When Roman Josi takes the ice for the Nashville Predators against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 22, he will join an exclusive club.
The 414th player to skate in at least 1,000 games, the 83rd player to do so with a single franchise, and the first ever to do so with Nashville.
“He’s been the face of the franchise for so long, for him to get to 1,000 games is just awesome,” Ryan O’Reilly said on Jan. 19.
O’Reilly should know. In 2023, he skated in his 1,000th NHL game as a member of the Predators after signing with Nashville that summer. Luke Schenn (2024), Mike Fisher (2016), Mike Ribeiro (2016), Jason Arnott (2008), and Cliff Ronning (2002) also celebrated the milestone with Nashville.
But the 35-year-old, whose career began in 2011 three years after being taken No. 38 overall in the 2008 draft, will reach a milestone that is as much about the franchise as it is about the player. The first 1,000 games played all in a Predators sweater.
The Tennesseean asked Josi’s teammates to describe their captain’s impact on the Predators and the city. Here’s what they said.
“Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne, and Roman Josi. I think he’s right up there with those two other guys. He’s cemented in this community. But the biggest thing for me is just the human he is. He’s a really great person, a great role model, and someone to look up to. He’s not the most vocal leader I’ve had, but the way he plays and the way he carries himself really speaks a lot about about him as a person.”
“From the year and a half that I’ve been here, it’s pretty evident he’s a face of the franchise. When you think of the Predators’ uniform, he’s probably the first guy that comes to mind. An outstanding player and just one of the nicest humans I’ve met in my time in this league. The personality that he has and how he’s so open to everyone. I know that helped me a lot coming in here last year. He’s got a ton more hockey left in him, too. Just the way he goes about it, the professional that he is, he’s just a tremendous player and a tremendous person.”
“For the last decade, when you think of the Predators, you think of Roman Josi… He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and still a leader. A thousand games is obviously incredible and he’s done so much for this organization and the city too, growing the game here. Making it into the hockey town that it is.”
“What he’s done for this franchise, he’s been the best player for a long time. Great in the community. … (Josi and his wife Ellie) have both been amazing for me and my wife. I’m sure every new guy can say the same thing. It’s important to have a leader like that, he was welcoming and that was huge for me. He was probably one of the first guys to call me when I signed here. I love playing with him.”
“He’s had a great impact on the organization. He’s been a leader and a very amazing human being. I’d put him right there with (Rinne) and (Weber) as the staples of this organization in the city. And he’s been a big part of how the Predators have evolved over the years to become a great organization.”
“Ever since I got here, he’s been a friendly face to have around. Super welcoming to me and all the young guys. That’s the kind of stuff you remember. You see the way he interacts with new teammates and the people in the community. He really is just a fantastic human being, more so than he is a hockey player. That’s what I’ll remember, just what a good person and human he is. … I’m stoked that we got to share a couple games on his road to 1,000, so I’m really happy for him.”
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex atjdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
Hockey News