Predators Senior Vice President, Advisor Gerry Helper To Retire

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Pictured (L-R): Predators Senior Vice President Gerry Helper and Predators President of Hockey Operations & General Manager David Poile. Photo: Courtesy of the Nashville Predators.

After an extensive hockey career spanning over four decades, Nashville Predators SVP and advisor Gerry Helper has announced his retirement.

Helper has been with the organization since is foundation, joining the Predators and Bridgestone Arena in October 1997 and has served in various communications roles ever since. In addition to his current title as SVP, he’s previously held the position of Chairman of the Board of the Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub.

“Not often is reality better than our dreams, but I am so grateful and appreciative to have lived and experienced a career that I couldn’t have possibly dreamed of when I graduated from St. Bonaventure and began this journey,” says Helper. “To begin working for my hometown team (Buffalo), the National Hockey League office, be part of two expansion franchises from Day 1 (Tampa Bay and Nashville) and the 2010 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team has given me a lifetime of memories and friendships that I will forever treasure.”

He continues, “It is the people that made working in this sport so rewarding and I’ve had the privilege to work with Hall of Famers on the ice, behind the bench, in the press box and broadcast booths as well as Hall of Famers off the ice and in the communities, all whom I am lucky enough to call friends. My family and I will always be fans and look forward to watching the Predators’ franchise grow on the ice and continue to contribute to making the community a better place through the work of the Nashville Predators Foundation.”

Since the inception of the Preds Foundation, Helper and the Predators Foundation have awarded more than $7.9 million in grants to Nashville-area charitable organizations, including a single-season record of $735,000 in 2020-21. He’s also been instrumental in the awarding of more than $20 million to the Middle Tennessee community through Predators Foundation grants, the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund presented by Twice Daily, SmileDirectClub SuperGrants, DEX Score & Win and other programs.

“It is near impossible to properly summarize Gerry’s incredible 40-year career and countless accomplishments in just a few sentences,” says Predators President and CEO Sean Henry. “I entered two organizations that Gerry helped start–Tampa Bay and Nashville. Both organizations today are lauded for so many high points of achievement and success, not just as expansion markets, but as community cornerstones and model franchises for the NHL. Gerry provided the connective tissue for our players to come to life through many touchpoints in our community and, by hand-picking their respective broadcast teams, was as influential in bringing Predators hockey to the world as anyone… I am so grateful for what Gerry created in Smashville and across the NHL map and for the countless lives he touched and impacted so positively.”

Prior to his tenure with the Predators, Helper spent seven years with the Tampa Bay Lightning as the team’s Vice President of Communications from 1991-97. JHelper made an immediate impact in bringing the sport to a new NHL market, hand-picking Pete Weber and Terry Crisp (who coached the Lightning during his time in Tampa Bay) to be the initial members of the Predators’ broadcast team. He also hired John Russell as the Predators’ first, and only, team photographer prior to the inaugural 1998-99 season.

“I want to congratulate Gerry Helper on an illustrious 40-plus year career in the National Hockey League,” says Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile. “We are very fortunate to have had Gerry work for our organization since day one. He was the perfect person to help us start a franchise, having already successfully done so in Tampa Bay, and his wealth of knowledge and history of hockey gave us an advantage right from the beginning. Gerry always put the Predators first, and while we will miss his knowledge and experience, we wish him and his family all the best in retirement.”

Helper also oversaw amateur and youth hockey efforts, including the creation of a street hockey program that delivers equipment to area YMCAs and Metro Parks centers in the first decade of the club’s existence. He also oversaw the launch of the Predators Cup for high school hockey teams; and the introduction of the Get Out and Learn! (G.O.A.L!) program, which provides introductory lessons to young, first-time players at no cost, among other programs.

Steven Boero
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