In the state of New York, specifically among fans of the two hockey teams that play in the lower part of the state, you will get two vastly different reactions if you ask for your thoughts about a Hall of Fame center who is a seven-time Stanley Cup champion who also happens to be one of just eight players to have multiple five-goal games on their resume.
The individual in question is Bryan Trottier, an undeniable New York Islanders legend, and easily the worst coaching hire in the history of the New York Rangers. The Rangers were in need of a new head coach after Ron Low was fired after two disappointing seasons, and President and General Manager Glen Sather turned to an Islanders legend to lead the team.
Trottier had little head coaching experience at the time, and extent of his resume was a stint with the Portland Pirates in the AHL. He did have time as an assistant coach including four seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and four seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. Hindsight is 20-20, but the Trottier hiring was doomed from the start based on the one of the main reasons he was hired.
The thought at the time was that the Rangers were a high profile team with megastars that included Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, and Mark Messier, and the team needed someone who was respected and had a track record of success.
Wayne Gretzky's tenure as head coach much later on with the Arizona Coyotes is often pointed to as a perfect example of how great players don't always make great coaches, but I think that Trottier should be the example that is cited more often. Because he was absolutely awful with the Rangers, and it feels like that's part of history isn't talked about enough.
Trottier came well recommended for the job, but what sold Sather on Trottier was the 80 handwritten pages on the "extensive questionnaire" that the Rangers team executive sent out to prospective candidates according to a story in the Daily News.
"Only Trottier sent back more than 80 pages written out by hand. Sather was bowled over by that – by both the legibility and the content of Trottier’s philosophies about coaching and life when pen was put to paper. And when Sather combined those handwritten pages with Trottier’s playing and coaching resume and the glowing testimonials given by former colleagues and bosses, the Rangers’ GM said he knew he had his man."John Dellapina
So after all the hype that came with his hiring, some pretty uninspiring hockey followed. Trottier lasted just 54 games in which the Rangers posted a record of 21-26-6-1. Glen Sather went on the replace Trottier behind the bench and the team went 11-10-4-3 the rest of the way.
Part of the reason he was fired, and also why the team underperformed, was his inability to lead.
"Trottier seemed almost willful in ignoring the importance of matchups. His failure to utilize Bobby Holik as a checking center was absurd. His decision to single out, first Lindros, then Bure, for public criticism was foolish. His reliance on Messier for 20 minutes a night became counterproductive. His steadfast refusal to publicly support his players after absurd penalty calls was baffling."Larry Brooks, New York Post
It was an overall disaster of a season in which Bure and franchise legend Mike Richter suffered what would be career ending injuries, Lindros tallied just 53 points, and Messier finished with 40 points in 78 games. Holik, a player the Rangers signed to a contract that paid him $9 million a season, scored just 16 goals and tallied 35 points in 64 games.
In hindsight, the Trottier hiring and tenure was a perfect symbol for what was one of the last seasons during the "dark ages of Rangers hockey". It was a situation where once again the organization chased a big name and hoped that prior past performance would repeat itself. It is a trap that the Rangers have set and sprung themselves several times since, but I don't think there will ever be a worse coaching hire in franchise history. That dishonor will forever remain with Trottier.