Brooks Bratten

There's a reason Garth Brooks has sold more than six million tickets during his current North American tour, more than any other artist on a single North American tour - ever.

With Brooks concluding his current trek - which began in September of 2014 - with seven shows at Bridgestone Arena, now through Dec. 23, and with a rare Saturday night off in the midst of their regular season, the Nashville Predators took advantage and were in attendance for the first of those seven performances in their home building.

After a private meet-and-greet with the country-music legend, the Preds headed to the arena floor to take in the magnificent spectacle that is a Garth Brooks performance.

The reviews are in, and needless to say, everything the Preds had heard was true - Garth might just be the greatest entertainer they've ever seen.

"Garth was amazing," Preds winger and noted music fan Craig Smith said. "I guess in our profession you'd call him a true pro. He's the real deal. I'm glad I saw it, and I can check that one off the bucket list."

"Right away when he got going, just the energy and the excitement that he created up on stage and that went through the building, really from start to finish was incredible," forward Austin Watson said. "It was definitely an experience, something that I'll remember for a long time."

From the moment he took the stage, Brooks sent the crowd into a frenzy, reaching decibels that would rival any Predators postseason contest. From there, he belted out hit after hit with the energy level failing to drop from start to finish.

And as if that wasn't enough, he was joined on stage by his wife, a country-music superstar in her own right, Trisha Yearwood, for another round of No. 1 singles.

"I didn't realize how many Trisha Yearwood songs that I knew," Watson laughed. "To see both of them together in that setting, the overall experience was just incredible."

Saturday night's performance was a reminder of a couple of things - one: living and playing hockey in Music City, U.S.A., carries plenty of perks. And two: Garth really is that good.

"You could see the emotion and the passion he puts into his music and his performances," center Ryan Johansen said. "He really wants to make it an experience that people won't forget, and it's definitely one I won't be forgetting soon. That might've been the most entertaining concert I've been to."