The Nashville Predators are a what is called a Small-Market team, (Although that market is growing by leaps and bounds!) Since their inception, and especially in the past ten years or so, the Preds have shown just what it takes to make hockey fans where there were none before.
When the Nashville Predators were awarded an NHL Franchise to begin the 1998 season, there were outcries from Canadian and Original Six markets about the viability of “Southern” or non-traditional market hockey.
The Atlanta Flames had already relocated to Calgary back in 1980 and there were real doubts that a team could flourish in the deep South.