Barry Trotz came to the Capitals in 2014 after they had failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07. Trotz was the head coach of the Nashville Predators for fifteen years prior and shared the frustration of never advancing past the second round of the playoffs.
It took four years to get there, but eventually, Trotz led the Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship and win. That journey was full of its own joys and special moments, and it’s worth looking back on them as Trotz makes his return to Capital One Arena with the New York Islanders.
Meeting the Family
Barry Trotz’s team-as-family ethos was a hallmark of his coaching philosophy and his family-as-family is wonderful. They gave back to DC with charity activities like marching in the DC Pride Parade and “Strollin’ with Nolan” friendship walk.
His Eyebrows Dancing
Heh.
Video: @HockeyRobotThing
Return to Nashville & Best Buddies
Barry Trotz attended the 2016 All-Star Game as the coach of the Metropolitan division. He revisited many of his old stomping grounds during his celebratory return to Nashville, including a stop to see some of his best buddies.
Best Buddies International is a non-profit that helps develop friendships and new life opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They hold an annual prom which Predators’ goaltender Pekka Rinne attended in 2018 after being connected with the program through Trotz. Trotz’s support during the program’s early years helped it survive and his continued support has helped it grow.
After his tenure with the Predators ended, the franchise made a $25,000 donation in his honor, helping to cement Trotz’s legacy there. His impact through Best Buddies stretched around the world and to the “Capital region,” where the Trotz family, and the Capitals family, marched together to raised money and awareness.
What the Puck
Ow.
Dancing with Jojo’s dad
Which stage of processing grief do we need to be in before we can watch this and enjoy it instead of just feeling sad about all the happy lovely awesome people who aren’t part of the team anymore?
TJ Ouchie
Trotz almost got smushed by an overly-enthusiastic hockey player who was too happy to control himself and somehow it wasn’t Alex Ovechkin.
The Hot Lap
Remember this? The playoff ritual went from Jay Beagle, to Alex Ovechkin, to Barry Trotz. Trotz was asked by the team to participate ahead of Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It worked out preeetty okay in the end.
Flashback: Summer, 2014
An old picture of Trotz, champagne-soaked and celebratory after a Calder Cup championship win, helped cement Trotz’s decision to come to DC and make that dream come true on an even bigger scale.
After accepting a telephone offer to become the coach of the Washington Capitals, Barry Trotz wanted to know he had made the right decision, so his wife told him to seek signs of affirmation. He found them stuffed into a box.
As they were cleaning out closets in their Nashville home, preparing to change cities for the first time in almost two decades, Trotz came across a box containing old vacation snapshots of the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument; a Capitals T-shirt his daughter Shalan, now in her 20s, used to wear as a toddler; a copy of Trotz’s 1987 contract with Washington’s American Hockey League affiliate in Baltimore; and a picture of Trotz — shirtless and drenched in champagne, puffing a cigar and clutching a beer — celebrating the Calder Cup championship a year later, when the AHL club had moved to Portland, Maine.
“Everything we did seemed to point to Washington,” Trotz said.
Story by Alex Prewitt for the Washington Post
Did Trotz’s picture point him in the right direction? All signs point to: yes.
Championship shower for Coach! #StanleyCup #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/ycu7CNtg9E
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 8, 2018
Bonus Hair Highlight
BARRY TROTZ USED TO HAVE HAIR? WHAT???????? WHAT THE–WHO IS THIS FUZZY EGG MAN.
You can keep him, New York.
…as long as we get to keep visitation rights.
Oh yeah, this ol’ thing
Barry Trotz is a Stanley Cup Champion.
What do you think? Anything we missed that meant a lot to you?
