The big news surrounding the National Hockey League this weekend was supposed to involve Patrick Kane and/or Timo Meier. However, the Nashville Predators decided to take part of the spotlight with the latest news coming from them.
On Sunday, it was reported that David Poile is retiring from being the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. He has had this position with the Nashville Predators for 26 years which is the duration of the franchise’s existence.
In 2022-23, he became the first league GM to ever see 3000 games in that seat. Poile was with the Washington Capitals before the Predators came into the picture. There is no doubt that this has been an incredible career for him.
Barry Trotz is going to be his successor as the GM of the franchise. It is being reported that he is going to start getting to work now but his role as GM won’t come into place until the end of June. This is stunning news in the hockey world.
This season, he became the first GM in league history with 3,000 games as a manager, in Washington before Nashville. Incredible career, especially in building Tennessee hockey from a curiosity to an important NHL franchise.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 26, 2023
Barry Trotz is believed to be Poile’s successor. Starting work immediately…although not officially the GM until June 30
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 26, 2023
The Nashville Predators won’t have David Poile as the GM after 26 years.
Trotz was believed to get back into coaching, but this seems to be his new interest now. He is going to help the franchise that he coached for a long time try to get back to the top of the mountain.
As for Poile, he can end his career knowing that he played a key role in hockey for the state of Tennessee and specifically the great town of Nashville.
We all remember how amazing it was when they made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017. A lot of that was Poile’s doing. He made some big moves that included franchise icons like Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber, and David Legwand.
Some pretty special players were acquired over time by Poile, like Mike Fisher, P.K. Subban, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Johansen. As a result of these moves, this franchise is well respected across the hockey landscape while playing in a very untraditional market.
Things aren’t going as well for the Predators this year as they would like. They are still somewhat in the playoff mix but they are falling out of it quickly. It seems as if they are going to be sellers so they can hand the keys to Trotz in a good spot.
Again, this isn’t news you expected to see over the weekend, but it is the reality of the situation. Poile will always have the respect of those of us in the hockey world that know how successful he truly was.