Barry Trotz won’t be returning as the Nashville Predators coach next season. The team announced on Monday that they have told Trotz that his contract won’t be renewed.
The Predators hired Trotz in August of 1997. Trotz has coached 1,196 games with the Predators. That’s the second longest active coaching tenure in the four major sports, behind Greg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. In the last eight years Trotz has led the Predators to the playoffs seven times. He has gone to two conference semifinals and has a 21-21-7 record in the playoffs, according to the Associated Press. This season the Predators missed the playoffs for the second straight year, the first time that has happened since the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
''Our organization has high expectations and we have not met them in the past two seasons,'' Predators general manager David Poile said in a statement. ''As a result, it is my decision and determination that we need a new voice and a new direction. ... Our goal is to return to the playoffs with the ultimate goal of contending for the Stanley Cup. We know that once we get into the playoffs, anything is possible.''
Poile went on to say, "I also want to thank Barry for everything he has done for our franchise. He has been the face and voice of our team for 15 years. He created, developed and lived The Predator Way -- on the ice, in the office and in the community. There could be no finer ambassador for the Predators or Nashville than Barry Trotz. He has laid a foundation and culture that will benefit the next coach of the Nashville Predators."
Trotz’s contract expires on June 30. He has been a coach in the NHL for 15 years, which is the longest tenure of any NHL coach. He has 557 wins, which puts him 13th on the NHL’s all-time wins list, 479 losses, and 60 ties, according to Fox Sports. He is a two-time finalist for the Jack Adams Award, which is awarded to the top coach in the NHL.
Paul Maurice, Peter Laviolette, and Predators assistant coach Phil Housley are potential candidate to replace Trotz. Trotz is being offered a job in the Predators hockey operations department, but he could be sought after by other teams.