WATCH: P.K. Subban honored with ceremonial puck drop before Nashville Predators game

P.K. Subban was one of the most influential NHL athletes to ever set foot on the ice. He is known not only for his defensive stops in the game but for the charitable work he did off the ice.

On Monday, the Nashville Predators honored Subban with a ceremonial puck drop between Predators' captain Roman Josi and Arizona Coyotes' Nick Bjugstad. Subban and the players were joined by Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake and a Blueline Buddy family on the ice.

The first 7,600 fans who entered the Bridgestone Arena received a poster of Subban.

One of P.K. Subban's most impactful contributions to the community is the Blueline Buddy program. This brings local youth and local law enforcement officers together at every Predators home game. Nashville took on the responsibility of continuing the program even after Subban was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2019.

Police Chief John Drake praised Subban for his efforts and said he helped the community stick together in some very difficult times:

"He came in during a time there was civil unrest from incidents around the country.There was a divide in the community and law enforcement. ... P.K. wanted to bridge those gaps, and that's so important to do in a time when we were so deeply divided. The impact is tremendous." Per The Tennessean.

Predators' GM David Poile acknowledged P.K. Subban's off-ice contributions and hailed them as some of the best years of the Predators franchise.

"Off the ice he is really special in terms of all the things he did in the community with Blueline Buddies. What a great idea and something that's going to go on for a long time. He's a real good person, a caring person."

P.K. Subban is a philanthropist

In September 2015, P.K. Subban announced a commitment to raise $10 million for the Montreal Children's Hospital by 2022. The hospital called it "the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history."

Subban’s "Helping Hand" is a fund set up in the Montreal Children's Hospital. It is dedicated to assisting vulnerable families financially devastated by a child’s illness. The fund is dedicated to making sure that parents do not have to worry about paying for necessities like food and medicine and can instead focus on their child's well-being.

After being traded to the New Jersey Devils, Subban continued his Blue Line Buddies initiative in New Jersey. He wanted to make sure that his program reached out to people throughout North America.

In June 2020, Subban donated US$50,000 to the GoFundMe effort to raise money for Gianna Floyd, the daughter of the late George Floyd.