Barry Trotz
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Barry Trotz (born July 15, 1962) is a Canadian
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
executive, former player and coach. He is the general manager for the
Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). Prior to that, he served as an advisor to General Manager David Poile. He is the former head coach of the Nashville Predators,
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
, and
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
. Trotz is known for his defensive-minded coaching style and is currently ranked third all-time in NHL coaching wins, behind only
Scotty Bowman William Scott Bowman (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey head coach. He holds the record for most wins in National Hockey League (NHL) history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup ...
and Joel Quenneville. He is often referred to by fans and players as "Trotzy". He was previously the coach of the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL)'s Baltimore Skipjacks and Portland Pirates, with whom he won an AHL championship in 1994. That same year, he won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, which is awarded to the outstanding coach in the AHL as voted upon by the AHL Broadcasters and Writers. On February 20, 2013,
Lindy Ruff Lindy Cameron Ruff (born February 17, 1960) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the List of NHL head coaches, head coach for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ruff was previously the head coa ...
was fired by the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
, making Trotz the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL. He was also the second-longest tenured coach in the four major North American professional leagues, behind only
Gregg Popovich Gregg Charles Popovich (born January 28, 1949) is an American professional basketball executive and former coach who is the president for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the List of current NBA head co ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
's
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On April 14, 2014, the Predators announced Trotz would not return for his 16th season as head coach. On May 26, 2014, Trotz was announced as the new head coach of the Capitals. On June 7, 2018, Trotz won his first
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
as the head coach, with the Capitals defeating the
Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
in five games, for the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship. On June 21, 2018, Trotz was announced as the new head coach of the Islanders. The Islanders let him go at the end of the 2021–22 season, when the team missed the playoffs.


Coaching career


Early years

Before becoming a coach, Trotz played as a defenceman for the
Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...
(WHL)'s Regina Pats from 1979 to 1982, winning the WHL Championship in 1980. During that time, Trotz played in 191 games, scoring 15 goals, adding 60 assists and accumulating 324 penalty minutes. Trotz played his final year of junior hockey in his home town of Dauphin, Manitoba, where the Kings won the
Manitoba Junior Hockey League The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior ice hockey, Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The MJHL consists of thirt ...
title as well as the Anavet Cup. Trotz said he realized his playing was not good enough for an NHL career, and started having doubts about his future. He wound up getting a spot attending training camp for the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL)'s
Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Bears have played in the American Hockey League (AHL) since the 1938–39 season, making it the longest continuously operating member club of the league still ...
in 1982 thanks to Jack Button, director of player recruitment at the Bears' NHL parent club, the
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
. Button said to Trotz he was invited because Button believed Trotz "might be a good minor league leader or a coach someday". Trotz began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the
University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
in 1984. The following season, he became the general manager and head coach for the Dauphin Kings. In 1987, he returned to the University of Manitoba as head coach, while also serving as a part-time scout for the Washington Capitals. Trotz became the head coach for the Capitals' minor league affiliate, the Baltimore Skipjacks, in 1992. On March 26, 1993, the franchise moved to
Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
, and was renamed the Portland Pirates. Trotz led the Pirates to two
Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League (AHL). It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In it ...
Finals, winning the Calder Cup in the Pirates' inaugural season of 1994.


Nashville Predators (1998–2014)

When longtime Capitals general manager David Poile was hired by the newly established
Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
, he decided to bring Trotz along to become the team's first head coach. He was named the head coach of the Predators on August 6, 1997. Even before the team began play, Trotz was involved in the Predators expansion process, doing player scouting and helping design the team facilities at the Nashville Arena. In the debut of both Trotz and the Predators at the
1998–99 NHL season The 1998–99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League. The league expanded to 27 teams with the addition of the Nashville Predators. The NHL also realigned to a strictly geographic six-division structure, with three ...
, the team won 28 games, the third highest for an expansion team to date. He holds the record for most games coached by the first coach of an NHL expansion franchise, previously held by Terry Crisp for the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
. Coincidentally, Crisp now works as a radio and TV broadcaster for the Predators. In a November 4, 2008, game against the
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...
, Trotz became just the tenth head coach in NHL history to coach 750 games with a single team, and the 31st to reach that mark overall. The 2006–07 season was Trotz's most successful season, leading the Predators to the second-most points in the Western Conference and third overall at 110. However, they trailed their division rival the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, therefore denying them the first division championship in club history. The Predators would fare no better in the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, losing 4–1 to the
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
in the opening round just as they did the year before. Trotz finished fourth in the
Jack Adams Award The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The league's Coach of the Year award has been presented 51 times to 43 coaches. The winner is select ...
voting at season's end, but was voted by his peers ''
Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' NHL Coach of the Year. He is well respected around the NHL for keeping his team focused. He led the Predators to four consecutive playoff appearances from 2003 to 2008, and reached the playoffs again in 2009–10. Shortly after being eliminated by the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
in six games, on April 28, 2010, Trotz was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for NHL coach of the year alongside
Joe Sacco Joe Sacco (; born October 2, 1960) is a Maltese-American cartoonist and journalist. He is credited as the first artist to practice rigorous, investigative journalism using the comics form, also referred to as comics journalism. His groundbrea ...
of the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
and
Dave Tippett David G. Tippett (born August 25, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and player. Tippett played in the NHL from 1983 to 1994 as a winger for the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Cap ...
of the
Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
. Trotz earned his 500th win with a 4–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on March 30, 2012. On April 14, 2014, the Predators announced Trotz would not return for his 16th season as head coach. The Predators hired
Peter Laviolette Peter Philip Laviolette Jr. (born December 7, 1964) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player who most recently served as the head coach for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Originally undrafted by t ...
as Trotz's replacement on May 6, 2014. Trotz's 1,196 regular season games coached puts him 14th on the all-time coaching list, and his tenure with the Predators was the longest unbroken coaching stretch in league history.


