Bryan Trottier

Last updated

Bryan Trottier
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1997
Bryan Trottier.jpg
Trottier in 2008
Born (1956-07-17) July 17, 1956 (age 68)
Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for New York Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada and
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 22nd overall, 1974
New York Islanders
WHA draft 18th overall, 1974
Cincinnati Stingers
Playing career 19751994

Bryan John Trottier (born July 17, 1956) [1] is a Canadian and American former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two with the Penguins and one as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche. He shares the NHL record for points in a single period with six (four goals and two assists). [2] [3] He is also one of only eight NHL players with multiple five-goal games. In August 2014, Trottier was announced as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres. [4] In 2017, Trottier was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. [5]

Contents

Early life

Trottier grew up in the town of Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada, located between Swift Current and the Montana border with his parents and four siblings. [6] His father was of Cree Métis descent, and his mother is of Irish origin. [7] He experienced racism as a child, but his parents encouraged him to be proud of his native heritage. [8] Trottier has one older sister, Carol, and three younger siblings, Kathy, Monty and Rocky. Monty played professional minor league hockey, and Rocky played in 38 games for the New Jersey Devils. [6]

Growing up in the 1960s, Trottier wanted to be like his idol Jean Béliveau. When he was learning to skate, his father would clear out the dam on the creek across their home with a machete, to create a surface to practice on. [9]

As a child, Trottier played for the Climax Hockey Team in Climax, Saskatchewan and for the Swift Current Broncos as a junior. [10]

Playing career

Trottier claims that without his friend Tiger Williams, he would have dropped out of hockey due to homesickness. Trottier and Tiger became best friends due to the special bond they built early on in their careers/academy. [9]

Nicknamed "Trots," Trottier was drafted in the second round, 22nd overall, by the New York Islanders in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft, the team he played his first 15 seasons in the NHL with. [11] He set an NHL rookie record of 95 points and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year in 1975–76, though the record was later broken by Peter Šťastný of the Quebec Nordiques in 1980–81.

Trottier's best offensive season was 1978–79 when he scored 134 points, earning him the Art Ross Trophy as the League's top scorer, as well as the Hart Memorial Trophy as NHL MVP. In winning the Art Ross, he became the first player from a post-Original Six expansion team to win the award. In that same season, he led the NHL in assists with 87, which he had also done the year before with 77.

Trottier was one of the core players on the Islanders' dynasty teams from the 1980s. He won four Stanley Cups during his time with the Islanders from 1980 to 1983. During New York's first Stanley Cup in 1980, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. In 1981–82, Trottier scored 50 goals, the highest single-season total of his career.

During the early 1980s, when Wayne Gretzky set numerous scoring marks, Islanders broadcaster Stan Fischler and head coach Al Arbour nonetheless maintained that Trottier was the league's best player over Gretzky. Trottier was described as a forward possessing an all-around game including ruggedness and defensive responsibility, and there have been comparisons to Milt Schmidt and Gordie Howe. Arbour stated, "Gretzky is an offensive genius for sure. But at this stage Trots gives you more things. Defensively, he's outstanding. And he's physically tough. He comes up with his 100 points a year, automatically, along with everything else!" [12]

Trottier was often referred to as the "glue" on the Islanders team, centring his fellow stars Clark Gillies and Mike Bossy on a line known as "The Trio Grande." While the 1977–78 season was Bossy's rookie year, the Trio Grande at one point led the NHL in scoring above the top lines of the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Rockies. [13] Other linemates that played with Trottier included John Tonelli, Bob Bourne and Bob Nystrom. Trottier, however, was most known for his dynamic on-ice partnership with Mike Bossy during his prime years with the Islanders until Bossy's early retirement at the end of the 1987 season.

Undaunted by heavy criticism from fellow Canadians,[ citation needed ] Trottier chose to play for the United States in the 1984 Canada Cup tournament, after having previously represented Canada in 1981, because he wanted to pay back the country in which he lived and because his wife was American.[ citation needed ] He was able to obtain the necessary U.S. citizenship in July 1984 because he had Métis ancestry on his father's side (Cree/Chippewa). [14] His North American Indian Card (for which he qualified because his grandmother was a Chippewa) entitled him to citizenship in both the U.S. and Canada, as well as a U.S. passport, which was all he needed for tournament eligibility. [14]

Unlike other star centremen, longevity was not Trottier's hallmark.[ citation needed ] Following his 13th season, his skills seemed to deteriorate precipitously, decreasing from 82 points in 1988 to 45 points just one year later, and 24 points in 1990. [15] After that low output, Islanders management released Trottier from his contract, believing that his best years were behind him and that younger centers such as Pat LaFontaine and Brent Sutter should get his ice time.[ citation needed ] He ranks second in Islanders history in goals, and first in assists and points. It could be noted, however, that even as Trottier's scoring declined, he remained a strong defensive player and team leader. [12]

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Trottier as a free agent to provide experience and leadership to a young team. He won the Stanley Cup for the fifth and sixth times with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992, respectively. Trottier took the 1992–93 season off, returning to the Isles in a front-office capacity, but financial troubles, stemming from poor investments, forced Trottier to return to the ice with the Penguins for the 1993–94 season.[ citation needed ] He retired again following a disappointing final season where he scored just four goals in 41 games. At the time of his retirement, his point total ranked sixth in NHL history.

Coaching and executive career

After serving as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins until 1997, he took a similar position with the Colorado Avalanche, where he won his seventh career Stanley Cup in 2001.

