Islanders hire Trotz as new coach
The Islanders’ new regime is coming with a newly-minted Stanley Cup coach.
The Islanders announced Thursday afternoon that they have hired Barry Trotz to be their first man behind the bench in the Lou Lamoriello era.
The deal comes just three days after Trotz stunningly resigned as Capitals head coach following their five-game Stanley Cup win over the Vegas Golden Knights. The Islanders did not disclose terms of Trotz’s contract, but according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, it is expected to be for five years that pays him at least $4 million per season.
Trotz, 55, was in the final year of his contract with Washington, which included a clause that gave him the option to extend his deal for two years with a $300,000 salary bump if he won a Stanley Cup.
He was reportedly making $1.5 million, which even with the raise would have put him well below what the NHL’s highest-paid coaches earn.
Ultimately Trotz was reportedly unable to renegotiate his contract and opted to part ways with the Caps after both he and the team won their first Cup title.
Trotz, a former defenseman in the Western Hockey League, began his NHL coaching career as the Nashville Predators’ first head coach from 1998-2014.
He joined the Capitals the following year, helming the team to the playoffs in each of his four seasons in Washington.
Trotz earned the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year following the 2015-16 season, the first of two straight years in which the Capitals won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the best record in the NHL.
His 205-89-34 record is the best in the NHL since the 2014-15 season.