Canadiens Need To Look Into Bringing In Barry Trotz

Oct 14, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz walks off the ice after the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz walks off the ice after the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Monday morning saw a bombshell drop in the NHL as the New York Islanders announced the firing of head coach Barry Trotz. The shocking news is one the Montreal Canadiens should look at very seriously.

A perfect world would see Trotz suddenly agreeing to assist Martin St. Louis behind the bench. This would add the Canadiens a wealth of experience: a two time Jack Adams Trophy winner (Washington and Islanders), a Stanley Cup winner (Washington) and possibly one of the most intelligent minds in hockey.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings who are without a coach, and Trotz’s hometown Winnipeg Jets who still have the interim tag on Dave Lowry will certainly be teams looking into hiring the 59 year old coach.

Darren Dreger of TSN revealed shortly after the firing of Trotz from the Islanders that the coach might be considering a role in front office management.

Once again, this is something that many teams will consider, given once again the experience that Trotz holds.

If this is indeed something that Trotz is considering, then it truly means that his coaching days might be over. That being said, he would definitely be an excellent addition to the Canadiens’ front office.

With Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton giving chances to the likes of Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis to further their careers, having Trotz brought in a similar role as Lecavalier could be something the newly unemployed veteran could look into. Having him stay at home with his family while he works as a Special Assistant to the General Manager is exactly what Lecavalier is doing from his home in Florida.

Barry Trotz’s NHL coaching career began in 1998 when he was hired by the Nashville Predators as their first head coach in franchise history. In 23 seasons in the NHL with 1812 games behind the bench, Trotz amassed a 914-670-60 record with a .567 win percentage.

His 914 wins ranks third all time in NHL history. Joel Quenneville ranks second with 969 wins while Scotty Bowman still sits comfortably in first place with 1244 wins.

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