Barry Trotz became the Nashville Predators鈥� first coach back in 1997.
Now he will become the team鈥檚 second general manager on July 1.
On Sunday, David Poile announced his plans to retire as GM on June 30 after 26 years with the Predators.
Trotz and Poile were reunited at Bridgestone Arena on Monday as Trotz was introduced as his replacement. Poile, 73, will remain as an adviser.
"It's good to be back home."
Barry Trotz is officially back.
— Bally Sports: Preds (@PredsOnBally)
The two men have known each other for 41 years, dating back to Poile鈥檚 time as the Washington Capitals鈥� GM.
鈥淚t was my first training camp with the Capitals (in 1982) and Barry was an undrafted player,鈥� Poile said of their first meeting.
Trotz was cut, but Washington hired him as a scout before he went into coaching.
He is the NHL鈥檚 third winningest coach with 914 victories, including stints with Washington where he won a Stanley Cup in 2018 and the New York Islanders from 2018-22.
Poile said Trotz, 60, turned down several coaching jobs during the offseason and Poile told Trotz this would be his last season as GM.
鈥淎round, I鈥檇 say, Christmastime, he kind of said I鈥檓 not gonna coach anymore and he said could I talk to you about being a candidate for the GM position,鈥� Poile said. 鈥淎nd from that time it went pretty fast with he and I talking and ownership getting involved, and probably by mid-January we probably had that done.鈥�
Trotz is confident he can make the transition from coach to general manager.
鈥淚 thought long and hard about this,鈥� Trotz said. 鈥淗ow coaches, how managers operate — you鈥檝e got to work together and I鈥檝e always tried to do that with David. He鈥檚 mentored me.鈥�
Nashville made three trades over the weekend, but Trotz plans to reset rather than rebuild.
鈥淲e are resetting, we are collecting assets,鈥� Trotz said. 鈥淭here are some good players. There could be six first-round picks in Milwaukee (Nashville鈥檚 AHL affiliate) next year, so there are people coming.鈥�
Trotz is keeping an open mind about Predators coach John Hynes, who is 121-86-16 in his fourth year in Nashville.
The Predators are six points out of the second wild-card spot after falling in the first round of the playoffs the past three seasons.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in coaching for a long time so I know when a team is well-coached,鈥� Trotz said. 鈥淛ohn is a really good coach. The biggest thing for me is from now until the end of the season, I鈥檓 just gonna evaluate.鈥�
Nashville will host the NHL Draft for the second time in June.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 been able to get that franchise-changing center iceman,鈥� Trotz said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 been that poor to get that and there鈥檚 some luck. There are some guys that changed franchises that got drafted later.鈥�
Trotz will get a chance to help shape the Predators鈥� future at the draft with his input, but cautioned that it requires patience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like football,鈥� Trotz said. 鈥淔ootball, guys are coming out of college. They鈥檙e either 22, 23, 24, 25, and they鈥檙e men. We鈥檙e drafting 18-year-olds.鈥�
Trotz said it takes six years for a lot of draft prospects to make an impact.
Poile exits as the NHL鈥檚 winningest GM with 1,519 victories in 39 years, but Nashville has won only one playoff series since making the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.
鈥淚鈥檝e got two loves in my life: my family and hockey,鈥� Poile said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so lucky.鈥�
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