Trottier was named as head coach of the New York Rangers in 2002, much to the ire of Islander fans. However, his brief stint with the Rangers lasted only 54 games, slightly longer than the halfway mark of the season. In addition to receiving criticism from Isles fans who labeled him a traitor, he drew the rage of Ranger fans as well, who felt he misused his offensively-gifted players—such as Eric Lindros and Pavel Bure—by having them play the neutral-zone trap (a defensive tactic used to slow down the opponent, but also limiting the user's offensive chances). At the time of his dismissal at the hands of General Manager Glen Sather, Trottier had coached 54 games, posting a 21–26–6–1 record and a .454 winning percentage. [16]

On June 1, 2006, Trottier returned to the Islanders as the team's executive director of player development. [17]

On July 29, 2014, Trottier was hired as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres. [18]

Legacy

Steve Yzerman considered Trottier his favourite player, donning the number 19 in his honour. [19] [ full citation needed ]

Trottier was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1997. [20] During his induction speech, Trottier spoke about his mother's encouragement of his pride in his Aboriginal identity. [8]

After many of his Islander teammates, including linemates Mike Bossy and Clark Gillies, were honored by the Islanders organization by having their numbers retired, Trottier was expected to be next; his number 19 was eventually raised to the rafters on October 20, 2001.

As of 2023, Trottier sits 13th all-time with 182 playoff points (71 goals and 111 assists) in 221 games played. [21] Trottier is currently ranked 17th all-time in NHL regular-season points. He is ninth all-time in playoff points and remains the Islanders' all-time leader in assists and points. Trottier was named by Islanders fans as the second greatest player in franchise history, ahead of Denis Potvin and behind Mike Bossy.[ citation needed ][ needs update ]

Personal life

Trottier has four children from two marriages. [22] Following his retirement from playing, Trottier played for the Pittsburgh Phantoms of the Roller Hockey International league in its 1994 season.[ citation needed ]

One of Bryan's grandsons, Parker Trottier, captained the United States to the gold medal in the men's tournament at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics. [23]

Awards

Playing statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1972–73 Swift Current Broncos WCJHL 6716294510
1973–74 Swift Current BroncosWCJHL684171112761378158
1974–75 Lethbridge Broncos WCJHL674698144103625714
1975–76 New York Islanders NHL 8032639521131788
1976–77 New York IslandersNHL76304272341228102
1977–78 New York IslandersNHL7746771234670334
1978–79 New York IslandersNHL764787134501024613
1979–80 New York IslandersNHL784262104682112172916
1980–81 New York IslandersNHL733172103741811182934
1981–82 New York IslandersNHL80507912988196232940
1982–83 New York IslandersNHL8034558968178122018
1983–84 New York IslandersNHL6840711115921861429
1984–85 New York IslandersNHL6828315947104268
1985–86 New York IslandersNHL78375996723112
1986–87 New York IslandersNHL802364875014841212
1987–88 New York IslandersNHL7730528248600010
1988–89 New York IslandersNHL7317284544
1989–90 New York IslandersNHL591311242941014
1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL5291928242334729
1991–92 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL6311182954214378
1993–94 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL41411153620000
NHL totals1,2795249011,42591222171112183277

International

YearTeamEventGPGAPtsPIM
1975 Canada WJC 7527
1981 Canada CC 738116
1984 United States CC62358
Junior totals7527
Senior totals135111614

Coaching statistics

LeagueTeamYear Regular season Postseason
GWLTOTLPtsDivision rankResult
NHL NYR 2002–03 5421266149(fired)

Records and achievements

Team records

League records

See also

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References

  1. "Legends of Hockey – The Legends – Honoured Player – Trottier, Bryan". Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum. The Learning Edge Corporation. 2001–2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  2. "NHL Records". records.nhl.com. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  3. "Most points scored by an NHL player in one period". nhl.com. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  4. "SABRES ADD FOUR TO NOLAN'S COACHING STAFF". Buffalo Sabres. August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  5. "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Shea, Kevin. "Bryan Trottier's journal". Hockey Hall of Fame. Kevin Shea. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  7. "Trottier shares thoughts on indigenous upbringing with NHL.com". NHL.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Barnsley, Paul. "Hockey all-time great is proud of his Aboriginal heritage". Wind Speaker. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Trottier, Bryan (November 23, 2015). "Letter to My Younger Self". The Player's Tribune. Player's Tribune. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  10. Cory Toth - Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. "The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | Details". Esask.uregina.ca. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  11. "Bryan Trottier – Biography". Internet Movie Database Inc. 1990–2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  12. 1 2 nyislanderslegends
  13. "Three Islanders Unto Themselves". CNN. December 12, 1977. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
  14. 1 2 Fox, Luke. "Bryan Trottier is your daddy's Jonathan Toews". sportsnet.ca. Rogers Media. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  15. "Brian Trottier Stats and News". NHL. National Hockey League. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  16. "Bryan Trottier NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. July 17, 1956. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  17. Grossman, Evan (June 1, 2006). "ISLES TURN TO TROTTIER". New York Post . Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  18. "Report: Buffalo Sabres Sign Bryan Trottier as Assistant Coach". Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  19. http://www.globesports.com
  20. "Legends of Hockey – Induction Showcase – Mario Lemieux". Bryan John Trottier, Player Category, Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum. The Learning Edge Corporation. 2001–2007. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  21. NHL Playoff Skater Records: Most Points, Playoff Career – NHL.com
  22. "About - Bryan Trottier". bryantrottier.com. Bryan Trottier. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  23. Goh, ZK (January 31, 2024). "Gangwon 2024: USA reclaim Youth Olympics men's ice hockey gold with 4-0 shutout win over Czechia". Olympics. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
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  25. "Indigenous athletes inducted into SK Sports Hall of Fame". eaglefeathernews.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
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Awards
Preceded by Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy
1980
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy
1979
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Art Ross Trophy
1979
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Calder Trophy
1976
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy
1989
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by NHLPA President
October 24, 1984 – November 9, 1992
Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the New York Rangers
2002–03
Succeeded by