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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 68)
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 on July 17, 1956, is a famous Canadian and American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 18 seasons. Bryan played for the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He won six Stanley Cups as a player with the Islanders (four times) and the Penguins (two times). He also won one Stanley Cup as an assistant coach. Bryan holds an NHL record for scoring six points in one period. He is also one of only eight players to score five goals in a game more than once! In 2017, he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" of all time.

Growing Up

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

He has an older sister, Carol, and three younger siblings: Kathy, Monty, and Rocky. Monty played professional minor league hockey. Rocky played in 38 games for the New Jersey Devils.

When Bryan was a kid in the 1960s, he wanted to be like his hero, Jean Béliveau. To practice skating, his father would clear ice on the creek near their home. Bryan played for the Climax Hockey Team and the Swift Current Broncos as a junior player.

Playing in the NHL

Bryan Trottier, also known as "Trots," was chosen by the New York Islanders in the 1974 NHL Draft. He was the 22nd player picked overall. He played his first 15 NHL seasons with the Islanders.

In his first season (1975–76), Bryan set an NHL rookie record with 95 points. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. This record was later broken by Peter Šťastný.

Bryan's best scoring season was in 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 created after the "Original Six" to win the Art Ross Trophy.

Stanley Cup Wins

Bryan was a key player for the Islanders' amazing teams in the 1980s. These teams won four Stanley Cups in a row. They won from 1980 to 1983. In 1980, when the Islanders won their first Stanley Cup, Bryan won the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award goes to the playoff MVP. In the 1981–82 season, Bryan scored 50 goals. This was his highest goal total in one season.

Some people, like Islanders coach Al Arbour, thought Bryan was the best player in the league. They even thought he was better than Wayne Gretzky at the time. Bryan was known for being tough and good at defense. He was compared to legends like Milt Schmidt and Gordie Howe.

Bryan was often called the "glue" of the Islanders team. He played on a famous line with Clark Gillies and Mike Bossy. This line was known as "The Trio Grande." Bryan and Mike Bossy had a great partnership on the ice.

Playing for the USA

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 thank the U.S. because he lived there and his wife was American. He was able to become a U.S. citizen because of his Métis background. His grandmother was Chippewa. This allowed him to have citizenship in both the U.S. and Canada.

Later Career

After 13 seasons, Bryan's scoring numbers started to go down. The Islanders decided to let him go. They believed younger players should get more ice time. Bryan is still second in Islanders history for goals. He is first in assists and total points. Even when his scoring dropped, he was still a strong defensive player and a great team leader.

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

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Bryan became an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins until 1997. Then, he joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach. He won his seventh Stanley Cup there in 2001.

In 2002, Bryan became the head coach of the New York Rangers. This made some Islanders fans upset. His time with the Rangers was short, lasting only 54 games. He was criticized for how he used his skilled players. He was let go by the team's General Manager.

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

Legacy and Awards

Steve Yzerman, another famous hockey player, said Bryan Trottier was his favorite player. Steve even wore number 19 because of Bryan.

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

Many of Bryan's Islanders teammates had their jersey numbers retired. Bryan's number 19 was also raised to the rafters on October 20, 2001.

As of 2023, Bryan is 13th all-time in playoff points. He is 17th all-time in regular-season points. He is still the Islanders' all-time leader in assists and points. Islanders fans voted him the second greatest player in the team's history.

Awards and Achievements

NHL Records

  • Most points in a period (tied with Mika Zibanejad) – 6 points (December 23, 1978)
  • Fastest goal to start a game (tied with three others) – 5 seconds (March 22, 1984)
  • Most Power Play goals in one game (tied with several others) – 4 goals (February 13, 1982)

Personal Life

Bryan Trottier has four children from two marriages. After he stopped playing ice hockey, he 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. They won the gold medal in ice hockey at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

See also

  • List of NHL statistical leaders
  • List of players with 5 or more goals in an NHL game
  • List of NHL players with 1000 points
  • List of NHL players with 500 goals
  • List of NHL players with 1000 games played
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