Nashville Predators to host 2019 NWHL All-Star Game
Despite not having a team in the league themselves, the Nashville Predators will open up Bridgestone Arena for the NWHL All-Star game on February 10, 2019.
The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and the Nashville Predators announced a historic event taking place on February 19, 2019. The event will be a double-header featuring the Nashville Predators taking on the St. Louis Blues at 11:30 am CT, followed by the NWHL All-Star game at about 2:45pm.
According to the NWHL website, the All-Star game will have “two 25-minute halves, and each team will have 14 skaters and two goaltenders.” Captains for the two teams will be Shannon Szabados, goaltender for the Buffalo Beauts and 3-time Canadian Olympian, and gold-medal-winning defender Lee Stecklein of the Minnesota Whitecaps.
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In addition, the Preds’ Ford Ice Center will host the NWHL All-Star Skills Challenge on February 9, which will also include a hockey clinic for young girls enrolled in the Little Preds Learn to Play program.
The past two seasons, the NWHL has had their All-Star game at a neutral site, playing in Pittsburgh in 2017, and Minnesota in 2018. It has resulted in growing the women’s game and increasing viewership. For example, the All-Star game in Minnesota led to the NWHL adding the Minnesota Whitecaps as an expansion team.
Nashville Predators President and CEO, Sean Henry told the NWHL site that the advancement of hockey for women and girls in Middle Tennessee is an important mission for the organization. Henry also went on to describe his pride and honor to be able to host the event and put the spotlight on some of the best hockey players in the world.
It would be amazing to see an NWHL franchise come to Nashville, a la Minnesota Whitecaps. Being able to host an event like this to help grow the game in the area for women and girls is amazing in its own right, though, and we hope the event sees overwhelming attendance!