Barry Trotz Wins His 700th Career NHL Game

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Jon Sorensen
FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2016, file photo, Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz smiles in the bench in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers in Washington. It looks like Washington is running away with the No. 1 seed in the East, but Trotz insists his team won’t be complacent in the second half of the NHL season. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

Barry Trotz has been an NHL head coach for 18 years and it all started with the Nashville Predators back in the 1997-98 season. Now the head coach of the Capitals, he has notched his 700th career win as an NHL head coach. 

trotz-700-wins-tableBarry Trotz won 557 games during his time as the head coach of the Predators, and since coming to the Capitals, has continued to prove why he is one of the NHL’s all-time greatest bench bosses. With the Capitals earning a victory over the New York Rangers tonight, Trotz earned his aforementioned 700th career win as an NHL head coach. He is the only the sixth coach in the history of the NHL to reach the seventh century mark in wins, joining Scotty Bowman (1,244), Joel Quenneville (840*), Al Arbour (782), Ken Hitchcock (781), and Lindy Ruff (726*). Trotz is sixth on the all-time wins list behind Bowman, Quenneville, Arbour, Hitchcock, and Ruff. (*=still coaching). To put that achievement into perspective, there have been a total of 363 head coaches in the 100-year history of the National Hockey League, per Hockey Reference.

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Trotz was hired as the 17th head coach in Capitals history on May 26, 2014, and along with General Manager Brian MacLellan, has transformed the Caps into the best team in the NHL two years running. Already in his third season behind the bench, the Capitals have gone 142-57-26 (.689 win percentage) and set a franchise record in wins last season with 56. The Capitals have become a better all-around team under Trotz and they are among the best defensive and offensive clubs in the league this season as they look to capture their first Stanley Cup.

After almost 18 full seasons behind an NHL bench, the 54-year old Trotz has shown no indication he’s ready to stop. By the time he’s finished, he could be among the Top 3 in all-time wins. And if he accomplishes that, the Washington Capitals can proudly say they were coached by an all-time great.

NoVa Caps congratulates Barry on this historic and monumental accomplishment!

By Jon Sorensen

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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