Barry Trotz Named The Washington Capitals New Head Coach

Just as I had hinted at earlier today, the Washington have now moved past the preliminary talks and closed on a deal to make Barry Trotz the Capitals’ 17^th head coach. The decision was announced just a short while ago and Trotz will hope to make a major impact as he will begin his first season as the Capitals new bench coach.

Trotz spent the last 15 seasons as the headman of the Nashville Predators. Prior to his dismissal over the offseason, he was the longest tenured head coach in all of the NHL and the only coach in the history of the Predators franchise. The 51 year old has established himself as one of the premier coaches in hockey after sitting third in games coached and wins with one franchise. Along with the hiring of Trotz, the Capitals also promoted Brian MacLellan to general manager.

MacLellan spent the last 13 seasons with the Washington organization and the last seven years as the assistant general manager. This allowed him to see the inner workings of the organization primarily overseeing the scouting staff and the team’s AHL affiliate, Hersey Bears. Also, the Quebec native spent ten seasons in the NHL playing for five different teams highlighted by a Stanley cup championship in 1989.

The newly hired pair will hope to finally help the organization break through its playoff struggles and capture the ultimate prize.