Ahead of Golden Hall Induction, Trotz Reminisces on Time With Nashville, Thanks Preds Fans for Support

How much do the Nashville Predators mean to Barry Trotz?

Well, he’s got ink. 

“It means a lot to be a part of this franchise, because I spent a lot of time here, and [I consider it to be] my franchise,” Trotz said. “And when you talk about tattoos on your body, this franchise is tattooed on my body.”

That appreciation will be reciprocated back to Trotz on Thursday evening when the organization inducts their former head coach and general manager into the Preds Golden Hall as the sole member of the Class of 2026. 

Trotz will join Nashville legends David Poile, Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber, Pete Weber and Terry Crisp as members of the Hall in its third season of existence as a way to honor those who have made an indelible impact in franchise history. 

And when it comes to Trotz, he’s done as much as anyone to help hockey thrive in Tennessee. 

The first head coach in team history, Trotz was behind the Predators bench for the club’s first 15 seasons of existence and took them from the bottom of the standings in the early days to one of the League’s perennial playoff clubs. 

After departing for coaching jobs in Washington and Long Island, Trotz returned to Nashville in 2023 to succeed Poile as the team’s second general manager, a role he held for three more seasons until he announced his plans to retire last winter. 

In total, he spent almost two decades in an official capacity with the club that saw him become one of the game’s elite coaches - and solidify his spot on an all-time list where he ranks fifth in NHL history with 914 coaching victories. 

That number would’ve been tough to imagine when Poile hired Trotz to run the Preds bench back in 1998, and as most do, it wasn’t long before he fell in love with his new team and city. 

“This franchise, to me, is everything, really,” Trotz said ahead of his induction. “It gave me an opportunity…and probably the number one thing is seeing where it started and where it ended up. Where it started was in a non-traditional market, not knowing if we were going to make it. I mean, history was that we were moving to Hamilton, [Ontario], and it was able to stay, stabilize, have success, and now it is a big part of the community. That, to me, is everything because this is my home.”

Born in Dauphin, Manitoba, Trotz began his coaching career as an assistant with the University of Manitoba in 1984. From there, he rose the ranks as a coach and a scout before landing head coaching jobs with the Baltimore Skipjacks, and then the Portland Pirates, of the American Hockey League. 

In 1997, Poile called and changed his life forever. 

“David hired me, and I was one of the first four or five employees,” Trotz recalled. “I mean, our offices were a big room. There's wires hanging from the ceiling onto a phone on a temporary table, and you’re going, ‘How are we going to become a franchise?’ And now a number of years later, and it's a wonderful franchise, and I got to see it from the ground up. I mean, I was part of ordering the color of the carpets back then, and designing dressing rooms and stuff.”

Trotz’s interior design work went just fine, but his abilities behind the bench to always keep the Preds competitive, even in those first few seasons, endeared him to the Nashville faithful. 

But there was also another directive, especially in the early days, that entwined the franchise to the fanbase and formed a connection between team and city that most organizations can only dream of. 

“I come from a small town, and you always helped out in any community endeavors,” Trotz said. “One of the mandates when we came here is we knew that we were going to have to build this franchise one person at a time, one fan at a time, be a part of the community… I think we embraced it early, and I got energy from it. I always felt that when we got out in the community, I came more energized to the rink even, and then obviously you get passionate about certain things when you get out in the community and you see some of the non-profits or some of the organizations in need. It touches your heartstrings a little bit, and you get involved. And when I got involved, I tried to get quite involved, and I got energy from it. Even though it took some time and it probably pulled you away from different things, it gave me balance, I think, as a coach and hopefully as a person.”

The bond that was forged between Trotz, his players and Preds fans helped turn Bridgestone Arena into a venue that continues to boast one of the League’s best atmospheres - and over time, the rest of the NHL took notice. 

“It's a destination,” Trotz said of Nashville. “Early on, not too many free agents would say, "Hey, I want to go to Nashville." Now, I am pretty sure that probably 99.9 percent of the NHL that has any trade protection, we’re probably not on it, which says a lot about the organization. It says a lot about the city and where we've lived, and hopefully something that we've created.”

Singling out a particular moment as his favorite is a nearly impossible task for Trotz. Of course the franchise’s first game comes to mind, as well as Nashville’s first playoff series win back in 2011. 

But more than the games or the wins or the accolades, Trotz looks back on his time in hockey - and especially with the Predators - and remembers the people he shared those moments with. 

“To me, what I remember about more than the moments are the relationships - relationships with your players, your trainers, your management, people around the rink,” Trotz said. “I mean, I love the people around the rink… I walk downstairs and you run into people and all those relationships, all those good times that you had, those are the things that you remember. It's not necessarily every game or whatever, it’s the long-term relationships that you have. You go see someone that you haven't seen for a while, it’s pretty special and it's fun.”

Although he’s admittedly busier than he thought he might be in retirement - “I'm a big Home Depot guy. I’m there at least once a day, it seems,” - Trotz has gotten back time to spend with family and friends in recent months, like being able to be with his father in his final two weeks of life. 

Trotz is grateful for instances like that, and while he looks forward to the life he still has ahead, he doesn’t regret any of the time he spent around the game he holds dear. And as far as Nashville is concerned, he doesn’t plan on going anywhere, even during the summer months. 

“This is a great franchise, it’s got great ownership, it’s in a great city, and the weather is my favorite,” Trotz said. “It’s got fantastic weather. I’m a northern Manitoba guy, and I don't like northern Manitoba anymore. I'm a southern guy. You can say what you want, but I love the weather. I love the heat. If anybody complains about it being 1,000 degrees in the summer, then go live in the winter in northern Manitoba.”

Another perk of residing in Nashville? Running into Preds fans, whether he’s at Bridgestone Arena, his local home improvement store or anywhere in between. 

That’s the thing for Trotz in this town. Yes, it was about hockey, but it was always about the people, too. And so when he gives his speech on Thursday night before puck drop between the Preds and the Capitals, forgive him if he gets a bit emotional. 

There’s no place quite like Smashville, and it wouldn’t be what it is today without Trotz. 

And he feels the same about all of you. 

“Thanks for sticking with me,” Trotz said. “In the early years there were some lean years, and I appreciate that. I appreciate their honesty. I appreciate their kindness… Thank you for your kindness, thank you for your loyalty, thank you for being part of a great community - and making it my home.

“To all the Preds fans, you've got great leadership [with the new management group]. You're going to have a really good team, and I just want to thank everybody out there for making Nashville my home.”