Luke Bryan Makes Special Appearance at NHL Draft to Announce Nashville Predators' First-Round Pick
Country music star Luke Bryan made a special appearance at the NHL draft in Buffalo on June 26. Bryan, a dedicated Nashville Predators fan, took the stage at KeyBank Center to announce the Predators' pick at No. 10 overall in the first round. The team selected U.S. National Team Development Program forward Wyatt Cullen, who had an impressive season with the U.S. U-18 NTDP team. Cullen, the son of former Predators forward Matt Cullen, has shown promise as a first-round prospect with his size and skill at just 17 years old.
Matt Cullen, who played for the Predators from 2013 to 2015, had a successful NHL career, playing over 1,500 games and winning Stanley Cup championships with Carolina and Pittsburgh. Luke Bryan has a strong connection to the Predators, often performing the national anthem at their home games in Bridgestone Arena. The draft weekend continued with Nashville set to make 10 more picks in rounds 2-7 on June 27, with the event broadcasted on NHL Network and ESPN+.