NHL playoffs: Nashville has been a smashing success for Predators Nashville Predators: The Making of Smashville (Sports) (English Edition) eBook : Bradford, Justin B., Weber, Pete: : Kindle StoreNashville may be the country music capital, but local hockey fans know it as Smashville. The Predators adopted their name from the bones of a saber-toothed tiger found beneath a local building. Craig Leipold first purchased the expansion rights in 1997, and... Nashville Predators Promotional Schedule Nashville Predators Introduce A Holiday Pop-up Experience My Smashville Account Nashville may be the country music capital, but local hockey fans know it as Smashville. The Predators adopted their name from the bones of a saber-toothed tiger found beneath a local building. Craig Leipold first purchased the expansion rights in 1997, and the team quickly built a loyal following. It won twenty-eight games in the inaugural season