Canadian and American ice hockey player, coach (b. 1956)
Ice hockey player
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]
Early life
[
edit
]
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
Metis
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 Beliveau
. 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
[
edit
]
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 ??astny
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
Metis
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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
Trottier has four children: Bryan Jr., Lindsy, Tayler and Christian.
[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
[
edit
]
- WCHL All-Star team: 1975
- Member of seven
Stanley Cup
winning teams:
1980
,
1981
,
1982
, and
1983
with the
New York Islanders
;
1991
and
1992
with the
Pittsburgh Penguins
; and
2001
with the
Colorado Avalanche
as an assistant coach.
- Selected to nine
NHL All-Star Games
:
1976
,
1978
,
1980
,
1981
,
1982
,
1983
,
1985
,
1986
, and
1992
- Selected to two
NHL first All-Star teams
: 1978 and 1979
- Selected to two
NHL second All-Star teams
: 1982 and 1984
- Calder Memorial Trophy
: 1976
- Art Ross Trophy
: 1979
- Hart Memorial Trophy
: 1979
- Conn Smythe Trophy
: 1980
- King Clancy Memorial Trophy
: 1989
- Recipient of the
National Aboriginal Achievement Award
, now the Indspire Awards, in the sports category: 1998
- Recipient of the
Order of Sport
, marking induction into
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
: 2016
[24]
- Inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame: 1997
[25]
[26]
Playing statistics
[
edit
]
Regular season and playoffs
[
edit
]
|
|
Regular season
|
|
Playoffs
|
Season
|
Team
|
League
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
Pts
|
PIM
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
Pts
|
PIM
|
1972?73
|
Swift Current Broncos
|
WCJHL
|
67
|
16
|
29
|
45
|
10
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
1973?74
|
Swift Current Broncos
|
WCJHL
|
68
|
41
|
71
|
112
|
76
|
13
|
7
|
8
|
15
|
8
|
1974?75
|
Lethbridge Broncos
|
WCJHL
|
67
|
46
|
98
|
144
|
103
|
6
|
2
|
5
|
7
|
14
|
1975?76
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
80
|
32
|
63
|
95
|
21
|
13
|
1
|
7
|
8
|
8
|
1976?77
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
76
|
30
|
42
|
72
|
34
|
12
|
2
|
8
|
10
|
2
|
1977?78
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
77
|
46
|
77
|
123
|
46
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
1978?79
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
76
|
47
|
87
|
134
|
50
|
10
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
13
|
1979?80
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
78
|
42
|
62
|
104
|
68
|
21
|
12
|
17
|
29
|
16
|
1980?81
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
73
|
31
|
72
|
103
|
74
|
18
|
11
|
18
|
29
|
34
|
1981?82
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
80
|
50
|
79
|
129
|
88
|
19
|
6
|
23
|
29
|
40
|
1982?83
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
80
|
34
|
55
|
89
|
68
|
17
|
8
|
12
|
20
|
18
|
1983?84
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
68
|
40
|
71
|
111
|
59
|
21
|
8
|
6
|
14
|
29
|
1984?85
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
68
|
28
|
31
|
59
|
47
|
10
|
4
|
2
|
6
|
8
|
1985?86
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
78
|
37
|
59
|
96
|
72
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
1986?87
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
80
|
23
|
64
|
87
|
50
|
14
|
8
|
4
|
12
|
12
|
1987?88
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
77
|
30
|
52
|
82
|
48
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
10
|
1988?89
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
73
|
17
|
28
|
45
|
44
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
1989?90
|
New York Islanders
|
NHL
|
59
|
13
|
11
|
24
|
29
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
1990?91
|
Pittsburgh Penguins
|
NHL
|
52
|
9
|
19
|
28
|
24
|
23
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
29
|
1991?92
|
Pittsburgh Penguins
|
NHL
|
63
|
11
|
18
|
29
|
54
|
21
|
4
|
3
|
7
|
8
|
1993?94
|
Pittsburgh Penguins
|
NHL
|
41
|
4
|
11
|
15
|
36
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
NHL totals
|
1,279
|
524
|
901
|
1,425
|
912
|
221
|
71
|
112
|
183
|
277
|
International
[
edit
]
Coaching statistics
[
edit
]
Records and achievements
[
edit
]
Team records
- Most career games (Islanders) ? 1,123
- Most career points (Islanders) ? 1,353
- Most career assists (Islanders) ? 853
- Most assists in a season (Islanders) ? 87 in 1978?79
League records
- Most points in a period (Tied with
Mika Zibanejad
) ? 6 (vs. New York Rangers), December 23, 1978
- Fastest goal to start a game (tied with three others) ? 0:05 (vs. Boston Bruins), March 22, 1984
- Most Power Play goals in one game (tied with several others) ? 4 (vs. Philadelphia) February 13, 1982
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"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
.
