When the winningest general manager in NHL history is inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday, one member of the audience will have a unique perspective on the proceedings.

Predators assistant general manager Brian Poile will be celebrating the accomplishments of both his father and his boss.

Advertisement

The milestone night provides an interesting snapshot of David and Brian Poile, one edging ever so slightly toward the end of an illustrious career and the other ascending the Predators’ organizational ladder.

The elder Poile, who will turn 69 in a couple of months, has guided two teams — the Predators and Washington Capitals — to a combined league-record 1,352 victories over 35 seasons. He’s captured nearly every conceivable crown in the NHL, one of the few exceptions being the Stanley Cup, which eluded Poile and the Predators by two victories in 2017.

Poile is as energetic and enthusiastic as ever in his role with the Predators, who are once again among the team’s expected to contend for this season’s Cup.

But he’s also “Bumpa,” the nickname foisted upon him by his three grandchildren — Brian’s 3-year-old son, Wyatt, as well as daughter Lauren’s two girls, 9-year-old Ellie and 7-year-old Charlotte.

Not much makes Poile happier than spending time with his little people, whether it’s walking Wyatt through the Preds’ locker room before games, offering “business” advice to Ellie — who plans on becoming the NHL’s first female general manager — or playing Lego’s with Charlotte.

“That’s my total get-away-from-hockey thing is my grandchildren,” Poile said with a smile. “They seem to like me. They seem to think I’m funny. It’s a real ego trip. So whenever we have time, we’re always going to see our grandchildren.”

All of which suggests that Poile may be very subtly easing back on his workload, delegating a bit more to those around him.

“As I get on in my career, I’m trying to have a little less control,” Poile said, “and trying to give people their ability to grow.”

The 41-year-old Brian Poile, meanwhile, is one of those who’s seen his responsibilities increase, along with fellow Nashville assistant general manager Jeff Kealty and director of player development Scott Nichol. All three were promoted by David Poile last May when former Preds assistant general manager Paul Fenton departed to take Minnesota’s general manager job.

Advertisement

Originally hired as the Predators’ director of hockey operations in 2010, Brian Poile this season is also managing the research, negotiation and handling of player contracts. In addition, he serves as a liaison between hockey operations and the organization’s business departments.

“It’s a great role, and I’m very excited for Jeff and Scott as well,” Brian Poile said. “All three of us are getting a chance to grow in a game we love. All three of us are getting to expand our horizons and grow as young hockey executives.”

It seems only natural, then, that one question might arise in time:

Might Brian Poile have interest in one day becoming a third-generation NHL general manager, following in the footsteps of not only his father, but his grandfather — Hockey Hall of Famer Norman “Bud” Poile?

More on that later.

Goodbye to hockey?

Father and son took different routes to their current positions.

David Poile knew very early he wanted the hockey life of his father, who played for five of the NHL’s six expansion teams and then served as GM for the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks.

How sure was he?

When David Poile was just 13, he famously told his next-door neighbor, Elizabeth — who would one day become his wife — that he was going to be an NHL general manager when he grew up.

That’s as clear an illustration as any of the laser focus that characterized Poile’s direction, one that saw him become the Capitals’ general manager at the age of 32.

Brian Poile grew up with a similar passion for hockey, thanks in part to two generations’ worth of historic influence.

He would play hockey for a year at Boston College and eventually land a job in the sport straight out of college in 2000, serving as the director of hockey operations for the American Hockey League’s Utah Grizzlies.

Advertisement

But Brian Poile’s interests were broader than just hockey.

That became clear in 2004, when the start of the NHL lockout cost Brian Poile his job in the AHL. He chose to get away from it all, backpacking through England, France, Spain, Switzerland, the Nordic nations and many more countries during a year abroad.

A surprising possibility arose when he returned to the United States: Maybe, Brian Poile thought, his future might lie outside of hockey.

“I do think when you’re exploring the world and traveling, you get exposed to lots of things,” he said.

“Maybe that period of time opened me up when I got back to Nashville to say, ‘What other opportunities are out there? What other interests do I have?’”

So Brian Poile, tapping into his entrepreneurial spirit, jumped into Music City’s booming housing market. He didn’t know much about Nashville at the time — nor real estate, for that matter — but a mind for business and an eye for deal-making led to success.

“When I drove around Nashville, I couldn’t believe how relatively cheap it was to purchase a home,” Brian Poile said. “I just saw it as a great business opportunity. What’s interesting about real estate and hockey is that they’re not all that different. You’re valuing things and you’re trying to find under-appreciated assets, and then you’re comparing them to a marketplace.”

He would eventually spend about half a decade in real estate, even running his own business for a while.

But just as it looked as if Brian Poile might bid farewell to hockey, movement in the Preds organization — and a dip in the market — would unite father and son once more.

Not just my Dad, but my boss

In 2010, Mike Santos, then the Preds’ director of hockey operations, departed the organization, leaving a job opening well-suited to Brian Poile and his AHL experience.

Advertisement

Before any deal was sealed, however, both Poiles had questions that needed answering.

First, what would it look like for father to hire son?

“I think Brian understood that situation, that people are always going to wonder if you got the job based on your name or on merit,” David Poile said. “So it was something we talked about.

“But his level of confidence is very evident. He’s a worker. He’s always been that. He doesn’t have any airs about him in terms of ego or anything. He’s a good team guy.”

Second, did son want to work for his father?

“All of a sudden, it would be a new dynamic with my father,” Brian Poile said. “He’s not only my Dad, but he’s also my boss.

“I had a pretty good idea of what that would look like, though, because my Dad parents similar to how he treats his whole staff. He cares tremendously about everybody, and he’s a solid person with huge morals and ethics.”

In the end, both Poiles agreed to take the plunge, signing a contract that appears to have worked out well based on Brian Poile’s promotion earlier this year after eight seasons in his initial role.

Different strokes

It’s not as if the father and son work together like a two-person law partnership, as the Predators’ front office relies on Kealty, Nichol and a slew of others to maintain its successful operation.

Still, one who knows both Brian and David Poile well believes their personalities and management styles naturally complement one another.

“They’re both very humble, very hard-working and very competitive,” said Lauren Heysse, David Poile’s daughter and Brian’s younger sister.

“They would have different leadership styles, I would say, for sure. When I think about how my Dad leads, it’s with his experience, his intuition, his confidence. He’s very prepared and very organized.

Advertisement

“Brian is very creative and very passionate about anything he gets involved in. The way I think he leads is by bringing people and ideas together. He really wants to encourage and motivate people.”

On Wednesday, Brian Poile will watch as his dad’s achievements are recognized during the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction. That ceremony will surely serve as a precursor to — years down the road — David Poile’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

What a general manager the father has been. Might the son — someday — continue the family tradition?

Hold that thought.

“I’m very happy with what I’m doing right now,” Brian Poile said. “I’m not trying to take anyone’s job or move any further ahead. I’m very content.”

(Top image of David Poile (right), Brian Poile (center): John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)