Barry Trotz is stepping down as GM of the Nashville Predators, the team announced Monday.
Trotz, 63, will stay on as GM until his successor is hired. He became GM of the team on July 1, 2023, taking over for Hockey Hall of Famer David Poile, who had been GM since the team’s expansion entry in 1997.
“After working for 40 years in professional sports and 26 years in the National Hockey League, including the past three as the general manager of the Nashville Predators, I told Bill Haslam in December that I would be stepping away at the conclusion of my contract at the end of the 2026-27 season,” Trotz said in a news release. “After some discussion, we elected to begin a search for my replacement now, but I am happy to work in my current role until we make a new hire, however long that might be.”
Trotz is a beloved figure in Nashville. The organization’s first head coach, he was behind the Preds bench from the team’s first-ever game in October 1998 through April 2014.
He made the rare head-coach-to-GM transition three years ago after replacing Poile. Trotz made headlines on July 1, 2024, making splashy free-agent signings in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. However, the team struggled last season and missed the playoffs. The Predators again stumbled out of the gates this season before finding their footing to get back in the playoff race. They sit four points out of a playoff spot as of Monday.
“We can’t thank Barry enough for his contributions to the organization since he returned as our general manager,” said Bill Haslam, Predators chairman and majority owner, in a release. “As we look forward to our future, I am pleased that Barry has agreed to join us in the selection of a new leader for our hockey operations department while working through his contract as an advisor.”
Trotz, who coached the Washington Capitals to a Stanley Cup championship in 2017-18, sits fifth in NHL history with 914 coaching wins.