played a large role in the organization being named the No. 1 professional sports franchise by ESPN. “We are one of the busiest buildings in the world and we have earned our fair share of accolades, but we can always be better and that is what we strive for each day! It has been a tremendous privilege to be a part of this organization for the last 16 years and as good as it has been, I’m confident that the best is yet to come. We have evolved as an organization and are excited about what lies ahead, not only in Bridgestone Arena but at the Ford Ice Centers and the growing footprint of affiliates, with the introduction of SS&E in early 2021 and the opening of F&M Bank Arena in the summer of 2023. I look forward to kicking off this season… last season ended with a lot of optimism for the future and our activity during free agency increased that excitement immeasurably! This is going to be a special year in our organization’s pursuit of ONEGOAL – to be the No. 1 sports and entertainment venue in the United States with its centerpiece as the Stanley Cup Champion Nashville Predators hockey team.” Kennedy currently serves as the Chairman of the Nashville Predators Foundation; she, along with every player, coach and employee of this great organization embraces the commitment to give back to the community that has given so much to it over the years. Kennedy shares the organization’s belief that the work of the foundation is as integral to the mission of the organization as ice hockey and entertainment. “Our commitment to this community is second to none… we owe everything to them. Our fans and our community quite literally saved us from relocation in 2007; they are a huge part of this organization, and we look for ways every day to give back and show how proud we are to be a part of this community.” Kennedy began her career as an auditor at KPMG International, an advisory, audit and tax services company. After nearly five years in public accounting, she joined Vanderbilt University as an Associate Director of Athletics. For six years, she was responsible for oversight of the department’s business operations, including finance, ticket operations, facilities, game and event management, as well as oversight of marketing and corporate sponsorship activities. Kennedy continued to work in a consultative capacity for Vanderbilt while attending law school from 2004-07. Kennedy was recognized in 2024 as one of Nashville’s Most Powerful Women by Nashville Post and Nashville Scene and she was named a 2023 Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal. During the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kennedy was featured on NBC's female sports initiative platform, On Her Turf, in an episode of Hockey is for Her, which focused on women in and around the National Hockey League. Kennedy was also a speaker at the 14th Annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston in 2019. In addition to being named to the Sports Business Journal’s “Game Changers Class of 2018,” Kennedy was a finalist for Nashville Business Journal’s 2015 CFO of the Year and was featured in Nashville Lifestyles Magazine in the 2016 Top 10 “Women in Business” issue. She has been an adjunct professor at David Lipscomb University, is a former member of the board of Make-A-Wish of Middle Tennessee and currently serves on the boards of the Nashville Humane Association, the Nashville Police + Public Safety Alliance and the YWCA. Kennedy obtained a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Vanderbilt University in 1992 and a Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 2007. A native of Hawesville, Ky., Kennedy now resides in Nashville.
John Gromos is a Senior Vice President at Turner Construction Company where he has served in several roles since joining Turner in 2004. John graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
The 2024-25 season will be Kyle Clayton’s 17th season with the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena. In his role, Clayton is tasked with enhancing the fan experience by integrating seasonal feedback into building improvements. Each year, Bridgestone Arena's renovation initiatives are meticulously designed to enrich the experience for all visitors. Clayton's expertise in accounting and budget management has been instrumental in optimizing the impact of these projects. His team's extensive experience allows for the efficient completion of numerous initiatives within brief offseasons, all while accommodating a busy concert schedule that consistently ranks among the Top 10 in the U.S. for ticket sales. Additionally, Clayton oversees governmental affairs, including managing the organization's relationship with the Metro Sports Authority of Nashville and the Montgomery County Sports Authority. Clayton began his tenure with the organization in 2007 as an intern in the accounting department. After graduating from Tennessee Tech, he joined the team full-time in April 2008. Over the years, Clayton has held various roles within SMASHVILLE, including Staff Accountant, Senior Accountant, Assistant Director of Finance, Director of Financial Reporting, Senior Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations, and Senior Vice President of Operations. He currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer. Clayton is honored to contribute to his hometown team, which is recognized as the top franchise across all sports. Clayton, a Middle Tennessee native, resides in Thompson’s Station with his wife, Amanda, and children, Jackson, Noah and Charley.
