The band — some of it, anyway — got back together in Music City on Monday.

Literally.

Sebastien Bordeleau didn't bring his singing voice. Cliff Ronning, either. Denny Lambert left his guitar at home.

What they did bring with them were memories and laughs.

Those three were among 11 original Nashville Predators upstairs at the brand-new Bet MGM Sports Lounge at Bridgestone Arena during an early afternoon celebration of the inaugural 1998-99 team, one that spilled into Monday night's game against the Florida Panthers.

Those three, along with Joel Bouchard and Darren Turcotte, were part of a band Bouchard branded "Offside" during that season.

"Nothing was funnier than the French-accented 'Sweet Home Alabama,' " Predators announcer Pete Weber said.

The group even made a CD — and was paid to do it.

Bouchard was on the drums and Turcotte the guitar.

"We chose the right career," said Lambert, who played one season with the Predators and is now a police officer. "We stuck with hockey."

'I'm not a singer'

During training camp that season, Bordeleau lived with Lambert and Dominic Roussel, who was traded before playing a game with the Predators.

"They were annoying me with their music," said Bordeleau, who played three-plus seasons for the Predators and is now a skills development coach for the team. "Really, really annoying me.

"They said, 'Why don't you come and sing with us?' I'm like, 'I'm not a singer. What are you guys talking about?' "

Bordeleau offered a compromise: Play some U2 and he'd give the band a voice.

Done.

Bordeleau soon found himself singing "With or Without You" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" from "The Joshua Tree" album. Soon after that he was recording music with his buddies in a studio for the Predators Foundation, then in front of a crowd at one of the foundation's black-tie affairs.

Ronning, who spent four seasons with the Predators, sang some, too.

"According to my family, I have no musical talent," said Ronning, whose brother Todd was a bass player and backup vocalist for the band Bad Company.

Bordeleau said he recently found a copy of the album in the CD player of his white 2015 Audi. It had been there for a few years, he said, since he played it at his son's request.

"I was like, 'Oh, come on,' " Bordeleau said.

'I don't know if anybody recognized me'

Original Predators J.J. Daigneault and Jeff Nelson sat side by side, thumbing through stacks of old pictures Monday when Daigneault did a double take.

"Oh, wow," he said. "There's my wife."

The photos belonged to another original Predator, Blair Atcheynum, and were taken during a team Halloween party that first season.

"I have to send this to her," Daigneault said as he snapped a photo of the photo with his phone.

The three reminisced over drinks and skillet fruit pie, hot honey chicken sliders, crispy salmon, and apple and kale salad.

Daigneault, who played 35 games with the Predators before he was traded to the Coyotes, said he still plays guitar on occasion.

"I don't know if anybody recognized me," Daigneault said of his former teammates.

Jay More, Nelson, Lambert and Ronning also were at the table.

Predators coach Andrew Brunette, who scored the first goal in franchise history, was in the building but busy preparing for his team's game.

"It's kind of eerie, like it feels like you just left . . . 25 years but it feels like it was yesterday," Lambert said. "But your memories are very strong here.

"It's pretty neat to see, 25 years later, they're the same guys."

"How can I describe this?" Bordeleau said. "We're a bunch of misfits from everywhere else and we came together as a good family.

"We're just very happy to see each other."

'Is anyone bringing Petey down?'

The original Predators — Rob Valicevic and Mark Mowers also were there — weren't there just to see one another.

"Hey, is anyone bringing Petey down?" the Predators' first-ever draft pick, David Legwand, asked Weber.

Legwand was talking about Brent Peterson, who was a Predators assistant coach and announcer.

Before the words finished coming out of his mouth, Peterson appeared atop the stairs.

The two shared an embrace.

That wasn't the only hug Legwand, who spent 15 seasons with the Predators, shared with someone Monday.

Legwand's right arm was draped around original and still Predators equipment manager Pete Rogers in the corner of an elevator taking some players down for a tour of the locker room, which the team's first coach and current general manager, Barry Trotz, led.

"Is 'Partner' here?" Legwand asked, referring to Craig Baugh, who has been a locker room attendant at Bridgestone since Day 1.

Yes, Baugh was there, doing laundry in preparation for Monday night's game.

Baugh bear-hugged Legwand. Twice.

Every former player followed.

Baugh recognized them all. He was especially excited to see one, though.

"I love you, Jay More," Baugh said. "He's my favorite."

A picture is worth . . .

The players made their way through the locker room and into the hallway where "Smashville" is spelled out on the wall.

There they posed for a picture.

"What's next, Tootsies?" Legwand asked.

Trotz nodded in approval.

When someone jokingly mentioned they didn't have bail money, Trotz intervened.

"I do," he said.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Original Nashville Predators had a band. Players share their stories