After a spending spree in the off-season, bringing in Stanley Cup champs like Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, the Predators are off to a 6-10-3 start — the second-worst record in the Western Conference.
A win on Sunday over the Vancouver Canucks provided a temporary reprieve from the nightmarish beginning to the 2024-25 season, but on Wednesday, the Predators were back getting in their own way.
Nashville listed Stamkos among its starting five, but instead of the former Lightning captain taking the opening draw, Filip Forsberg was in his place to kick things off against the Seattle Kraken. After just 43 seconds of play, the referees came together to award the Predators a “starting the incorrect lineup” penalty.
During a bench interview on the TNT broadcast, Predators head coach Andrew Brunette told Darren Pang that it was a mistake in adding the extra 1 in Stamkos’ No. 91 to Forsberg’s No. 9.
Before the start of every game, the visiting team — which Nashville was on Wednesday — is supposed to be the first to submit its lineup to the head referee or official scorer, and all changes have to be approved before puck drop.
Rule 7.2 of the NHL rulebook says that “for an infraction of this rule, a bench minor penalty shall be imposed upon the offending team. This is an appeal play and must be brought to the referee’s attention prior to the second face-off in the game.”
Forward Phillip Tomasino served the two-minute minor for Nashville. And even though the Predators killed off the penalty, the incident was eerily similar to their slow start — nothing short of embarrassing.