THN Archive: NHL Valuations - Nashville Predators

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NHL Valuations—Nashville Predators – Jan 2, 2026 - David Boclair

$1.6B FORBES

$1.6B SPORTICO

$1.75B ROUSTAN

BILL HASLAM’S NET worth has grown dramatically in recent years, largely due to the sale of his family business. Berkshire Hathaway acquired Pilot Flying J truck stops from the Haslam family in three transactions, the last in 2024.

And Haslam immediately began to spend that windfall on sports. The former Governor of Tennessee (2011-19) acquired a majority share of the Predators in four purchases over three years, a process that concluded in 2025 and coincided with a dramatic increase in his personal wealth.

Now worth a reported $5.7 billion, Haslam has already pursued a WNBA franchise for Nashville. His attempt to secure a team in that league’s latest round of expansion was unsuccessful, but he has made it clear he plans to pursue future opportunities to get a women’s professional basketball team, which he intends to call the Tennessee Summitt, for Nashville.

It will take some time, though, before he acquires enough professional-sports assets to match his brother. Jimmy Haslam purchased the NFL’s Cleveland Browns in 2012 and, since then, has added the Columbus Crew in MLS and a minority share of the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.

To date, Bill Haslam has exercised patience and restraint with the Predators. He has not made any significant changes to the business or hockey-operations departments, even though Nashville fell well short of expectations in 2024-25, its second season under coach Andrew Brunette. That places Bill in stark contrast to his brother, who had three different coaches in his first four full seasons as owner of an NFL team.

That measured approach should not be surprising. Haslam, a Republican, has maintained his connection to the political realm through a podcast he co-hosts with another former Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen, a Democrat. It is called You Might Be Right and is based on the idea that humility and respect for opposing viewpoints are essential to solving problems.

In other words, regardless of his enormous wealth or achievements in the business and political worlds, Haslam hasn’t shown the need to put his personal stamp on a franchise that has been to the playoffs nine times in the past 11 seasons and has developed a deep connection with the local fan base, which fills Bridgestone Arena (or comes close) for every game.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

IT WAS NEARLY A decade ago Sean Henry first publicly floated the idea of a dramatic transformation of Bridgestone Arena to ensure the building remained a viable part of a rapidly growing downtown.

Soon, his vision will be a reality. Earlier this year, Henry revealed the details of a $750-million project that will dramatically change the look and feel of the only building the Preds have ever called home. The plans include a near doubling of concourse size, relocation of the primary entrance, a transition from a primarily concrete exterior to glass, the addition of a 60,000-square-foot rooftop event space and more. The project is slated to begin after 2025-26 and to be completed in 2030. Henry hopes it will ensure Bridgestone Arena remains a place that connects generations of Preds fans.

ALTERNATE GOVERNORS: Tom Cigarran, Sean Henry, Michelle Kennedy, Barry Trotz

GENERAL MANAGER

BARRY TROTZ’S TIES TO the Predators – as the first coach in franchise history – had a lot to do with his hiring as the second GM in franchise history. It is clear, though, that his approach to his current role was shaped more by the four seasons apiece he spent as coach of the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, which included a Stanley Cup with the Capitals.

Trotz has eschewed the patient approach that defined the 17 seasons working with his predecessor, David Poile, and has aggressively retooled the roster through trades, buyouts and free-agent spending.

To date, his approach has not had the desired impact, but it has yielded four first-round selections and three second-round picks in the past two drafts. The hope is that the resulting talent haul will pay big benefits in the not-too-distant future as a sizable part of the current roster ages out of the league.

WHAT SETS THE Predators apart from many other pro-sports franchises in social-media performance is the presence and activity of CEO Sean Henry on X. His account, @PREDSident, offers fans a direct connection to one of the franchise’s primary decision-makers.

Henry provides glimpses behind the scenes of the front office, a personal touch to some of the team’s business dealings, and even the occasional opportunity for lucky followers to earn last-minute tickets. On top of that, his bio includes his email address, so anyone who really wants to get in touch with him can. That accessibility has been critical to the team’s connection with a fan base that took some time to form a meaningful bond with the team, and his deft touch has kept the account from becoming simply a place for fans to air their grievances.

The focuses of the Predators’ primary social-media activities are the team’s X and Instagram accounts. Nashville ranks in the bottom third among the league’s 32 teams in X followers but provides a steady stream of content about all things related to the team on and off the ice. Particularly on game days, there is enough content (highlights, graphics, updates, etc.) to make fans feel up-to-date and informed even if they are not in the arena or tuned into the radio or television broadcasts.

There is nothing unique or cutting-edge about the approach, nor is there a sizable staff devoted to that aspect of the operation. Instead, the account showcases the efforts of others in the organization, such as team photographer John Russell, whose work from the earliest days of the franchise was greatly underappreciated but now is available to a much wider audience.

(*listed alphabetically)