In the opening seconds of the third period Thursday, Predators center Brady Martin was sniffing around the Columbus net for a potential rebound when a couple of Blue Jackets players took exception to his presence near the crease.

A quick burst of pushing and shoving ensued, with Martin giving as good as he got until his veteran linemates, Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg, jumped in to help him.

Welcome to the NHL, kid.

“I like the physical play,” Martin said with a smile after Nashville’s 2-1 opening night win in front of an announced crowd of 17,244 at Bridgestone Arena.

“Everyone’s a lot stronger than me, so I think I got to hit the gym. But yeah, [playing physically] is a part of my game, for sure.”

It was a night of many firsts for Martin, the fifth overall pick of the 2025 NHL Dr

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