Marc Farha is Co-CEO of CAA ICON, a division of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). CAA ICON is the world's-leading owner's representative and strategic management consulting firm for public and private sports and entertainment facility owners/operators, professional franchises, and leagues. With more than 65 sports, entertainment, and public assembly projects and over 2,500 consulting engagements, CAA ICON has managed the development of many of the most successful venues around the world, including 11 professional sports leagues totaling $45 billion. CAA ICON offers world-class service in the areas of feasibility and planning, project management, consulting, and beyond. Along with Co-CEO Charlie Thornton, Marc is responsible for guiding strategic direction and new initiatives for the company and leading its business development efforts. He has served public and private sector clients for more than 30 years and has proven to be one of the industry's leading experts in the design and delivery of sports facilities including New Nissan Stadium, future home to the Tennessee Titans, the renovation of Capital One Arena, an $800 million transformation to the Washington Wizards/Capitals arena, New Ryan Field, Northwestern University's new stadium, and Geodis Park, home of Nashville SC. Marc previously led project management teams for seven new arenas in CAA ICON's project portfolio: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York; Pegula Ice Arena at Penn State University; PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey; T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri; and Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Each of these arena projects opened on time and on budget under his leadership. Prior to joining ICON, Marc served as Director of Design and Construction on the $401 million Empower Field at Mile High stadium in Denver, Colorado, which serves as home to the Denver Broncos. He has a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Wichita State University
Since 2002, Adam Stover has worked as an interior designer at Populous, a global design firm that draws people together around the things they love. Today, Stover serve as a Senior Principal and Americas Regional Board member, working as a trusted advisor to teams in all major professional sports markets and my colleagues around the country. “It's been an honor of a lifetime to work alongside my colleagues to transform the standard of interior and premium spaces within sports facilities,” says Stover. “I actively seek out opportunities to unleash creativity, challenge the status quo and push our industry forward. This includes serving as Principal-in-Charge on projects for clients such as the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indiana Pacers, Nashville Predators and numerous others. “ Stover’s passion for design also allows him to give back. He’s honored to serve on several boards, including the interior architecture advisory board at my alma mater, Kansas State University. In addition, Stover loves collaborating with top universities, brands and organizations as a juror and frequent speaker on design and business topics.
Alex Townsend-Mitchell has been with the NHL since 2006, currently serving as Group VP, Club Finance & Venue Business. In that role, Alex has led the League's increased arena design and guest experience efforts with a major focus on Food & Beverage strategy and operations. Alex created the NHL's Food & Beverage reporting and surveying initiatives, which allows NHL Clubs to benchmark themselves against the rest of the league with a variety of data and insights. He orchestrates best practice sharing of Food & Beverage and Guest Experience content throughout the year, while working with the various NHL Club-facing operators to ensure high-quality service and reporting. He also is part of internal working groups that focus on data collection, reporting and best practices sharing for Premium Seating arena design.
The 2024-25 season will be Barry Trotz’s second as Nashville Predators general manager. Trotz, the Predators’ first-ever and winningest head coach, returned to Smashville as the franchise’s second general manager on July 1, 2023. During Trotz’s first season as Nashville’s general manager, the team posted a 47-30-5 record (99 points) and returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth time in the past 10 campaigns. With first-year head coach Andrew Brunette at the helm, the Predators were four points outside of a playoff position prior to recording a franchise-record 18-game point streak (16-0-2) from Feb. 17-March 26, earning a wild card spot in the postseason before falling to Vancouver in the First Round. Trotz was active during his first free agency window, inking “serial winners” Ryan O’Reilly, Gustav Nyquist and Luke Schenn to contracts. Those acquisitions paid dividends during the regular season – Nyquist (75 points) and O’Reilly (69 points) were joined by Filip Forsberg (94 points) on one of the NHL’s most effective top lines. Forsberg, who Trotz once coached in Nashville, set the franchise record for goals in a season with 48, and his 94 points were a career high. Captain Roman Josi earned a second-place finish for the Norris Trophy, tallying 85 points (23g-62a), and goaltender Juuse Saros went 35-24-5 en route to the fifth-most votes for the Vezina Trophy. In his second full offseason as general manager, Trotz executed an aggressive plan to improve the team even further, signing forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos and defenseman Brady Skjei to multi-year contracts. Heralded as one of the most