Days after making a huge announcement in his career, Barry Trotz traveled north for the Washington Capitals’ game against the Nashville Predators, Thursday.
With 11:51 remaining in the first period, Trotz’s presence was announced to the Capital One Arena crowd during a stoppage in play. Not only did the Predators’ GM receive a loud ovation from fans, but Capitals players and coaches, including Spencer Carbery, also showed their respect from the bench.
“Please join us in recognizing the head coach who led the Washington Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2018, Barry Trotz,” Capitals PA announcer Wes Johnson said. “After 26 years in the National Hockey League and 40 years working in hockey, we congratulate him on his upcoming retirement and an incredible career defined by leadership, integrity, and character. We wish him all the best in his next chapter. Caps fans, let’s hear it one more time, a big round of applause for Barry Trotz.”
Trotz’s honor from the Capitals comes four days after he announced he would be retiring as Predators GM. During a press conference, the 63-year-old said he would remain in his role while a search for a replacement was conducted and would stay with the team as an adviser.
“I’ve been in pro sports in some shape or form probably for 40 years now, and there comes a time when you realize that a lot of the stuff you’ve done and you’ve been immersed, you can’t be sometimes present in both places,” Trotz said per NHL.com. “You can’t be present in your job, and you can’t be present at home. I just felt there’s an end date.
“There’s a responsibility that I feel to my family. I think you see your kids grow up, I’m very proud of my kids. Now they’re getting married, [I’ve] got grandkids now. You’re missing a lot of the dates. In this business, our kids very seldom have their birthdays on their birthdays; seldom am I present even at their birthdays sometimes. Those things that we always had to change, we did all of that. Now you’ve got grandkids, you’ve got all that, it becomes a little bit more real. A little bit of mortality, if you will … I don’t know if I’m going to be here tomorrow, and so I want to have some of those things with my family.”
Trotz served as head coach of the Capitals for four seasons from 2014 through 2018, compiling a 205-89-34 regular-season record and leading the team to its first Stanley Cup in 2018. During his tenure, Trotz led the team to three Metropolitan Division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies, and never finished with fewer than 101 points. He was also named the winner of the 2015-16 Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year.
Before arriving in DC, Trotz was the inaugural head coach of the Predators, spending 15 years in Music City. Trotz also served as a scout for the Washington Capitals for four seasons (1988-1991), and coached the AHL’s Baltimore Skipjacks and Portland Pirates in the 90s.
Ahead of his honor on Thursday, Trotz was spotted by some fans roaming the Capital One Arena concourse alone.
📸: Jeremy A. (@jmalexander21/X)
“I shook his hand firmly and said, ‘You took us somewhere I never thought we would ever be. Thank you,’” Jeremy A. said. “I was so star-struck like a little kid meeting Taylor Swift, but I think he said, ‘It was quite the ride.’”