Longtime hockey fan, and especially a fan of the Nashville Predators, Dierks Bentley couldn’t be more thrilled that the NHL team is heading into Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues Wednesday night (April 26th). Dierks was in attendance with thousands of Preds fans — including Vince Gill, Luke Bryan who sang the National Anthem and Carrie Underwood, who’s married to Preds captain Mike Fisher – when they won Round 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0.
I don't think we should take all the credit but I will say once @lukebryan and I put these hats on the @nhlpreds s… https://t.co/z9nTu71xDz pic.twitter.com/vrPj9toKyy
— Dierks Bentley (@DierksBentley) April 21, 2017
“Nashville is just on fire right now, and what I think is so cool about the Predators is it’s a young team, [and] the energy in that building [Bridgestone Arena] is just, this energy of youthful exuberance, excitement, you know? Nothing against Chicago or teams we’ve played before or will play, but we’re an expansion team and it wasn’t that long ago when even the players were donating salary and money to buy tickets to keep the team here,” says Dierks.
“Just to watch the team grow over the last five, six years and even when we’re playing a team like the Blackhawks, it used to be half and half – red jerseys and gold jerseys. It’s all gold. It’s all hardcore Predators fans, and to move on now to the [St. Louis] Blues and with every game they win, it just grows more, hockey just grows more and more exciting in this town. More people come check it out. You know, we’ve got the greatest location for an arena right there downtown. It’s just so fun to be part of that energy and this moment for the Preds. So, hopefully, they can keep it going on. It feels like they’re really got a good thing going.”
Dierks has been a hockey fan for a very long time, even suiting up to play pick-up games or practice with professional teams before his shows, as well as playing in the NHL All-Star game last year. He has even been part of a local Nashville hockey team named the Iceholes.
The Arizona native is closing in on the Top 5 on the country charts with his latest single, “Black,” the title track of his current album.
Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about the Nashville Predators as they enter the second series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues.
DownloadDierks Bentley (Nashville Predators) OC: …thing going. :58
“You know, Nashville is just on fire right now, and what I think is so cool about the Predators is it’s a young team, [and] the energy in that building [Bridgestone Arena] is just, this energy of youthful exuberance, excitement, you know? Nothing against Chicago or teams we’ve played before or will play, but we’re an expansion team and it wasn’t that long ago when even the players were donating salary and money to buy tickets to keep the team here. Just to watch the team grow over the last five, six years and even when we’re playing a team like the Blackhawks, it used to be half and half – red jerseys and gold jerseys. It’s all gold. It’s all hardcore Predators fans, and to move on now to the [St. Louis] Blues and with every game they win, it just grows more, hockey just grows more and more exciting in this town. More people come check it out. You know, we’ve got the greatest location for an arena right there downtown. It’s just so fun to be part of that energy and this moment for the Preds. So, hopefully, they can keep it going on. It feels like they’re really got a good thing going.”
