On an early November evening, 60 or so kids and their parents are gathered inside an upstairs party room at Ford Ice Center. It’s graduation day for the participants of the “Little Preds” program, and the ceremony is about to begin.



One by one, the children are called to the front of the room, where they receive a certificate and an autograph.



“I used to play for the Nashville Predators,” Cody Hodgson, wearing an updated version of his former No. 11 jersey, says sheepishly to no one in particular.



These days, you’ll find Hodgson here at this suburban Nashville rink or, depending on the day, one in Knoxville, Tenn., Marietta, Ga., or Huntsville, Ala. He’s been an instructor for the Predators’ youth hockey program for the past two years, traveling around the South teaching kids to play the sport he loves.



“I’ve acquired quite a bit of knowledge over the years from different...