important days in franchise history, July 1, 2024 saw the Predators add two 40-goal scorers and one of the NHL’s premier two-way defensemen. He also kept two important, home-grown talents in Nashville by signing Saros to an eight-year contract and defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a three-year deal. Trotz assumed the GM position following an illustrious NHL head coaching career that spanned 23 seasons and 1,812 games, the third-most in League history. His 914 wins are the third-most among head coaches in the NHL’s record books, with 557 of them coming with the Predators during his 15 seasons with the team from 1998-14. Trotz won a Stanley Cup in his fourth and final season as Washington Capitals head coach in 2017-18 and spent an additional four years in the same role with the New York Islanders, taking them to the Eastern Conference Final in back-to-back seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He is a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the League’s top coach, claiming his first 2015-16 with the Capitals and the second in 2018-19 with the Islanders; Trotz remains one of seven head coaches in NHL history to win the award multiple times. The longest tenured coach in Predators history, Trotz was hired by David Poile on Aug. 6, 1997, and achieved a 557-479-(60)-100 record in 1,196 games as the team’s bench boss, guiding Nashville to the postseason seven times. His time with the Predators was historic – he coached the second-most games with one franchise in NHL history, and his 557 wins with Nashville are the third-most by a head coach with a single organization in League lore. He gained notoriety for being a foundational piece of an organization that holds a reputation as being one of the NHL’s most consistent, thanks in part to his ability to guide the Predators during their initial seasons as an expansion franchise. He is one of just six coaches in the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB to have managed each of a team’s first 15 seasons of existence, and at the conclusion of his final campaign as Nashville’s head coach, was one of four in expansion-team history to have a record better than .500. Trotz led the franchise to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 2003-04, beginning an eight-year stretch in which the team qualified for the postseason on seven occasions. During this period, the Predators established themselves as one of the League’s premier franchises, reaching the 100-point mark four times, including a 110-point season in 2006-07, until 2017-18 the most in team history. Trotz was behind the bench for Nashville’s first-ever postseason series win – the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals against Anaheim – and followed it up by triumphing in another series the next season, taking down Detroit in the first round. He was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award in back-to-back seasons during this stretch, earning the nod in 2009-10 after leading Nashville to a 100-point season while having the NHL’s 28th-highest payroll, and in 2010-11 when he guided his team to the playoffs despite losing 348 man-games due to injury. Trotz also raked in the individual accolades following the 2006-07 campaign after guiding the Predators to the second-most points in the Western Conference and tied for the third-most points in the entire NHL, notching then-franchise records in points (110), wins (51), road wins (23) and goals (272) in the process. He was named 2007 Coach of the Year by The Sporting News, an honor determined through a vote of his peers, in addition to finishing fourth in Jack Adams voting and serving as an assistant coach for the Western Conference All-Stars at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game. The 62-year-old Dauphin, Man., native reached his goal of becoming an NHL head coach when he was hired by Poile in August 1997. After a year aggressively scouting talent in North America and Europe, Trotz and his staff made the most of their opportunity by leading the inaugural edition (1998-99) of the Predators to a 28-47-7 record. Starting with a 3-2 victory over Carolina on Oct. 13, 1998, the Predators’ 28 wins were, at the time, the third-most in expansion history. Following the 2013-14 season, his last with the Predators, Trotz took over as head coach of the Capitals, where he found instant success, leading them to a 101-point season in 2014-15 and a Presidents’ Trophy-winning 120-point campaign the next en route to winning his first Jack Adams Award. Just two seasons later, Trotz reached the pinnacle of the sport, guiding Washington to the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup title in a 4-2 series win over Vegas. He would take over as Islanders head coach the following season, where he again earned the Jack Adams Award after leading New York to a 48-27-7 record and a spot in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After his final campaign with the Islanders in 2021-22, Trotz held a career record of 914-670-(60)-168 and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 14 of his 23 seasons. Prior to joining the Predators, Trotz spent five seasons (1992-97) as the head coach of the Capitals' primary developmental affiliate in the American Hockey League. He was named head coach of the Baltimore Skipjacks in 1992 after one season as an assistant coach. Following the franchise’s relocation to Portland, Maine in 1993, he led the Portland Pirates to two Calder Cup Finals appearances over the next four seasons. In 1994-95, Trotz coached Portland to a Calder Cup Championship and a league-best 43-27-10 record and captured