The Nashville Predators' success this postseason could not have come at a better time for the NHL and the Vegas Golden Knights. This run to the Stanley Cup Final has put Nashville on the map as a legitimate hockey market, even though attendance has never been a major issue - with the exception of a few seasons - in the Predators' existence.
Though they're by no means the same city, Nashville and Las Vegas have some striking similarities that should ease some of the concerns people have about Sin City's ability to support an NHL team.
Untapped market
Just like the Predators in 1998, the Golden Knights will be entering an untapped professional sports market. There's no NBA or MLB team in either city, and while the NFL's Tennessee Titans also moved to Nashville full time in 1998, the Golden Knights won't have to worry about the Raiders moving to Vegas until 2019 or 2020.
The Golden Knights will therefore have a nice head start on their local NFL counterpart when it comes to building a fan base in the city - something the Predators didn't have the luxury of when they started out.
Downtown arena
This is perhaps the most important similarity between the two. If Nashville's Bridgestone Arena wasn't located in the city's downtown core, there's a chance "Smashville" doesn't even exist. Lacking a downtown arena is a major reason teams such as Ottawa, Arizona, and Florida struggle to sell out.
In addition to increased attendance, having a downtown arena can affect a city's culture. Crowds pile outside of the building to take part in festivities and watch the game on the big screen during the playoffs, and you can bet Vegas will have something similar if the Golden Knights ever make noise in the postseason.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Desirable tourist destination
After seeing the ongoing party in the streets during the Stanley Cup Final - and the atmosphere in the arena - it's safe to say that seeing an NHL game in Nashville is on just about every hockey fan's bucket list.
If Vegas can follow suit, even with half the crowd energy, it will be a desirable tourist destination for hockey fans, especially given the abundance of other entertainment the city has to offer.
Just win, baby
Party atmosphere aside, Music City's continent-wide surge in popularity is because of one thing: winning.
Like almost all expansion teams, the Predators struggled in the early going, failing to make the playoffs in each of their first five seasons. However, they kept the fan base interested by eventually reeling off a run of seven playoff appearances in eight seasons. Sustained success after the "new-team shine" wears off is crucial for any young franchise.
However, perhaps the biggest takeaway from Nashville's success for Golden Knights owner Bill Foley is the importance of stability within an organization. David Poile has been the Predators' only general manager, and Peter Laviolette is just the second head coach in the club's history. George McPhee and Gerard Gallant are in it for the long haul in Vegas, and they need to receive the proper amount of slack to figure it out - just like Poile and Barry Trotz did.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.