Predators' Roman Josi to Hit Career Milestone vs. Senators

Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi has been around the block quite a few times throughout his NHL career.

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft, Josi has been one of the steadiest defenders Nashville has ever seen. Through thick and thin, he has always been a stalwart defenseman for the Predators. Now, it all culminates in him playing his 1,000th career NHL game tonight versus the Ottawa Senators, a feat and milestone that showcases just how important Josi is to Nashville’s hockey operation.

“It feels like a long time ago, but it doesn’t,” Josi, a native of Switzerland and a key figure on the Swiss national team for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, said. “I feel like time flew by. Just to be able to be here for that long, I definitely never dreamed of playing 1,000 games and never dreamed of playing 1,000 games for the same team. This place means so much to me. I started my family here, had my kids here. So many great memories on the ice and with the organization. Just amazing memories, and I am definitely very grateful that I got the trust from the organization and everyone just to be here for that long.”

Josi is set to become the first player in Predators franchise history to have appeared in 1,000 games in a Nashville sweater. If it were to be anybody, Josi was most assuredly the man destined to do it.

Josi Is a Nashville Legend Through and Through

Jan 13, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) celebrates the game winning goal with his teammates against the Edmonton Oilers during the overtime period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

At 35 years old, the peak of Josi’s career is probably long gone. It has been two seasons since his fantastic 2023-24 campaign, which saw him score 23 goals and total 85 points. Furthermore, it has been six seasons since he won the Norris Trophy, the award given to the league’s top defenseman, at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. That’s not to say he hasn’t had quality seasons in the meantime, but his production — thanks to some unfortunate injuries, including an upper-body ailment that kept him out of the final 25 games of last season — is definitely waning.

Still, his importance to the Predators cannot be overstated. He has spent his entire career in Nashville, appearing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on 10 occasions, including a deep run in 2017 that saw the team ultimately fall to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final. It was that playoff run that saw Josi, at just 26 years old, deliver 14 points — six goals and eight assists — over 22 games, including one game-winning tally. After that, he solidified himself as a Nashville legend.

So tonight, when Josi puts on his skates and pulls on his Predators uniform, he will be making history. He will also showcase to Nashville, the state of Tennessee, and the greater hockey world that sometimes loyalty does pay off. Even without a Stanley Cup to his name, the memories the city and his team have with him will never be forgotten.

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