Barry Trotz is to thank for fueling the NY Islanders resurgence of success

1 of 2

It all happened so fast. One minute, Alex Ovechkin was skating around the ice in Las Vegas holding the Stanley Cup high. Two weeks later, the Head Coach of the 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals had a new job. Within minutes of the Capitals' decision to let future Hall of Famer Barry Trotz explore other options, Lou Lamoriello was picking up his phone. Trotz apparently did not need much convincing, as three days later, he signed a five-year contract worth $20M with the NY Islanders.

When the Islanders brought Lamoriello and Trotz onboard in the summer of 2018, the franchise was at a crossroads. The coaching staff had the team playing unstructured pond hockey, and were not up to the task of guiding the franchise the way it needed to be guided. Not to mention the fact that captain John Tavares was due to be a UFA ten days after Trotz signed his contract with the Isles. Needless to say, there was a lot going on.

Barry Trotz certainly had his plate full when he joined the NY Islanders in the summer of 2018. / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

After Tavares decided to leave for Toronto, the anxiety amongst the fanbase was palpable. The future was extremely uncertain. Barry Trotz was ready to teach the Isles his first lesson: nobody is going to cry for you when you face adversity. Everyone faces adversity, and you've just got to keep your eyes on the prize and never stop putting in the work. So Trotz exemplified that next-man-up attitude by immediately naming Anders Lee the new captain and reminding players like Brock Nelson that Tavares's departure was an opportunity to step up and fill a more important role. For what it's worth, since Trotz's hire, Nelson has been the team's most consistent performer, currently on pace for his third-straight 35-goal season.

And that focus on team over self became the Islanders mantra for the next four seasons. It doesn't matter who is hurt, or who you're playing, or what happened yesterday. The Islanders expected to win every night. This was a new standard and expectation for the organization, and one that was sorely needed. Trotz made that clear very early on, before his first game against his old team, the defending champion Capitals.

When Barry Trotz received his 2018 Stanley Cup ring, he told the Caps that if they wanted to win another one, they would "have to go through the Island." He was extremely serious. / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

In November 2018, when Trotz reunited with the Caps to receive his Stanley Cup ring, he famously told them that while they were capable of winning another Cup, "[they'd] have to go through the f****** Island." While Trotz was praised for such a cool statement, not many people around the hockey world took it seriously. But Trotz wasn't kidding. The standards and expectations had changed on Long Island for good.

The 2017-2018 Islanders were a bit of a dumpster fire when it came to defense. In fact, they were the worst defensive team in the NHL. They allowed the most goals in the league. With Trotz at the helm in 2018-2019, the Islanders became the first team in NHL history- including 100+ years ago when there were four teams- to go from giving up the most goals in the league one year to giving up the fewest goals against the next year. It was a magnificent, unbelievable turnaround led by the best coach in the league.

Over the next three seasons, the Islanders would win six playoff series, culminating in back-to-back Eastern Conference finals appearances against the dynastic Tampa Bay Lightning, who unfortunately the Isles could not topple. But for fans of a certain age (born mid-80s on), this level of success was unprecendented. In the previous 25 seasons, the Isles had won one measly playoff series.

Barry Trotz gave the Islanders and their fans hope and success at the exact time those things seemed unattainable. He is without question the second greatest coach in the history of the Islanders, and deserves to be remembered as one of the all-time great Islanders. He rejuvenated a fanbase, inspired a hockey team, and always got the best out of himself and his players.

Personally, Trotz showed me that hockey is a lot like life. You will face different hardships every day, but with structure and confidence, you can overcome anything. The best offense is often a good defense. How bring prepared and putting in the hard work is the best and only way to find success. The next-man up attitude, and how sometimes people need time and a different approach to reach their potential (like Nelson and Adam Pelech).

When Trotz and the Islanders parted ways, many fans felt immense sadness. Regardless of the reason for the firing, Trotz is currently and will be forever remembered fondly by the New York Islanders fan base.

Tonight, the Islanders will face off against their former bench boss for the first time - but he won't be behind the bench, instead sitting among the Nashville Predators brass as the second GM in the organization's history.

So thank you for all you did for us, Barry. And I'm certain that if the Islanders want to win a Stanley Cup anytime soon, they will have to go through f****** Music City.

manual

Home / NY Islanders News