Washington Capitals (2014–2018)

Despite the Predators inviting Trotz to work in their hockey operations department, he wanted to keep coaching. Eventually the Washington Capitals, the same team that gave Trotz his first opportunities in professional hockey, hired him on May 26, 2014. On February 28, 2017, Trotz recorded his 700th win with a 4–1 victory over the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
, and became the sixth NHL coach to reach 700 wins. In the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Capitals trailed in each of their playoff series matchups, which started by losing the first two games of the First Round to Columbus before Washington won the next four, including a victory in Columbus for the deciding game. They faced the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the Semifinals and reached a 2–2 series tie with one win and one loss at home and on the road, before seizing the upper hand with a critical 6–3 victory at home for Game 5 and finally finishing them off 2–1 in overtime at Pittsburgh in Game 6 on a goal by
Evgeny Kuznetsov Yevgeny Evgenyevich Kuznetsov (; born 19 May 1992) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He previously ...
to advance to the Conference Finals. It was both their first Conference Finals appearance since
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
and the first time Trotz had advanced past the second round as a coach. The Capitals faced the Tampa Bay Lightning and won the first two games before three straight losses (two at home) had Washington face elimination. They then won Game 6 and Game 7 with shutout performances (including winning Game 7 in Tampa) to overcome a 3–2 series deficit for the first time in franchise history after a Game 5 loss and reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1998. In the
Stanley Cup Finals The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...
, they met the
Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
, an expansion team that won 51 games. The Capitals lost Game 1 6–4 in Vegas but rebounded with the efforts of Braden Holtby in preserving a late 3–2 lead to win Game 2. Trotz and the Capitals rolled to routs in Game 3 and 4 to set up a potential clinching Game 5 (hosted in Las Vegas), the first in Capitals history. On June 7, the Capitals won a tight Game 5 by a score of 4–3, with the final goal scored by Lars Eller, to clinch the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
for the Capitals, with this being the first title for Trotz as head coach after 19 seasons, the longest such wait in NHL history. On June 18, 2018, Trotz resigned from the Capitals as their head coach due to a contract dispute.


New York Islanders (2018–2022)

On June 21, 2018, the
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
hired Trotz as head coach. On March 5, 2019, Trotz earned his 800th career win when the Islanders defeated the
Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
5–4 after a shootout In the
Stanley Cup playoffs The Stanley Cup playoffs () is the annual elimination tournament to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, and the league champion of the National Hockey League (NHL). The four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held after the NHL's regular s ...
, the Islanders swept the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
in the first round and then were swept by the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
in the second round. On June 19, 2019, Trotz won the
Jack Adams Award The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The league's Coach of the Year award has been presented 51 times to 43 coaches. The winner is select ...
for a second time. On August 20, 2020, the Islanders defeated Trotz's former team, the
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
, who he previously coached to a Stanley Cup championship in 2018, 4–1 in the first round of the
2020 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2019–20 season. The playoffs began on August 1, 2020, and concluded on September 28, 2020, with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second ...
. After a win over the New York Rangers on February 8, 2021, Trotz earned his 850th career win as NHL head coach and passed Ken Hitchcock for third place on the all-time coach wins list. On May 9, 2022, Trotz was relieved from his duties as the Islanders head coach as the Islanders missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.


International

Trotz was assistant coach for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
at the IIHF World Championships three times:
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
(when they won the gold medal) and
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
.


Executive career

It was announced that Trotz would replace David Poile as general manager of the
Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
on July 1, 2023.


Personal life

Trotz resides in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, with his wife and one of their four children. The family previously resided in
Brentwood, Tennessee Brentwood is a city in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 45,373 as of the 2020 United States census.Clarendon, Virginia; and
Garden City, New York Garden City is a village located in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 23,272 at the time of the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within the Town of Hempstead ...
. An active member of the Nashville community, Trotz won the Community Spirit Award in 2005 for various charitable works, including donating $500 to My Friends' House (a United Way agency) for each Nashville victory through several seasons; serving as an active board member for the Williamson County
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
and the
United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...
; working closely with Best Buddies of Tennessee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Trotz was named to the Portland Pirates Hall of Fame in 2005, and to the
University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
Hall of Fame in 2001. Trotz is of Ukrainian descent.


Head coaching record


MJHL


AHL


NHL


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Trotz, Barry 1962 births Living people Athol Murray College of Notre Dame alumni Baltimore Skipjacks coaches Canadian ice hockey coaches Ice hockey people from Manitoba Jack Adams Award winners Nashville Predators coaches New York Islanders coaches Portland Pirates coaches Sportspeople from Dauphin, Manitoba Stanley Cup champions Stanley Cup championship–winning head coaches Washington Capitals coaches Nashville Predators general managers