Elliotte Friedman: Islanders staff “surprised” by Barry Trotz firing
Needless to say, it was a stunning firing.
Shockwaves were sent throughout the National Hockey League this morning when it was announced that the New York Islanders made the decision to fire head coach Barry Trotz after missing the postseason for the first time in his tenure on the Island.
Lou Lamoriello declined to name a reason for the personnel change, other than his believe that the Islanders were in need of a new voice. Regardless, it's still an eye-opener after Trotz led the Islanders to back to back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals; they were one goal from taking the Tampa Bay Lightning to overtime in Game 7 of the conference championship round last spring.
And you can bet that the news came as a surprise to members of the Islanders of the organization, many of whom were taken aback by Trotz's dismissal. Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said as much on his "32 Thoughts" podcast
“There were some rumors that this could happen," Friedman said. "But as you know, the chances of proving that until Lou Lamoriello was good and ready to tell us that that could happen were zero. So, I think we just had to wait and see it play out. To be honest, I’m not even sure the assistants really knew in New York what was happening. It sounds like it caught a lot of people by surprise.”
Many will point to the fact that the Islanders began the 2021-22 season with 13 straight road games due to the fact that their brand new venue hadn't yet been completed. Additionally, their team was ravaged by COVID-19, as several players were absent at various points in the season due to landing on the protocol list.
It certainly will be interesting to see whom the Islanders tap to lead the team next season, as well as where Trotz lands next.
