Welcome to Nashville Predators On SI!
This will come across as being a little strange, but in a way I’ve been on the other side for most of my life. It wasn’t by design, or on purpose, that’s just kind of how things worked out. However, I’m glad to say that’s no longer the case.
Let me explain.
My name is Christpher Walsh. I’ve been a journalist since I graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1990 with a degree in pollical science and history, and a very deep and passionate interest in sports, especially hockey.
My first job was as a clerk with the News-Press in Fort Myers, Fla., and only because the part-time guy who was leaving introduced me to his boss and put in a good word for me. He was a Sabres fan, and the sports editor was a diehard Penguins fan. We got along great.
As I worked my way up, they started calling me “Mr. Hockey.” In 1992, when the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning became reality, I not only enthusiastically embraced it, but pushed our coverage even though I was essentially living in a shack on the beach. I was there for the inaugural game against the Blackhawks and Ed Belfour, Manon Rhéaume’s preseason appearance against the Blues, and the first playoff series against the Flyers.
Some of it was good enough to prove that I had some potential, I guess, and I kept getting promoted, all the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat. It was around that time the Nashville Predators were officially granted a franchise along with the team for my original hometown, the Minnesota Wild. The new arena in St. Paul was about a 15-minute drive from where I grew up.
You see, I wasn’t just a hockey fan, but a self-described hockey freak. Yet I kept it at arm’s length while trying to promote my career.
In 1998, I moved to Phoenix to primarily cover the NFL Cardinals and MLB Arizona Diamondbacks, but I also covered every Coyotes game I could. There were many nights in which I was writing about football practice while in the media rows at American West Arena.
My career did turn due to ice, but in a different way due to frozen tundra. While covering the Green Bay Packers, and started writing books (26 published so far), I’d sneak over to the Twin Cities to catch a game every once in a while, or the Frozen Four. From there I gave college sports a try, thinking I would only be in Alabama for a couple of years, only Nick Saban was hired. Needless to say, I stuck around.
He’s a part-owner of the Predators now, so let’s not dwell.
Meanwhile, with Tuscaloosa in the NHL TV region, I’ve seen a ton of Predators games over the last two decades. It’s been amazing to watch the franchise grow with an impartial eye, and elevate its standing, plus there’s that whole run to the Stanley Cup Finals that fans are still buzzing about.
So I know where you’ve been, and I know where we’re going.
In 2009, I left the newspaper world and joined my first online news outlet, and in 2018 decided it was time to be my own boss. I created BamaCentral as a haven for good reporters and good writing, and through affiliation agreements wound up being a key contributor to On SI (with Sports Illustrated). We started branching out a few years ago, taking on more sites, mostly in the college ranks, and one of them that I specifically asked for in 2024 was the Vanderbilt Commodores. The network hadn’t been able to get much traction with it, and I wanted the challenge. We’ve been nothing but thrilled with our progress and our team of writers there.
Consequently, to make a long story a little bit shorter, when the decision was recently made to add NHL teams sites to the On SI network, I immediately lobbied for Smashville, a franchise like none other, and here we are!
With that, some promises:
First, we’re going to work our tails off. We’re also going to have the most fun.
Second, we want to provide something unique in hockey coverage. Our aim is simple, to be the best news outlet online regarding this franchise, but our goal is to make it your home for all things Preds.
Third, we are going to embrace the Predators' history and not pretend the past is only in the past. The franchise is about to turn 30 and there’s a lot that happened in three decades. In addition to looking forward to next season, we’re going to quickly start a series on what happened to all the players Nashville drafted over the years, and sometime soon we’ll be adding more sections to the site.
Finally, we want you to please check us out and keep coming back, but we also want to hear from you. The easiest way to do that is to post a message on Facebook or drop us a line on social media. You’ll recognized the name, Music City Hockey, and like the team we’re covering, we’re starting from scratch and building our way up. Hopefully you’ll join us.
Thank you!
Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram for the latest news.
Christopher Walsh is the publisher of Nashville Predators On SI. He's also the founder of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and the publisher of Boston Bruins On SI, along with the Boston College Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, and Vanderbilt Commodores sites. The longstanding sports writer is the author of 26 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.