- ^
"NHL Records"
.
records.nhl.com
. Retrieved
January 24,
2024
.
- ^
"Most points scored by an NHL player in one period"
.
nhl.com
. Retrieved
April 17,
2022
.
- ^
"SABRES ADD FOUR TO NOLAN'S COACHING STAFF"
. Buffalo Sabres. August 4, 2014
. Retrieved
August 4,
2014
.
- ^
"100 Greatest NHL Players"
.
NHL.com
. January 27, 2017
. Retrieved
January 27,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Shea, Kevin.
"Bryan Trottier's journal"
.
Hockey Hall of Fame
. Kevin Shea
. Retrieved
March 23,
2017
.
- ^
"Trottier shares thoughts on indigenous upbringing with NHL.com"
.
NHL.com
. Retrieved
December 10,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Barnsley, Paul.
"Hockey all-time great is proud of his Aboriginal heritage"
.
Wind Speaker
. Archived from
the original
on March 24, 2017.
- ^
a
b
Trottier, Bryan (November 23, 2015).
"Letter to My Younger Self"
.
The Player's Tribune
. Player's Tribune
. Retrieved
March 31,
2021
.
- ^
Cory Toth - Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan.
"The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | Details"
. Esask.uregina.ca
. Retrieved
March 31,
2021
.
- ^
"Bryan Trottier ? Biography"
. Internet Movie Database Inc. 1990?2007
. Retrieved
November 15,
2007
.
- ^
a
b
nyislanderslegends
- ^
"Three Islanders Unto Themselves"
.
CNN
. December 12, 1977.
- ^
a
b
Fox, Luke.
"Bryan Trottier is your daddy's Jonathan Toews"
.
sportsnet.ca
. Rogers Media
. Retrieved
June 1,
2022
.
- ^
"Brian Trottier Stats and News"
.
NHL
. National Hockey League
. Retrieved
June 1,
2022
.
- ^
"Bryan Trottier NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record"
. Hockey-Reference.com. July 17, 1956
. Retrieved
August 4,
2014
.
- ^
Grossman, Evan (June 1, 2006).
"ISLES TURN TO TROTTIER"
.
New York Post
. Retrieved
June 3,
2024
.
- ^
"Report: Buffalo Sabres Sign Bryan Trottier as Assistant Coach"
. Archived from
the original
on August 8, 2014
. Retrieved
July 30,
2014
.
- ^
http://www.globesports.com
- ^
"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
.
- ^
NHL Playoff Skater Records: Most Points, Playoff Career
? NHL.com
- ^
"About - Bryan Trottier"
.
bryantrottier.com
. Bryan Trottier
. Retrieved
June 1,
2022
.
- ^
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
.
- ^
"Canada's Sports Hall of Fame"
.
sportshall.ca
. Archived from
the original
on November 7, 2017
. Retrieved
November 1,
2017
.
- ^
"Indigenous athletes inducted into SK Sports Hall of Fame"
.
eaglefeathernews.com
. Retrieved
October 8,
2019
.
- ^
"Inductee Directory"
.
Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
. Retrieved
October 8,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]
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International
| |
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National
| |
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Artists
| |
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