The Washington Capitals’ 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils Saturday night was the 737th win of coach Barry Trotz’s career, making him the fifth-winningest coach in NHL history.
When asked what the accomplishment meant to him, Trotz initially said it meant just one thing — that he’s getting old.
“That I’ve lost my hair, I’ve turned grey, I’ve gotten old,” he said, per Yahoo Sports.
Now in his 19th season of coaching, Trotz took over the Capitals in 2014 after 15 seasons at the helm of the Nashville Predators. Washington holds a 180-76-30 record during Trotz’s tenure, winning the President’s Trophy twice.
“I’ve been blessed to be in this game a long time,” Trotz went on to say. “To be in this game a long time, you have to have someone who trusts you to lead the charge if you will, build a culture. You have to have good players. And you’ve got to have a good staff and I’ve been very blessed to have all of the above in having some longevity.”
Trotz needs 45 wins to match Hall of Famer Al Arbour’s mark of 782 career victories. However, he has a large mountain to climb if he’s ever to catch the NHL’s winningest coach Scotty Bowman, who won 1,244 games in a career that lasted more than three decades.
• Josh Luckenbaugh can be reached at jluckenbaugh@washingtontimes.com.
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