AHL Coach of the Year honors. In 2006, he was honored with election to the Pirates’ Hall of Fame. Trotz has also gained experience coaching on the international stage, serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship on four occasions, most recently at the 2013 tournament in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland. In 2003, he helped the Canadians strike gold in Finland, and in 2009 he helped guide Canada to a silver medal in Switzerland. The first time he answered the call for his nation came at the 2002 Championship in Sweden. He also helped Canada win the championship at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey while serving as an assistant. Trotz began his coaching career in 1984 as an assistant with the University of Manitoba. He then served two seasons (1985-87) as the head coach and general manager of the Dauphin Kings junior hockey club before returning to the University of Manitoba as the head coach in 1987. In January 2001, Trotz was inducted into the University's Hall of Fame. During the 1987 campaign, Trotz also served as a scout for the Spokane Chiefs (WHL) and a part-time scout for the Capitals. In 1988, he joined Washington as a full-time western scout, and the next season he became the Caps' chief western scout. Before coaching, Trotz played junior hockey for Regina (WHL) from 1979-83, capturing a WHL championship in 1979-80. The defenseman registered 102 points (19g-83a) and 490 penalty minutes in 204 games. During his initial tenure with the Predators, Trotz and his family were active in a variety of service and charitable initiatives in the Middle Tennessee community. This commitment was recognized when Trotz was honored with the Community Spirit Award (in recognition for community service) at the 2005 O’Charley’s Dinner of Champions, presented by the Nashville Sports Council. While he was the team’s head coach, the Trotz’s would donate $500 to My Friend’s House (a United Way agency) for each Nashville victory, with donations surpassing $260,000 in 2013-14. He was an active board member for Peterson for Parkinson’s Foundation, the Williamson County YMCA and the United Way, and continues to work closely with Best Buddies of Tennessee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Trotz and his wife, Kim, have four children: Shalan, Tyson, Tiana and Nolan.
The 2024-25 season will be Scott Nichol’s fourth as Nashville Predators Assistant General Manager, seventh as Milwaukee Admirals General Manager and 12th as Director of Player Development. Nichol manages the Predators’ primary developmental affiliate, the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, in addition to his role overseeing player development for the organization. A testament to Nichol’s proven track record of developing NHL talent, a total of 45 players who have skated for Milwaukee (and Chicago in 2020-21) since he became GM have also played in an NHL game for the Predators. The Admirals have been one of the AHL’s top teams over the past several seasons, qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs in each campaign the team has been eligible with Nichol as GM. In 2023-24, Milwaukee reached the Western Conference Final for the second consecutive season, finishing with a 47-22-2-1 (97 points). Nichol’s squad saw 30 players on NHL contracts hit the ice – including nine who also spent time with Nashville – and won the Central Division title before falling to Coachella Valley, 4-1, in the series before the Calder Cup Final. In 2022-23, Milwaukee reached the Western Conference Final, the furthest the club has gone in the postseason since 2005-06, on the heels of a 41-24-5-2 (89 points) regular season. After opting out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19, the Admirals returned to the AHL in 2021-22 and qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs, going 39-28-5-4 (87 points). In 2019-20, Nichol engineered a Milwaukee club that went 41-14-5-3 (90 points) and won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as AHL regular-season champions. Nichol hung up the skates and rejoined the Predators organization in May 2013 after completing a 20-season professional career that spanned from 1994-13. The Edmonton, Alta., native played four seasons with the Predators from 2005-09, posting 47 points (24g-23a) in 209 games. A veteran of 662 career NHL games, Nichol tallied 127 points (56g-71a) and 916 penalty minutes with Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Nashville, San Jose and St. Louis and scored a career-high 10 goals in 2007-08 with the Predators. Nichol also compiled 211 points (90g-121a) and 1,029 penalty minutes in 398 games at the American and International Hockey League level with Rochester, Detroit and Milwaukee. He helped the San Jose Sharks advance to back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 2010-11 and won the AHL’s Calder Cup with the Rochester Americans in 1996. Perennially one of the NHL’s top face-off men, Nichol led the NHL in face-off percentage in 2007-08 with Nashville and 2009-10 with San Jose. He also holds a Nashville franchise record for shorthanded goals in a game and period with two in the second frame of a 5-2 victory on Jan. 19, 2008 at St. Louis. Nichol and his wife, Christie, a florist, reside in Nashville and have three kids – sons Hayden and Foster and daughter Sophia. Hayden is a freshman on the Air Force hockey team; Foster is in his third season with the NAHL’s Shreveport Mudbugs; and Sophia is a senior at Ravenwood High School playing on the varsity lacrosse team. The family also has two dogs – Dolly, a Welsh terrier, and Lucy, a wire fox terrier.