NASHVILLE — There’s a lot of hockey in a season that, frankly, will fade out of the memory banks and into the history books. Then there is this Game 7 — the only game on the hockey calendar tonight, and an evening from which none of these players will ever forget the details.

“It’s probably going to be the most important game of my life so far,” said Patrik Laine, who once won a world junior championship with Finland. “I’ve played in big games before and this is going to be something different. I’m just super-excited to be in this situation and just try to enjoy it.”

Jets captain Blake Wheeler was absolutely pumped for what he called “an opportunity” to play this game.

“Well, why wouldn’t you?” he asked. “Typically, you’re counting down the hours at home to watch somebody else play in a game like this. Now it’s our turn.

“We’re really excited about having this opportunity here tonight and playing what’s obviously a really important game.”

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That’s the way elite athletes look at these moments. Beer-leaguers never get the chance to shine on a stage like this. These guys? They’ve worked their entire lives to skate out under this glare tonight.

“You don’t get to pro sports, or get to this level, without figuring a way to really enjoy these types of environments,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “You have a version of them when you’re 16, 17, 18. These guys all played huge games — it’s just a different stage but the idea is still the same. There’s a really exciting event gonna happen here. You can feel it in the day; you can feel it by the way the guys are moving around the locker room. It’s good day in your life.”

Said the Jets’ Andrew Copp, “I think everyone in this room, everyone in the NHL, everyone that played hockey growing up, wanted to be in this type of atmosphere and this type of game. It’s something we all dreamed about, for sure.”

This series has become a battle of styles. The faster the game the better it is for the Jets, and when the Preds get control of the pace with their vice-grip defence, they tend to win.

The Bodog over/under is 5 ½ goals, so the bookies think Nashville will get its way, apparently.

“You know the saying: defence wins championships,” said Predators defenceman Ryan Ellis. “It’s about everyone committing to that and being at their best defensively, and when it’s time to attack, we’ll attack. I think everyone preaches that, really, in any sport. I don’t think there are too many teams runnin’ and gunnin’ all the time.”

“Well, we want to play our game. They want to play their game. That’s each team’s mindset coming in,” Wheeler said. “You’ve got to try to establish your game and I think both teams feel very confident with what that game is. The best two records in the league coming into this game, so there’s lots to be confident in.”

Mike Fisher did not skate again Thursday morning, after leaving Game 6 in the second period. We’ll likely rule him out, and list defenceman Matt Irwin as questionable. He’s nursing something, though many of these players will be banged up by now.

Preds coach Peter Laviolette has had a couple of epic Game 7s in his career, including winning the 2006 Stanley Cup Final over Edmonton as coach of the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. But there’s nothing like the maiden voyage, in his first year as an NHL head coach with the Islanders, back in ’02.

“My first Game 7 was back with the Islanders going up into Toronto, which was just an incredible series,” he said. “It was a really, really hard-fought series and we ended up losing that game 3-2. That was really my first experience in the playoffs and a Game 7. Great experience.”

Actually, the score was 4-2 Leafs, with Alexander Mogilny scoring a pair and Curtis Joseph making 31 stops. Laviolette must have forgotten about Mogilny’s empty-netter that sealed the series.