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First came a hockey team named the Hurricanes. Then the Nashville Predators had to deal with some very real tornadoes as violent weather hit central Tennessee.

A tornado warning was issued late in the third period of Nashville’s 1-0 victory over Carolina on Tuesday night, forcing the 13,949 fans in the Sommet Center to stay inside the arena after the game.

“One of the referees came over with nine minutes to go and said we might have to evacuate because of the weather,” Predators coach Barry Trotz said. “At that time, it was still 0-0 and some of the guys on the bench thought maybe each team would be given a point and we would go right to the shootout.”

After the final buzzer, the fans were evacuated from the main seating area and allowed to leave the arena shortly after. Fans and players could hear the thunder and the warning sirens.

Trotz said he had never had a game called for the weather.

“I had one called because of a rodeo having been held in an arena,” he said. “When the ice started getting cut up, the dirt started coming through.”

Before all the weather worries, Chris Mason took care of the Hurricanes. Despite having never faced Carolina in a regular-season game, Mason stopped all 31 shots he faced to preserve the victory. It was his fourth shutout of the season.

“I was seeing the puck well and the guys were letting me see it,” Mason said. “We contained rebounds and eliminated second chances. I need to start playing like this every night. I need to give the team a chance to win.”