Predators GM Poile retires, ex-coach Trotz returns

Published

2 years ago

February 27, 2023

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5:41 PM ET

The Nashville Predators announced on Sunday that general manager David Poile — the winningest GM in NHL history and Nashville’s only GM to date — is retiring after 26 seasons with the club. The move will be effective June 30.

According to a press release, Poile — who also holds the title of president of hockey operations — will remain with the organization as an advisor, serving the team’s ownership, its business operations leadership group, and the hockey operations department.

Barry Trotz, the first coach in Predators’ history, will take over from Poile as Nashville’s next general manager. He’ll be in charge of “all facets of the Predators’ hockey operations department, including the coaching and scouting staffs, player procurement and development, as well as minor league affiliations and operations.”

Starting immediately, Trotz will be an advisor for Poile and his management team leading up to the official change just following the 2023 NHL Draft. That will be hosted by the Predators at Bridgestone Arena on June 28-29.

“This is a decision that is best for me personally and best for the Nashville Predators,” Poile said in the release. “For the Predators, I believe it is time for a new voice and a new direction. I am proud of the foundation we have put in place in our hockey operations, investing in and improving every area of the department. This is the right time for someone else to move our franchise forward.”

Poile, 73, spent 15 seasons as GM of the Washington Capitals before joining the Predators in 1997, when Nashville joined the NHL as an expansion franchise. His Predators’ teams reached the playoffs in 15 of the past 18 years. Nashville is currently eight points out of a postseason spot, though, and headed toward a transitional phase, open to selling assets ahead of the Friday’s trade deadline while charting the organization’s next step.

Nevertheless, Poile had a strong run in Nashville (including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017), and remains the only GM in league history to lead two separate franchises (the Predators and Capitals) for over 1,000 games while earning 500 wins.

Trotz coached Nashville from 1998 to 2014 and remains the winningest coach in team history, with 557 wins. He moved on to Washington for four seasons, during which Trotz won a Jack Adams Award as the league’s top coach in 2015-16 and the franchise’s only Stanley Cup in 2018.

Trotz left Washington for the New York Islanders ahead of the 2018-19 season, and he took that club to back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup semifinals. He was relieved of those duties in May after the Islanders failed to reach the postseason.

Trotz drew plenty of quick interest from teams eager for his services last summer, but ultimately decided to wait on making his next move.

“My heart has been in Nashville since that first season in 1998-99,” Trotz said via the release. “I believe our team and our fanbase has developed a relationship that is very unique in sports today, and I am excited to be returning home to the organization and the city where I held my first head coaching job in the NHL. I can’t thank David enough, not only for turning over the job to me, but for teaching me so much over the past 40 years. I believe I am prepared to succeed as an NHL general manager, and I have David to thank for that. I will work hard as a member of David’s team for the next four months, and when I become GM on July 1, I pledge to do everything I can in leading our franchise to its first-ever Stanley Cup.”

On Saturday, the Predators began to work on their roster with the deadline looming. Nashville dealt veteran right wing Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets for a second-round draft pick in 2024.

Sports

Sources: Isles hiring Darche from T.B. as new GM

Published

1 hour ago

May 23, 2025

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Sources: Isles hiring Darche from T.B. as new GM

May 23, 2025, 01:17 PM ET

The New York Islanders have the man to make the first pick in the draft. Sources told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that the team is hiring Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche as its new GM.

Darche played parts of nine seasons in the league with five different teams.

He has worked in Tampa Bay’s front office since 2019, helping the Lightning win two Stanley Cups. This will be the 48-year-old’s first general manager job.

Darche takes over for Lou Lamoriello, who was fired this offseason after seven seasons on the job. New York didn’t make the playoffs this season and hasn’t made it past the first round since 2020-21 — when the Islanders lost in the East semifinals to the Lightning.

The Isles lucked out in the draft lottery, jumping from 10th to the first selection. This will be the first time they’ll have the top pick since taking John Tavares in 2009.

Sports

Nill, Cheveldayoff, Zito up for GM of Year Award

Published

1 hour ago

May 23, 2025

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Nill, Cheveldayoff, Zito up for GM of Year Award

Field Level Media

May 23, 2025, 12:01 PM ET

Jim Nill, Kevin Cheveldayoff and Bill Zito have been named finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, the NHL announced Friday.

The voting for the award was conducted between league general managers, a panel of executives and media members following the conclusion of the second round of the playoffs.

Nill, 67, has seen his Dallas Stars reach the Western Conference finals for the third straight season. He is a two-time winner of this award (2023, 2024) and five-time finalist

Cheveldayoff, 55, has spent the last 14 seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy this season. He also was a finalist for the GM of the Year Award in 2018.

Zito, 60, is looking to guide the Florida Panthers to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. He has been a finalist for the GM of the Year Award in three straight years and four of the last five.

Sports

Panthers rout Canes in ECF as Bennett scores 2

Published

1 hour ago

May 23, 2025

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Panthers rout Canes in ECF as Bennett scores 2

ESPN News Services

May 22, 2025, 11:01 PM ET

The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are rolling. The Carolina Hurricanes are reeling.

Sam Bennett scored one of his two goals in Florida’s three-goal first period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves, and the Panthers beat the Hurricanes 5-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk also scored in another tone-setting opening 20 minutes for the Panthers, while Carter Verhaeghe had three assists in the win.

“It might have been natural for us to take a little bit to get going tonight, and it was the exact opposite,” said Tkachuk, whose putaway off the feed from Verhaeghe at the crease marked his first goal since Game 3 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It was an unreal start from us. The goals aside, just the way we played in the first period was as good as it gets. Yeah, that’s just a hell of a road trip.”

Florida had already ripped home-ice advantage away Tuesday night with a 5-2 win, the opener in a rematch of the 2023 conference finals swept by the Panthers with four one-goal wins. Florida tightened its grip on the series with this one and now heads back south to host Game 3 on Saturday night.

Bennett scored a second time by skating in to clean up an attempt at the right post in the final minute of the second period to make it 4-0, ending a long shift in Carolina’s end prolonged by Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns being stuck on the ice after breaking his stick. Aleksander Barkov added a goal midway through the third as punctuation.

Bobrovsky had his third shutout of the playoffs this year and the sixth of his career, with Florida’s defense smothering a Carolina team that typically peppers the net with shots but found little daylight.

Florida has won four straight road games by a combined score of 22-4, this time sending Hurricanes fans fleeing for the exits early.

“It’s fun when you’re on the road and it goes quiet,” Verhaeghe said. “It feels like we’re doing our job.”

It wasn’t all great news for Florida. Veteran forward Sam Reinhart was knocked from the game in the first period after taking a hit from Sebastian Aho in the left leg, causing Reinhart’s knee to bend awkwardly.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the game that Reinhart would be evaluated Friday and that there would be no update on Reinhart’s status until Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.