Veteran coach Barry Trotz is leaving the Washington Capitals less than two weeks after leading them to the Stanley Cup.
Trotz informed the team of his decision Monday, 11 days after Washington won the championship in five games over the Vegas Golden Knights. It was the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
“After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I am officially announcing my resignation,” Trotz said. “When I came to Washington four years ago we had one goal in mind and that was to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital. We had an incredible run this season culminating with our players and staff achieving our goal and sharing the excitement with our fans.”
The 55-year-old Trotz went into the season without any certainty about his future when ownership and general manager Brian MacLellan last summer opted not to give him a contract extension. Trotz’s situation was a significant story line throughout the Capitals’ playoff run, and MacLellan said the coach would be back if he wanted to.
Asked the day after the championship parade if he was confident of bringing Trotz back on a new contract, MacLellan responded: “I don’t know. We’ll find out.”
In a statement, the team thanked Trotz for his efforts the past four years and said it was grateful for his leadership and accomplishments.
The Capitals went to the playoffs all four year under Trotz, including two Presidents’ Trophy-winning seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17.