Barry Trotz
| Barry Trotz | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | July 15, 1962 Dauphin, Manitoba, CAN |
| Current general manager | David Poile |
| Current team | Nashville Predators |
| Previous team(s) | Portland Pirates Baltimore Skipjacks |
| Years as a coach | 1984–present |
| Years as an NHL coach | 1998–present |
| Years with current team | 1998–present |
Barry Trotz (born July 15, 1962) is the head coach of the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators. He was previously the coach of the American Hockey League'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,[1] which is awarded to the outstanding coach in the AHL as voted upon by the AHL Broadcasters and Writers. With the firing of Lindy Ruff by the Buffalo Sabres on February 20, 2013, Trotz, the only coach the Predators have ever known in their 15-year history, became the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL. He is also the second-longest tenured coach in the four major North American professional leagues, behind only Gregg Popovich of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.
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Coaching career[edit]
Early years[edit]
Prior to becoming a coach, Trotz played for the WHL's Regina Pats from 1979 to 1982 winning the WHL Championship in 1980.[2] Barry played his final year of junior hockey in his home town of Dauphin, Manitoba, where the Kings won the MJHL title as well as the Anavet Cup.[citation needed]
Trotz began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Manitoba in 1984. The following season Trotz became the GM and Head coach for the Dauphin Kings. For the 1987 season Trotz returned to the University of Manitoba this time as its head coach, while also serving as a part time scout for the Washington Capitals.[2]
Trotz became the head coach for the Capitals minor league affiliate, the Baltimore Skipjacks, for the 1992 season. On March 26, 1993 the franchise moved to Portland, Maine becoming the Portland Pirates.[3] Trotz lead the Pirates to two Calder Cup Finals, winning the Calder Cup in the Pirates' inaugural season of 1994.[1]
Nashville career[edit]
He was named the head coach of Predators on August 6, 1997,[4] and was the team's first head coach as they played their first season in 1998–99. Trotz led the Predators to a 28 win season, the third highest for an expansion team.[2] He holds the record for most games coached by the first coach of an NHL franchise. The record for an expansion franchise was previously held by Terry Crisp while with the Tampa Bay Lightning.[2] Coincidentally, Crisp now works as a radio and TV broadcaster for the Nashville Predators.[5] In a November 4, 2008 game vs. the Vancouver Canucks, Trotz became just the 10th head coach in NHL history to coach 750 games with a single team, and the 31st to reach that mark overall. As of April 2013 Trotz continues to be Nashville’s head coach and is currently the longest tenured coach in the NHL.[2] During the 2006–2007 Trotz had his most successful season, leading the Predators to the second most points in the Western Conference and third overall[2] at 110, unfortunately they trailed division rival Detroit meaning that the Predators would be denied their first division championship in club history. The Predators would fare no better in the playoffs losing 4–1 to the San Jose Sharks in the opening round.[6] Trotz finished 4th in the Jack Adams voting at the end of the season but was named NHL’s Coach of the Year by The Sporting News based on the votes of his peers. Trotz is well respected around the league for his ability to keep the team focused.[7] He led the Predators to four consecutive playoff appearances from 2003–2008 and reached the post season again in the 2009-10 NHL season. Shortly after being eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks 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 of the Colorado Avalanche and Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes.
Trotz won his 500th game with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on 3/30/12.
International[edit]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Competitor for  Canada |
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| Men's ice hockey, assistant coach | ||
| World Championship | ||
| Gold | 2003 Finland | |
| Silver | 2009 Switzerland | |
Trotz has been an assistant coach three times for Canada at the IIHF World Championships, 2002, 2009 and part of the Gold medal winning 2003 team.[2]
Personal life[edit]
Trotz currently lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, with his family; wife Kim and children Shalan, Tyson, Tiana and Nolan.[1]
An active member in the community Trotz was recognized with the Community Spirit Award in 2005 for his various charitable works including: donating $500 to My Friend’s House (a United Way agency) for each Nashville victory, which he has done for several seasons. Being an active board member for the Williamson County YMCA and the United Way, he also works 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.[2]
Trotz was honored as member of the Portland Pirates Hall of fame in 2005,[1] and as a member of the University of Manitoba Hall of fame in 2001[2]
Coaching record[edit]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| NSH | 1998–99 | 82 | 28 | 47 | 7 | - | 63 | 5th in Central | Missed playoffs |
| NSH | 1999–00 | 82 | 28 | 40 | 7 | 7 | 70 | 5th in Central | Missed playoffs |
| NSH | 2000–01 | 82 | 34 | 36 | 9 | 3 | 80 | 3rd in Central | Missed playoffs |
| NSH | 2001–02 | 82 | 28 | 41 | 13 | 0 | 69 | 4th in Central | Missed playoffs |
| NSH | 2002–03 | 82 | 27 | 35 | 13 | 7 | 74 | 4th in Central | Missed playoffs |
| NSH | 2003–04 | 82 | 38 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 91 | 3rd in Central | Lost in first round |
| NSH | 2005–06 | 82 | 49 | 25 | - | 8 | 106 | 2nd in Central | Lost in first round |
| NSH | 2006–07 | 82 | 51 | 23 | - | 8 | 110 | 2nd in Central | Lost in first round |
| NSH | 2007–08 | 82 | 41 | 32 | - | 9 | 91 | 2nd in Central | Lost in first round |
| NSH | 2008–09 | 82 | 40 | 34 | - | 8 | 88 | 5th in Central | Missed playoffs |
| NSH | 2009–10 | 82 | 47 | 29 | - | 6 | 100 | 3rd in Central | Lost in first round |
| NSH | 2010–11 | 82 | 44 | 27 | - | 11 | 99 | 2nd in Central | Lost in second round |
| NSH | 2011-12 | 82 | 48 | 26 | - | 8 | 104 | 2nd in Central | Lost in second round |
| NSH | 2012-13 | 48 | 16 | 23 | - | 9 | 41 | 5th in Central | Missed playoffs |
| Total | 1114 | 519 | 447 | 60 | 88 | ||||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Pirates Hall of Fame – Barry Trotz, Head Coach". Portland Pirates.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Barry Trotz: Head Coach". Predators.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ Edward D. Murphy (2010-03-23). "Pirates, arena on a short lease, The team will stay in Portland for two years, but keep exploring other venues.". Press Herald. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ "Nashville Predators Timeline". WSMV-TV. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ "Crisp & Weber Added to The Palm's Wall of Honor". Predators.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ "2007 NHL Playoff Summary". Hockey Reference.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ Kevin Allen (January 4, 2010). "Poile, Trotz find ways to keep Predators competitive on a budget". USA Today.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
| Preceded by Position created |
Head coach of the Nashville Predators 1998–present |
Incumbent |
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