Barry Trotz has announced his resignation as head coach of the Washington Capitals, 11 days after winning the Stanley Cup.
The 55-year-old coach entered the 2017-18 NHL season on the final year of a four-year contract, and had hopes of negotiating a new deal after leading the Caps to the first Stanley Cup championship in the organization's 44-year history. "We'll get something done," Trotz told 106.7 The Fan last week.
"Barry Trotz informed the organization today of his decision to resign as head coach of the Washington Capitals," the team said in a release on Monday. "We are obviously disappointed by Barry's decision, but would like to thank Barry for all his efforts the past four years and for helping bring the Stanley Cup to Washington. Barry is a man of high character and integrity and we are grateful for his leadership and for all that he has done for our franchise."
Trotz released his own statement, which reads as follows, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman:
"After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I am officially announcing my resignation as Head Coach of the Washington Capitals. 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. I would like to thank Mr. Leonsis, Dick Patrick and Brian MacLellan, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great organization. I would also like to thank our players and staff who worked tirelessly every day to achieve our success."
But they could not come to terms. Trotz is now a free agent, as WASH will grant permission to other teams who want to talk to him. 3/3
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 18, 2018Barry Trotz had a clause in his contract where if he won the Stanley Cup he could accept a two-year extension with a $300k bump in salary. Obviously since he was only making $1.5M, low by today's NHL coach's standards, a $1.8-million salary doesn't cut it. So Trotz stepped down.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 18, 2018The Capitals could turn to associate coach Todd Reirden, who the organization has blocked from interviewing for head coaching opportunities in the past. An up-and-coming head-coaching candidate in the league, Reirden was believed to be the coach in waiting, which reportedly built tension within the ranks as the Caps limped out of the gate at 10-10 to start the season. Reirden was granted permission last week to interview with other teams.
The New York Islanders are the only team currently with a head coaching vacancy.
You can now add Barry Trotz's name to this list. Considering how few men are on it, his decision to step away from the Capitals is stunning. pic.twitter.com/7JLNMhGWSN
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) June 18, 2018Barry Trotz has resigned as Capitals head coach.Trotz has 762 career wins, 5th-most in NHL history.In 4 seasons under Barry Trotz, the Capitals were 205-89-34, the best record in the league. pic.twitter.com/rOm2Y2RHCB
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 18, 2018Follow @ChrisLingebach and @1067TheFan on Twitter
