Barry Trotz said it’s unlikely he returns to coaching this season while he continues to take care of family matters.
“I don’t know yet,” the 60-year-old said on the latest episode of “The Chirp with Daren Millard” podcast. “I’m deciding. There’s a couple teams that reached out and I said I’m not there yet. I’m probably going to take the rest of the year off and see where I am. It’s still a part of me but I I’m going to continue to stay true to myself and my family right now.”
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Trotz is second in NHL history in games coached (1,812), behind Scotty Bowman (2,141) and third with 914 wins, behind Bowman (1,244) and Joel Quenneville (969). He has coached 23 NHL seasons with the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders. He won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 and the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2016 and 2019. He was fired as coach of the Islanders on May 9.
After he told the Winnipeg Jets in June that he could not coach this season, he explained to NHL.com his reasons.
[RELATED: Ovechkin joins 800-goal club]
“I’ve got some things personally that I’ve got to take care of, family-wise that I’ve got to take care of,” Trotz said then. “I didn’t feel… if I’d said I’ll take the job, I think I would have done any team a little bit of a disservice and myself a disservice because to be a coach in the NHL, it is demanding and it requires your all. It just does, emotionally it just does, mentally it just does. So I couldn’t go down that path.”
Trotz also discussed one of his former players, the Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkinbecoming the third player ever to reach 800 goals Tuesday, and having Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 in sight.
“The Chirp with Daren Millard” features interviews with players, executives, alumni and other personalities around the game. You can share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #ChirpMallard.
Listen: “The Chirp with Daren Millard” podcast on Trotz
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