Earlier this season, Barry Trotz left the door open to returning behind an NHL bench this season but it appears that he has closed his mind to that idea. Speaking with Daren Millard on The Chirp podcast (audio link), the veteran bench boss acknowledged that he has had calls from teams but that he just isn’t ready to get back to coaching just yet:
I don’t know yet. I’m deciding. There’s a couple of 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’m going to continue to stay true to myself and my family right now.
Back in October, Trotz had suggested that an opportunity with an Original Six franchise might give him the spark he was looking for. However, at this point, it’s unlikely that an opportunity with one of those teams is going to materialize in the coming months which takes that option off the table.
This is the first time that Trotz has had any sort of family time during the season as he had previously spent the last 23 seasons behind the bench between the Predators, Capitals, and Islanders. The 60-year-old was offered the job in Winnipeg during the offseason but declined with the Jets then turning to Rick Bowness, a choice that has worked out quite well for them so far. Trotz has the third-most wins in NHL history with 912 and when he wants to come back, he’ll almost certainly have a chance to add to that number. But by choice, that chance isn’t likely to come this season.
There goes a Preds coaching option. :/
@Gbear—Hi, Mr. Black Cloud! What have you done with Pete? If Pete & Hal get paired up again, the team’s fortunes will turn for the best, or my name isn’t… Joe Isuzu! :)
@Mac – The Preds announcing lineup has been as much of a hodge podge as the Preds lineup is. :/
Pete really seems to be having trouble keeping up with the play on the ice lately. May be time for a well earned retirement.
@Gbear—That would be a shame. I really liked listening to both guys, but I’ve never been able to get in on the start of pre-game to see who is on the call and who is not. The European Friendship Tour was a bit of a surprise when Crispy was with Pete, then an article said Hal was going to be doing other things (reminded me of the turmoil in Chicago). Just a few months earlier, they had announced Crispy’s retirement, then he shows up again, making you question what their TV/Radio plans really are. Then, their TV-side director gets to move on to a national gig, so it seems like they may have lost a rudder or two when that water main broke.
@Gbear—You can now officially blame Marek for the Curse of the Cats—“Man, Nashville is in a bad way!”
@Mac – I have an idea: Have Hynes do the play by play one night to see just how bad his systems really are from up high in the press box! :D