“They were big parts of establishing hockey in Tennessee,” Predators GM Barry Trotz said. “You don’t know if it would’ve made it but two people that had an enormous impact on the game, on the NHL globally and especially in Nashville.”
Weber was Nashville’s first homegrown star and named captain July 8, 2010. His intimidating physical presence (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) and devastating slap shot routinely among the hardest in the NHL made him one of the most complete defensemen during his era. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for P.K. Subban on June 29, 2016, but Poile believes he deserves the honor of being the first player drafted by the Predators to enter the Hall of Fame.
“It’s not like baseball where you go in with a certain team, but I think we all know he’s going in as a Predator,” Poile said. “Obviously the captain of our team. He, along with (retired Predators goalie Pekka Rinne) are the best players ever in the history of our team. It’s meaningful, and it shows kind of the growth and progress of the franchise getting some recognition.”
