With the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars back in Nashville on Saturday (April 20), for Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series, Gavin DeGraw was on hand to sing the National Anthem before the big game at Bridgestone Arena. Readers can press play above to watch the performance.

Big stars singing the National Anthem for the Predators during the Stanley Cup Playoffs has become a tradition in Nashville. Since 2017, at every playoff home game, a country star has done the honors. The list of artists who have sung "The Star-Spangled Banner" during that time includes Carrie Underwood (who is married to former Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher), Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and many more.

DeGraw, in fact, is the first non-country artist to sing the Anthem before a Stanley Cup Playoffs game in the past three years. However, he is a Nashville resident and co-owns Nashville Underground, a downtown Music City bar, with his brother Joey. DeGraw also recently collaborated with country star Brett Young for a song on Young's sophomore album, Ticket to L.A.

The Predators began their fifth consecutive run for the NHL's Stanley Cup on April 10. Big & Rich were the selected National Anthem performers for Game 1, which the Stars won 3-2, while Vince Gill sang before Game 2, which Nashville won 2-1.

Going into the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Nashville Predators were the NHL's Central Division Champions. After Game 2, the teams traveled to Dallas, Texas, for Game 3, which the Predators won 3-2, and Game 4, which the Stars won 5-1. With the best-of-seven series tied at two going into Saturday's Game 5, the teams will head back to Dallas for Game 6 on Monday (April 22). Should a seventh game be needed, it will take place on April 24 in Nashville.

In 2017, the Predators made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. In 2018, the team was eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round.

Country Stars Show Their Nashville Predators Pride

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