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Bryan Trottier
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1997
Bryan Trottier.jpg
Trottier in 2008
Born (1956-07-17) July 17, 1956 (age 69)
Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for New York Islanders
Pittsburgh Penguins
National team Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada and
Flag of the United States.svg United States
NHL Draft 22nd overall, 1974
New York Islanders
WHA Draft 18th overall, 1974
Cincinnati Stingers
Playing career 1975–1994

Bryan John Trottier (born July 17, 1956) is a famous Canadian and American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre, which is a forward who plays in the middle of the ice. Bryan played for 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins.

He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders and two more with the Penguins. He also won a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche. Bryan holds an NHL record for getting six points (four goals and two assists) in just one period of a game. He is also one of only eight NHL players to score five or more goals in multiple games. In 2017, Bryan Trottier was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" of all time.

Bryan Trottier's Early Life

Bryan Trottier grew up in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada. This small town is located near the Montana border. He lived there with his parents and four brothers and sisters. His father was part Cree Métis, and his mother was Irish. Bryan faced racism when he was young, but his parents taught him to be proud of his heritage.

He had an older sister named Carol, and three younger siblings: Kathy, Monty, and Rocky. Both Monty and Rocky also played professional hockey. When Bryan was a kid in the 1960s, he looked up to hockey legend Jean Béliveau. To help Bryan practice skating, his father would clear a spot on the creek near their home. Bryan played for local teams like the Climax Hockey Team and the Swift Current Broncos as a junior player.

Bryan Trottier's Playing Career

Bryan Trottier was picked by the New York Islanders in the 1974 NHL Draft. He was the 22nd player chosen overall. He played his first 15 seasons with the Islanders. In his first year, the 1975–76 season, he set a new record for points by a rookie player with 95 points. He also won the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the best rookie in the NHL.

His best season for scoring points was 1978–79. He scored 134 points that year. This earned him the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer. He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was the first player from a team that joined the NHL after the "Original Six" era to win the Art Ross Trophy.

Bryan was a key player for the Islanders when they were a dynasty in the 1980s. He helped them win four Stanley Cups in a row, from 1980 to 1983. During the Islanders' first Stanley Cup win in 1980, Bryan won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. In the 1981–82 season, he scored 50 goals, which was his highest goal total in one season.

Many people, including Islanders coach Al Arbour, thought Bryan was the best player in the league. They even thought he was better than Wayne Gretzky at that time. Bryan was known for being a strong all-around player. He was tough and responsible in his own defensive zone.

Bryan was often called the "glue" of the Islanders team. He played on a famous line with Clark Gillies and Mike Bossy, known as "The Trio Grande." This line often led the NHL in scoring. Bryan was especially known for his strong partnership with Mike Bossy.

In 1984, Bryan chose to play for the United States in the 1984 Canada Cup tournament. He had played for Canada before in 1981. He wanted to give back to the country where he lived, and his wife was American. He was able to become a U.S. citizen because of his Métis heritage.

After 13 seasons, Bryan's scoring numbers started to drop. The Islanders decided to let him go, thinking his best years were behind him. They wanted to give more ice time to younger players. Bryan is still second in Islanders history for goals and first for assists and total points. Even when his scoring went down, he was still a great defensive player and a strong leader.

The Pittsburgh Penguins then signed Bryan Trottier. They wanted his experience and leadership for their young team. He won two more Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992. Bryan took a year off in 1992–93. He worked in the Islanders' front office. However, he had some financial problems, which made him return to play for the Penguins in the 1993–94 season. He retired after that season. At the time he retired, his total points ranked sixth in NHL history.

Coaching and Management Career

After his playing career, Bryan Trottier became an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins until 1997. He then joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach. He won his seventh Stanley Cup with them in 2001.

In 2002, Bryan was named the head coach of the New York Rangers. This made some Islanders fans upset because he was coaching their rival team. His time with the Rangers was short, lasting only 54 games. He was criticized for how he used his players. He left the Rangers in 2003.

On June 1, 2006, Bryan returned to the Islanders. He became the team's executive director of player development. On July 29, 2014, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres.

Bryan Trottier's Legacy

Many hockey players looked up to Bryan Trottier. Steve Yzerman, another famous player, even wore the number 19 because of Bryan.

Bryan was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997, the first year he was eligible. In his speech, he talked about how his mother encouraged him to be proud of his Aboriginal background.

The Islanders honored Bryan by retiring his number 19 jersey on October 20, 2001. This means no other Islanders player will wear that number.

As of 2025, Bryan Trottier is 13th all-time in NHL playoff points. He is also 19th all-time in regular-season points. He holds the Islanders' team records for most career assists and points in both the regular season and playoffs. Islanders fans have voted him the second greatest player in the team's history, right after Mike Bossy.

Bryan Trottier's Personal Life

Bryan Trottier has four children from two marriages. After he stopped playing ice hockey, he also played for the Pittsburgh Phantoms in the Roller Hockey International league in 1994.

One of Bryan's grandsons, Parker Trottier, was the captain of the United States team. This team won the gold medal in the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

Awards and Achievements

Records and Achievements

Team Records (New York Islanders)

  • Most career games played: 1,123
  • Most career points: 1,353
  • Most career assists: 853
  • Most assists in a single season: 87 in 1978–79

League Records (NHL)

  • Most points in one period: 6 (tied with Mika Zibanejad) on December 23, 1978, against the New York Rangers
  • Fastest goal to start a game: 0:05 (tied with three others) on March 22, 1984, against the Boston Bruins
  • Most power play goals in one game: 4 (tied with several others) on February 13, 1982, against Philadelphia

Images for kids

  • Bryan Trottier

    Trottier in 2008

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bryan Trottier para niños

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