Nashville Knights

This post is for JJ Trigg and my brother. The two were best friends at Glencliff High School in Nashville. JJ had an uncle that played hockey, so he and his brother Mike were into hockey (JJ still plays). He got my brother Kevin and me into hockey also. When I was 15, two wrestling promoters started the Nashville Knights minor league hockey team.

We loved to go the games. I have four programs from that first season alone. I know we went to many more games than that. (*side note - as a hip-hop fan I had an LA Kings Starter brand jacket, wish I still had it.) The games were at Municipal Auditorium. After every Knights' goal, two guys would get up and run with a banner the entire circle walkway that divided the upper and lower sections of seats. Kids would jump down and run behind them. The Knights would sell that place out on the regular during those first couple of years. There was a lot of excitement and energy in the crowds and fights on the ice.

Once the NHL awarded Nashville an expansion team (Predators) the Knights days were numbered. The Predators' assistant coach Peter Horachek was one the first Knights head coaches. The team relocated to Pensicola (1996) where they still play as the Ice Pilots.

The original owners were wrestling promoters – Ronald Welch aka Ron Fuller aka The Tennessee Stud and Knoxville native Bob Polk.

Nashville was still completing the Sportsplex when the program was printed. There was an old rink in the same parking lot, but the place was a dump. We skated in there a lot. The Sportsplex was a big step up, and we went there many a Friday/Saturday night when I was this age. Look at the bottom, Bill Boner was mayor!

Sunday I went and rocked a real quick piece in the alley at the homie Troy Duff's spot in East Nashville. I was nervous that if I made this post before I painted it, some kid may beat to the punch. Not with my source material you don't!