Trotz resigns as coach of Stanley Cup-winning Capitals
Barry Trotz abruptly stepped down as coach of the Washington Capitals on Monday after failing to agree to terms on a new contract, leaving the newly minted Stanley Cup champions without a coach with the draft coming up later this week and free agency opening next month.
Winning the Cup less than two weeks ago triggered a two-year extension for Trotz that would have given him a slight bump in salary to just over $2 million, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce the extension. Trotz and the team could not agree on an annual salary that would have put him in line with other Cup-winning coaches. Toronto’s Mike Babcock makes the most at $6.25 million, Chicago’s Joel Quenneville is next at $6 million and Montreal’s Claude Julien brings in $5 million.
“After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I am tion,” Trotz said. “When I came to Washington four years ago we had one goal in mind and that was to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital. We had an incredible run this season culminating with our players and staff achieving our goal and sharing the excitement with our fans.”
In a statement, the team thanked Trotz for the past four years and said it was grateful for his leadership and accomplishments. General manager Brian MacLellan was expected to address reporters later Monday.
The 55-year-old Trotz went into the season with an uncertain future after ownership and MacLellan declined to talk about a contract extension last summer after backto-back Presidents’ Trophy-winning seasons that ended with second-round exits.
As part of the uneasy arrangement, associate coach Todd Reirden — who was not allowed to interview with other teams last summer — remained on staff and was considered the coach-inwaiting. Reirden is now the leading candidate to replace Trotz, who coaching market.