The Nashville Predators are still working through candidates to replace general manager Barry Trotz, who announced his retirement in February.
On May 13, it was confirmed that at least one internal candidate, assistant general manager and director of scouting Jeff Kealty, has interviewed for the job.
Kealty confirmed he interviewed for the Predators’ open general manager position, though he declined to give specific details about the process.
“I prefer not to go too much into my interview process,” Kealty told reporters at Bridgestone Arena on May 13. “It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot and I enjoyed the process. But I’d rather keep (the details) inside a little bit.”
Kealty also said if he is not hired as the GM, he would like to remain with the Predators as director of scouting.
Kealty, 50, has been with the Predators for nearly 25 years in various capacities. He started as an amateur scout in 2001, then was elevated to director of amateur scouting in 2007. In 2018, he was named assistant general manager and director of scouting.
In 2025, Kealty was named GM for the U.S. Men’s National Team. The U.S. won the gold medal at the IIHF Men’s World Championship for the first time since 1960.
One of Kealty’s main objectives has been identifying talent through the NHL draft. His track record outside of the first round has been impressive: Roman Josi (2008), Craig Smith (2009), Mattias Ekholm (2009), Colton Sissons (2012), Juuse Saros (2013), Viktor Arvidsson (2014) and Alex Carrier (2015) were all selected in the second round or later.
The first-round record is spotty. Ryan Ellis (2009) and Kevin Fiala (2014) were hits. Jonathan Blum (2007) and Philip Tomasino (2019) were not.
While this year’s draft process has been a bit unusual with Trotz on his way out, Kealty said there’s been little disruption to their work.
“We’ve tried to operate as we always have,” Kealty said. “Even when the new GM comes in, they are probably going to rely on the work that’s already been done.”
Nashville will select at No. 10 overall in the NHL draft on June 26. The Predators have 12 total picks in the draft, including two second-round picks, two third-rounders, two in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Jeff Kealty said after interviewing for Predators general manager
