Barry Trotz ready to return behind the bench when the opportunity arises
After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018, the New York Islanders fired head coach Barry Trotz and replaced him with Lane Lambert, who was an associate coach on Trotz's staff.
There were plenty of teams looking to hire Trotz in the off-season, including the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets, as TSN's Pierre LeBrun pointed out on Thursday's edition of Insider Trading.
LeBrun also mentioned that Trotz is ready and willing to return to an NHL bench if the opportunity comes up, whether it be during the season or next summer.
He added, "I caught up with Trotz yesterday and as difficult as that decision was, to put his career on hold, he knows it was the right decision. He had a really busy summer attending to family matters, going to Manitoba to help his dad pack up their home of 60 years, and losing his mother back in January so a lot going on in his life, he made the right call. But know this: Trotz feels re-energized, refreshed, and he intends to coach again in the NHL. Obviously, no opportunity right now but when the time comes - whether that's a coaching fire this season or the off-season carousel - Trotz is ready to go."
Trotz, 60, has spent parts of 24 seasons as a head coach in the National Hockey League with the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders. He currently sits third on the all-time coaching wins list with 914, 55 wins behind Joel Quenneville. In 2018, Trotz led the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Source: Pierre LeBrun - Insider Trading
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MAY 18, 2026
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