Barry Trotz, whose contract wasn’t renewed last week by the Nashville Predators, took out a full-page ad in The Tennessean to formally thank the fans and the organization for their years of support.
“It has been an honor to coach the Nashville Predators for the last 16 seasons,” Trotz wrote. “I am forever grateful.”
Trotz was named the franchise’s first head coach in 1997. Having coached 1,196 games with Nashville, Trotz was second only to the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich for longest active coaching tenure in pro sports.
Trotz went on to praise “Smashville” for giving him a place that he always can call home.
“This community is a wonderful place to live and work and my family will always be grateful for the hospitality we have received and the friendships we have formed that will last a lifetime,” Trotz wrote. “We’ve been blessed.”
Check out Trotz’s full thank you note in the photo below.
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