The team was previously affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders (2006–07), and the Chicago Blackhawks.

However, the press release stopped short of explicitly stating that this expansion team would not be the Ice Pilots franchise owned by Mario Forgione.

[4] Instead the league formed a new team, the Pensacola Ice Flyers, owned by former NHL player Tim Kerr.

However, this was changed in 1998 when the Knights' successors, the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators were founded in the 1998 NHL expansion.

They did, however, make an appearance in the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals, but ultimately lost to their opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins in the span of six games.