Bryan Trottier: One of the Best Ever

One of the greatest all-around players in NHL history, Bryan “Trots” Trottier is probably most recognized for leading the New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup titles from 1980-83. In fact, Trottier was a part of seven Stanley Cup winners overall, including two more as a player with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1991-92 and one as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. He was elected into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1997 after an illustrious 18-year career and currently serves as the Executive Director of Player Development for the Islanders.

“The first Stanley Cup and repeating four straight times is a tremendous accomplishment,” Trottier said when reflecting back on his time as a player with the Islanders. “(Also) when people thought you had nothing left when I went to Pittsburgh and we won back-to-back championships, that was pretty satisfying. (And) you can only dream about making the Hall of Fame.”

Trottier’s competitive spirit was arguably his greatest asset as a player along with his well-rounded ability to not only perform well personally but also make his teammates around him better. He was a true team player and is very proud of his ability to breed confidence.

“The transition of offense back to defense, maintaining balance – some of the press called me ‘Mr. Everything’ or the ‘best all-around player’ which was a tremendous compliment, but all I know is that I took a lot of pride in every aspect of the game,” Trottier said. “Not a lot of people said, he’s not very good at this. I wasn’t the fastest skater in the league. I had some intangibles that hopefully made it easier for my coaches to play me and players to want to play with me.

“I tried to make the rookies feel comfortable quickly and all the players feel invaluable, no matter what our role was on the team. I tried to say the right things with the right message and purpose because I believe players rally around that. I wanted purpose and control in my game, a complete game, 60 minutes. No gaps. Lots of intensity and ready to pay a price or make somebody pay a price. All business as much as possible.”

Trottier made an immediate impact in the pros, winning NHL Rookie of the Year honors during the 1975-76 season after getting drafted in the second round with the 22nd overall selection by the Islanders in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft. He hoisted his first Stanley Cup just four years later and was the best player on the ice, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. A 10-time All-Star, Trottier had won the Art Ross Trophy as the regular-season scoring champion and Hart Trophy as league MVP the previous year in his third NHL season.

The achievement he is most proud of though is that he remains one of only three NHL players ever to win four major league awards (Calder, Ross, Hart and Smythe) during a career. Fellow Hall of Famers Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux are the others.

Statistically, Trottier finished his career ranked sixth all-time in regular-season scoring (he currently ranks 15th) and ninth overall in playoff points. He is the all-time leader in points and assists for the Islanders and continues to be a major force with the team off the ice. New York returned to the playoffs for the first time in three years in his first year in the front office and has a lot of reason for optimism in 2009 following the selection of John Tavares with the top overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft.

Despite all of his accomplishments, Trottier is a very humble man – a born leader who developed into a winner and now wants nothing more than to teach and share his past experiences with the players and fans of today and tomorrow. He has always been driven to succeed both on and off the ice and believes the NHL has great opportunities to continue to grow the popularity of the greatest game in the world and market to a new age of fans worldwide, riding the impact of technology and specifically the Internet.

“This generation of ownership is more fan friendly with total access for fans to get insight on the players,” Trottier said. “I get overwhelmed with all the stuff coming at me. My kids love it. You can get as much information about the NHL as your own team. We really want to entertain our fans.”

While the NHL’s popularity has been generational – with different eras all thinking their time period was the best – Trottier said the league is marketing better than ever for today’s fans. Young superstars like Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin have become the new face of the game and are carrying the torch for this latest generation.

“(Back in the 50s and 60s) those fans believe that was the pinnacle of hockey,” Trottier said. “There were six teams, it was territorial. When I broke in during the 70s and 80s, we believe that was the pinnacle. You grow a different fan base, more teams. Then there was the 1990s, the (Mario) Lemieux and (Jaromir) Jagr era. There were more Europeans so now it’s global. It’s been fun to see the evolution of hockey. It’s a constant evolution. There was more puck control when I played. But there’s an increase in the speed, skill and size of today’s athlete, and the coaching is tremendous.”

Another star could be on the horizon with the Islanders in Tavares, who Trottier will get to see grow before his very eyes. Trottier said the team has definately added another player to build around and become a perennial playoff power like they were thirty years ago.

“Everybody looked at us with envy,” Trottier said of draft night. “(John has) creativity, puck skills, vision. Surrounding John with players that compliment his talents is key.

“It’s an exciting time for the fans. Expectations by the press and some fans may be lofty so let’s keep things in perspective. He’s a terrific player with great credentials. I’m certainly a fan. His Junior career was pretty exciting!”

Trottier himself is very proud of his past, but he is also looking forward to a bright future. He is excited about his new web site and fulfilling his role as ambassador for the InterSports Network.

“Working with all of you at InterSports is an exciting opportunity for me,” Trottier said. “It opens up another world. I’ve been a quiet person with the media, I’m not as shy or private as I once was. To let people see a different side of Bryan Trottier, make myself more accessible to hockey fans, not just Islander or Penguin fans, but fans around the world. It’s global. It’s quite stimulating, and sharing my stories and experiences will hopefully be insightful and entertaining. Hockey is and always will be such a huge part of my life – and my family’s life. Now thanks to InterSports, it takes on a whole new life.”

September 23rd, 2009