NASHVILLE — David Poile held a gold hockey stick in his right hand while using his left to salute a standing ovation from the Bridgestone Arena crowd on Saturday.
The Nashville Predators were honoring their general manager moments before their game against the Philadelphia Flyers, recognizing his milestone of becoming the first NHL GM to reach 3,000 games.
In addition to the gift of the stick, the Predators played a tribute video for Poile that included congratulatory messages from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, two of the Predators owners (Herb Fritch and Tom Cigarran), and Predators president Sean Henry.
Some of those on hand, along with Poile’s family, included former Predators president Jack Diller, former Predators coach Barry Trotz, and former Predators assistant coach Brent Peterson.
“It kind of crept up on me,” Poile said of the milestone. “I’ve thought of a few games (from over the years), but what I’ve really thought about is all the people that I’ve worked with, everybody that’s meant something to my life, helped me along the way. You know I’m big on teamwork, I’m big on organization, I’m big on being inclusive to a lot of people. … So those are the biggest things, all the memories I’ve had over the 30 years.”
Poile is in his 41st consecutive season as an NHL general manager, making him the longest-tenured GM in League history. He is in his 26th season with the Predators, leading them since their inaugural season in 1998-99, after spending his first 15 seasons with the Washington Capitals, who hired him on Aug. 30, 1982.
Poile is the only general manager in NHL history to lead two different teams for over 1,000 games and 500 victories. He won his 1,320th game on March 1, 2018, against the Edmonton Oilers, making him the winningest GM in NHL history. Poile began Saturday seven wins shy of becoming the first general manager to reach 1,500 wins.
“The longevity that he’s been able to be in the league is really impressive,” Predators coach John Hynes said. “That 3,000 games is, I think, a testament to his ability to lead. I think also what strikes me being around him and getting to know him is just his passion for the job, his passion for the game, for the players.
“I could talk to him in the middle of July and it’s like you’re talking to him in December. He’s just so passionate about every aspect of the job. I think it’s a privilege that we all have an opportunity to be around him. “
Poile won the Lester Patrick Award in 2001 for his service to hockey in the United States, was named NHL General Manager of the Year in 2017 after the Predators advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time, and was inducted into the United States Hockey. Hall of Fame in 2018.
“It’s pretty easy getting up every day knowing I’ve got a full slate,” Poile said. “That just comes from the love of the game. My wife has said, when we first started dating at age 13 or 14, she asked me what I wanted to be and I told her a general manager. That’s all I ever wanted. I got the job I wanted, the only job I wanted for 40 years.”
.