How do you make the transition from Music City to Hockey City? Well, a good start is to make Ryan Johansen the mayor. Even if it’s just for a day, a member of the Preds’ is the mayor. But, Nashville hasn’t stopped there!
Here’s a list of other things they’ve done to prove they’re a hockey city:
- Start calling yourself #Smashville
- Make a player the mayor
- Rename 5th Avenue to Predators Way
- Have 50,000 people show up to watch the game on TV
- Declare June 5th “Preds Pride Day”
- Throw a dead catfish on the ice
Jesus, Nashville… or should I say, #Smashville? Those are some power moves. If anyone was wondering, Nashville clearly loves hockey. Move over Taylor Swift, this town belongs to Ryan Johansen now.
There we go. #PredsPride #StandWithUs pic.twitter.com/zeWUb2Aj5Y
— Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) June 5, 2017
Stay woke on this: Nashville loves hockey so much that they made Johansen mayor, even though he hasn’t played in the playoffs. That’s dedication and true fandom right there.
Fox17.com: “Mayor Megan Barry has officially declared June 5 as “Preds Pride Day.” For the inaugural celebration, Barry made injured Preds Center Ryan Johansen mayor for a day.
“I’m really excited – what a cool opportunity and tremendous honor,” Johansen said. “It’s great that they thought about having a Predator out to do something like this and celebrate our team. I’m just going to soak in the experience and really enjoy the experience of being Honorary Mayor.”
“The Predators might not have made it to the Stanley Cup Final if not for Ryan Johansen’s skill and leadership on the ice,” Barry said. “Even though he’s been sidelined by his injury, we all want Ryan to know that the entire city has great admiration for him both on and off the ice.”
The Honorable Mayor Ryan Johansen is going to be hard to fit on the back of a jersey. Just saying.
We talk NHL Finals and the Predators in this week’s podcast…