Monday’s news of Barry Trotz resigning as Washington’s head coach was surprising considering the team had just won the Stanley Cup. However, as the Washington Post reported, Trotz was almost fired in November. To get a full scope of this, we have to go back to the day Trotz was announced as the head coach.
Trotz was named coach the same day as Brian MacLellan was named General Manager. Meaning, Trotz’s hiring was not done by MacLellan but rather by owner Ted Leonsis and president of hockey operations Dick Patrick.