BRYAN TROTTIER
Place of Birth: Val Marie, Saskatchewan
Won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie
Won the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player
Won four consecutive Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders
Won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins
Bryan Trottier, hailing from Val Marie, Saskatchewan, was a modern-day player with the skills of past champions. He was a defensively strong centerman with the vision and instincts of a pure scorer. Like many Canadian children, Bryan's hockey career started on a makeshift outdoor rink, but with a uniquely Canadian twist. Every year, the resident beavers would build a dam on the nearby river, and come winter, Bryan's father would use a big machete and chop up the dam to flood the creek and create a fresh, smooth "zamboni like" ice rink.
Bryan began his major junior career with the Swift Current Broncos in 1972. In 1975, he was named MVP for both the Western Canadian Hockey League and the World Junior Hockey Championships. At 18, Bryan was drafted by the NHL's New York Islanders and over an 18-year career, led his teams to the Stanley Cup six times, including four consecutive Stanley Cup wins with the New York Islanders (1980 – 1983) and back-to-back Stanley Cup wins with the Pittsburgh Penguins (1991 & 1992).
Bryan was the winner of the Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie in 1976, the Art Ross Trophy as top scorer in 1979, the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in 1979 and the Conn Smythe Trophy as team playoff MVP in 1980. Bryan is one of three players in the history of the NHL to have won these four major awards and at least two Stanley Cups. In 1989, Bryan received the King Clancy Memorial trophy for his high standard of play on the ice and charitable community efforts off the ice.
Bryan spent the 1992-93 hockey season in the Islanders' front office before returning as a player in 1993-94 at the age of 37. He played 41 games with the Penguins while acting as an assistant coach and remained with the team until 1997 as a full time assistant coach. In 1998, Bryan joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach, helping his new team claim a Stanley Cup championship in 2001, adding a seventh Stanley Cup ring to his already impressive haul. In 2002, Bryan was named head coach of the New York Rangers. From 2006-2010, he was Executive Director of Player Development for the New York Islanders and in 2014 he was hired as assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres.
Bryan holds the NHL record for the most points in a single period with six (four goals and two assists). Bryan held NHL records as the fastest player to reach 300, 400, 500, 600, & 700, 800 & 900 points; and also the fastest to record 200 & 300 assists; and the youngest player to score 200 goals. He also held the record for most points scored (96) and assists by a rookie (63). He currently shares the NHL record for the fastest goal scored from the start of a game at five seconds. He finished his career with 524 goals, 901 assists and 1425 points and ranked 6th in NHL history.
Being from aboriginal ancestry (Metis-Cree/Chippewa), Bryan has reached out to First Nations youth across Canada. He was instrumental in starting an Aboriginal Hockey Team which has toured across the country to provide ice skating lessons and hockey clinics to youth. Believing in the value of education and encouraging young people to make positive choices in their lives, Bryan has proudly championed this cause through sport to thousands of youth across Canada.