Weber, Poile hold no hard feelings as they enter HHOF together

Shea Weber and David Poile say they've forgiven each other over what happened in the past as they both prepare to receive hockey's highest individual honor.

"On Monday night, Shea will be the first Predators-drafted player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. It's amazing," Poile told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun this week.

The pair will be among seven inductees entering the Hall. Poile is headed in under the builder category for his efforts as Nashville's general manager from 1997 to 2023, while Weber is being recognized for his playing career.

"I'm kind of speechless," the 39-year-old ex-defenseman said.

Weber, who hasn't officially retired – and whose contract remains the property of the Utah Hockey Club after being traded a couple of times once he could no longer play – was part of one of the most stunning blockbuster swaps in NHL history when Poile sent him to the Montreal Canadiens for P.K. Subban in 2016.

"It was a tough situation, to be honest, being there for 11 years and being the captain of the team and pouring my heart and soul into that organization … and kind of getting flipped without even a head's up," Weber said. "It was pretty hard. It stuck with me for a long time."

However, Weber understands why Poile made the deal.

"It's part of the business," he said. "No matter how hard it is, it's what he felt was best for his team. It doesn't take away from the hurt, but that’s the way the business goes."

The rift arguably began about four years earlier when Weber signed a 14-year, $110-million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012. Poile and the Predators ultimately matched it to keep him in Nashville.

However, the two men buried the hatchet in 2022 when they caught up at goaltender Pekka Rinne's jersey retirement ceremony. Weber now says he's "appreciative of everything (Poile) did for me."

Weber led all NHL defensemen with 166 goals during his 10-season Nashville tenure, which began in 2005. He buried 224 tallies in 1,038 career games, and his goal total ranks 15th all-time among players at his position. The Predators made a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017 after trading him away, but Weber eventually reached the championship round with the Canadiens in 2021. Neither his original club nor the one he joined won it all.

Poile, who was also the GM of the Washington Capitals from 1982 to 1995, ended his 40-year career as an executive with the most wins (1,533) and games (3,075) by a GM in league history.

Other members of the Hockey Hall of Fame's 2024 class are players Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Natalie Darwitz, and Krissy Wendell-Pohl, as well as builder Colin Campbell.