Washington Capitals Coach Barry Trotz Resigns After Stanley Cup Win

Less than two weeks after winning the Stanley Cup, Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz resigned. “When I came to Washington four years ago, we had one goal in mind and that was to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital,” he wrote in a statement. “We had an incredible run this season, culminating with our players and staff achieving our goal and sharing the excitement with our fans.” Trotz was in the final year of his contract, and upon winning the Stanley Cup, a clause granting him a two-year extension was triggered. In response, Trotz decided to free himself up for free agency and perhaps a substantially larger contract with another team. The Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights (in their inaugural NHL season) four games to one, winning the team’s first-ever Stanley Cup in its 44-year franchise history.