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Barry Trotz's announcement that he was retiring as general manager of the Nashville Predators took everyone, including many within the organization, by surprise.
But according to Trotz, majority owner Bill Haslam and CEO Sean Henry, this decision has been on the table for a while, based not on his performance but more on the needs of his family.
During a news conference Feb. 2 at Bridgestone Arena, Trotz revealed he told Haslam and Henry in December 2025 that he had been contemplating retiring when his contract ended in 2026-27.
"This is not us pushing Barry (Trotz) out," Haslam said. "He came to us (in December) and said he wanted to retire after his contract. After some back and forth, we decided to go ahead and be transparent about it."
The decision from Trotz comes as the Predators (25-23-6, 56 points) are in the middle of a playoff push in the Western Conference. They have three more games before the Olympic break and a month before the trade deadline on March 6.
Beginning the search now for a new general manager allows Trotz to take part. Haslam said the team has hired CAA to coordinate the effort, and minority owners of the franchise will participate in the discussion, including former Alabama coach Nick Saban.
"This is a unified plan for a transition," Trotz said. "We want to be very transparent about this."
Haslam said Trotz will continue his GM duties during the search, including managing this year's roster, trade deadline and draft preparations, if needed. He also said the decision was not made based on Trotz's performance in the job.
"Was there a difference of opinion? Is this a reflection of something that's happened on the ice? Neither are true," Haslam said.
Trotz's moves have come under scrutiny since he took over as general manager in 2023. As the one tapped to take over for former general manager David Poile, there were some growing pains as he learned the role. Trotz experienced success as the first coach in franchise history, but his tenure as general manager had missteps.
According to Haslam, however, this decision was all about Trotz's decision to focus on his family.
"This is about Barry making a life decision," Haslam said. "This has nothing to do with any disagreement with Barry or a reflection of where we are as a team."
Numerous times through the news conference, Trotz referred to his family and his own health. Though he clarified his health is in good standing, he described the decision to retire as a choice between his family and the franchise.
"I love the game and I love my family," Trotz said. "But (my family) deserves whatever time I have on earth left. They deserve that."
The search for a new general manager will start immediately, without a clear end date. But Haslam did indicate when he hopes to have someone in the role.
"Our hope is to have somebody by draft day at the end of June," he said. "But the luxury of what we're doing is we have a long road to play this out the way we want."
The NHL draft will take place on June 30, one day before NHL free agency begins. Trotz said he will assume an advisory role when the new general manager is selected and will work through the end of his contract.
Haslam acknowledged he's still assessing what traits will work for the team's newest general manager. But he did say he isn't looking for someone to come in and undo everything Trotz did.
"To say that we are going to scrap all this and totally start over, I don't think that's going to be the right approach," he said.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Barry Trotz explains why he's stepping down as Predators' GM
Continue reading...
But according to Trotz, majority owner Bill Haslam and CEO Sean Henry, this decision has been on the table for a while, based not on his performance but more on the needs of his family.
During a news conference Feb. 2 at Bridgestone Arena, Trotz revealed he told Haslam and Henry in December 2025 that he had been contemplating retiring when his contract ended in 2026-27.
"This is not us pushing Barry (Trotz) out," Haslam said. "He came to us (in December) and said he wanted to retire after his contract. After some back and forth, we decided to go ahead and be transparent about it."
The decision from Trotz comes as the Predators (25-23-6, 56 points) are in the middle of a playoff push in the Western Conference. They have three more games before the Olympic break and a month before the trade deadline on March 6.
Beginning the search now for a new general manager allows Trotz to take part. Haslam said the team has hired CAA to coordinate the effort, and minority owners of the franchise will participate in the discussion, including former Alabama coach Nick Saban.
"This is a unified plan for a transition," Trotz said. "We want to be very transparent about this."
Trotz decision not about job performance
Haslam said Trotz will continue his GM duties during the search, including managing this year's roster, trade deadline and draft preparations, if needed. He also said the decision was not made based on Trotz's performance in the job.
"Was there a difference of opinion? Is this a reflection of something that's happened on the ice? Neither are true," Haslam said.
Trotz's moves have come under scrutiny since he took over as general manager in 2023. As the one tapped to take over for former general manager David Poile, there were some growing pains as he learned the role. Trotz experienced success as the first coach in franchise history, but his tenure as general manager had missteps.
According to Haslam, however, this decision was all about Trotz's decision to focus on his family.
"This is about Barry making a life decision," Haslam said. "This has nothing to do with any disagreement with Barry or a reflection of where we are as a team."
Numerous times through the news conference, Trotz referred to his family and his own health. Though he clarified his health is in good standing, he described the decision to retire as a choice between his family and the franchise.
"I love the game and I love my family," Trotz said. "But (my family) deserves whatever time I have on earth left. They deserve that."
Haslam outlines Predators' GM search timeline, what he's looking for
The search for a new general manager will start immediately, without a clear end date. But Haslam did indicate when he hopes to have someone in the role.
"Our hope is to have somebody by draft day at the end of June," he said. "But the luxury of what we're doing is we have a long road to play this out the way we want."
The NHL draft will take place on June 30, one day before NHL free agency begins. Trotz said he will assume an advisory role when the new general manager is selected and will work through the end of his contract.
Haslam acknowledged he's still assessing what traits will work for the team's newest general manager. But he did say he isn't looking for someone to come in and undo everything Trotz did.
"To say that we are going to scrap all this and totally start over, I don't think that's going to be the right approach," he said.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Barry Trotz explains why he's stepping down as Predators' GM
Continue reading...
