Three Potential Winnipeg Jets Head Coaches Next Season
1. Manitoba born Barry Trotz
Barry Trotz has strong ties to the province of Manitoba. He was born in Dauphin, Manitoba where he played junior hockey. He began his coaching career with the University of Manitoba and his home town Dauphin Kings.
After spending some time as a head coach in the AHL, general manager David Poile chose Trotz to be the first head coach of the expansion Nashville Predators. Trotz coached the Predators for 1196 NHL regular season games, and made the playoffs seven times.
His greatest NHL success came at his next stop as head coach with the Washington Capitals for four seasons. In his final season with that team in 2018 Trotz won a Stanley Cup over the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, the team that defeated the Jets in the Western Conference Final.
The Stanley Cup win made Trotz a hot coaching commodity and he ended signing with the New York Islanders where he has been head coach since 2018. Trotz’s seat is warming up as the Islanders are currently in last place in the Metropolitan Division after making it to the conference finals last season.
Trotz would be considered a long shot candidate to coach the Jets as his reputation may buy him some time with the Islanders despite their struggles, and he is more of a high priced head coach than the Jets typically consider.
However, if the Islanders fired Trotz, the appeal for both sides might be strong. A Stanley Cup winning, two-time Jack Adam’s Award winning, Manitoba born coach who returns home to coach the Jets would be a great story.
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