Barry Trotz was the Predators’ first coach in team history and, later, its second general manager. In between, he won the Stanley Cup as coach of the Washington Capitals. Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Barry Trotz is stepping down as GM of the Nashville Predators, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
The NHL team will make the news official at a noon CT news conference.
Trotz, 63, will stay on as GM until his successor is hired. He became GM of the team on July 1, 2023, taking over for Hockey Hall of Famer David Poile, who had been GM since the team’s expansion entry in 1997.
Trotz is a beloved figure in Nashville. The organization’s first head coach, he was behind the Preds bench from the team’s first-ever game in October 1998 through April 2014.
He made the rare head-coach-to-GM transition three years ago after replacing Poile. Trotz made headlines on July 1, 2024, making splashy free-agent signings in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. However, the team struggled last season and missed the playoffs. The Predators again stumbled out of the gates this season before finding their footing to get back in the playoff race. They sit four points out of a playoff spot as of Monday.
Trotz, who coached the Washington Capitals to a Stanley Cup championship in 2017-18, sits fifth in NHL history with 914 coaching wins.