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Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz is closing the book on his career in hockey to start a new family-focused chapter in retirement.
Trotz announced his plans to step down as the Predators’ GM in a news conference on Monday, confirming earlier reports that he’ll remain in place until his successor is found. The 63-year-old was adamant the decision wasn’t due to health reasons or because he was pursing another opportunity in coaching — something Trotz did for more than 1,800 NHL games prior to joining Nashville’s front office as former GM David Poile’s replacement in 2023.
An emotional Trotz said that choosing to walk away was personal, if not easy.
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“I love the game,” Trotz said, fighting back tears. “I also love my family. Sometimes, you get defined by what you do, not who you are…You get to a point in life [where] you owe time. The great thing about this game is you’re all-in, and you have to be if you’re going to be successful. And it takes a lot of time, and it takes a lot of energy, and it also takes away a lot of things from your personal life, your family, your wife, your children, grandkids, you name it. And for me, it became really clear that they deserve my time.”
Trotz said he knew the 2026-27 season would be his final one. In order to give Nashville enough time to secure a replacement, Trotz went to Predators owner Bill Haslam about his impending retirement in December so they could begin in earnest the search for Nashville’s third-ever GM.
Haslam felt transparency with the public was best instead of trying to conduct their work in secret. He specified that despite rumors to the contrary there was no knocking of heads between him and Trotz about where the Predators are now. It’s been a rocky season overall in Nashville, with a brutal November (4-7-2) leaving them as one of the worst teams In the league. Recently, the Predators have rallied to push back into the playoff conversation.
“There was not a difference of opinion,” Haslam said. “Is this a reflection of something that’s happening on the ice? [It’s not] true. This is about Barry making a life decision, and then us together, we’ve been talking about this for 30 days, talking about what’s the best way to do it is so we get the best possible result. I want to be as clear as I can this has nothing to do with any disagreement with Barry or where we are or are not as a team.”
Haslam’s hope is that the Predators will have their new executive in place by the NHL draft in late June, with Trotz shifting into an advisory role. By announcing Trotz’s retirement now, Haslam believes Nashville will be able to conduct their business “the right way” as opposed to waiting until the end of the season and rushing themselves and their candidates through the process. And until they find a a new face, Haslam has full faith in Trotz to continue managing the Predators with good intentions and to be an integral part of their search party that will be run through CAA and includes Predators minority owner and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
Nashville has three in-house candidates to consider as well in assistant general managers Jeff Kealty, Scott Nichol and Brian Poile. The goal is to leave no stone unturned by — as Haslam put it — getting the Predators’ “line in the water first” before a potential end-of-the-year rush.
“I think we have a good mix of people [in mind],” Haslam said. “We have Barry, who knows the league. I can’t imagine somebody is going to show up on our radar that Barry doesn’t know. That helps a lot. [CEO] Sean [Henry] and [COO] Michelle [Kennedy] have been a part of the Preds for a long time. They know the organization really well. Nick knows a little bit about building culture. The end result will tell us how well we did, but I like the team we have together.”
It’s still unknown how this campaign will end for Nashville, but either way Haslam wasn’t committing to a full-blown rebuild under new management. The right person for the job will share a collective vision moving forward that capitalizes on what Trotz has put in place. He’s stocked the Predators with an enviable prospect pool — having drafted 26 players in the past three years — and Haslam believes in both Nashville’s present and future.
“The GM we hire is going to be responsible for deciding, here’s what kind of hockey we want to play, okay?” Haslam said. “And then their job is going to be to drive that all the way through the organization. We’re going to hire somebody that’s strong enough to determine direction, and then when we decide on that direction, make sure we vertically integrate it all the way from here to how we draft, to how we develop people, to how we’re playing on [our farm team] in Milwaukee, the whole deal. We have some great hockey players. I like the way they play together. So, to say that we’re going to scrap all this and totally start over, I don’t think it’s going to be the right approach.”
Trotz came back to the Predators intending to deliver a Stanley Cup championship, something he failed to do as Nashville’s coach from 1998-2014. The veteran bench boss did go on to win a Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals and coached another four seasons after that with the New York Islanders before heading back to his adopted home with the Predators.
A championship may not materialize before Trotz’s run with the organization ends. Ideally though, the foundation is laid for the Predators’ next GM to see the task through.
That would be legacy enough for Trotz.
“I want to set it up for my replacement to be in a fantastic spot,” Trotz said. “I think our [prospect] shelf is getting pretty full. We’ve got some great veteran players. We’ve got some guys in the system who are developing, and I think with all we have to offer, be it free agency, facilities, the non-tax state [of Tennessee], the weather, Nashville, the community, ownership, everything’s lining up for success. And I do want to see a parade down [Nashville’s famous] Broadway in my lifetime for sure.”
