ARLINGTON, Va. — When Barry Trotz resigned, the Washington Capitals didn’t even bother with a coaching search.
There was only one candidate and he got the job.
Top assistant Todd Reirden will take over the Stanley Cup-champion Capitals, promoted from the bench on Friday in a move that allows Washington to maintain a sense of continuity. Reirden coached the defensemen the past four seasons, was a finalist for another NHL head job two years ago, earned a promotion to associate coach and played a substantial role in the first championship in franchise history.
“GM Brian MacLellan hopes promoting Reirden from within will allow the team to “transition seamlessly into next season and beyond.”
Given his four-year tenure on Trotz’s staff and the league-wide view of him as a rising star in coaching, Reirden was the only one interviewed for this job. He was hired less than two weeks after Trotz resigned and eight days after the veteran Cup-winning coach joined the New York Islanders.
The Capitals don’t reveal contract terms for coaches.
The 47-year-old former defenseman coached the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for parts of two seasons before serving as an NHL assistant with Pittsburgh for four years. Reirden was a finalist for the Calgary coaching job two summers ago but after losing out to since-fired Glen Gulutzan was given a raise and the associate coach title by the Capitals.
As the assistant in charge of the defense, Reirden had a hand in the development of John Carlson, Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov.
“I thought he was crucial for my career and just changed kind of a few things how I looked at the game, changed a few things with the D that I think really benefited everyone on D and made it pretty clear what he expected of us and allowed us to go out there and do the rest,” Carlson said after signing a $64 million, eight-year contract to stick around.
MacLellan said last week this was Reirden’s job to lose.
“He’s got history there and he’s ready to try it as a head coach, and he’s been successful with our defensemen,” he said.
Reirden, 47, coached the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for parts of two seasons before serving as an NHL assistant with Pittsburgh for four years.
DEVILS: New Jersey hired former Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher as a senior adviser for management and hockey operations.
Devils executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero says Fletcher will help him and assist in hockey operations, including scouting.
PREDATORS: Nashville named Karl Taylor the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals, its AHL affiliate.
Taylor, 47, spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Texas Stars.
KINGS: Defenseman Drew Doughty agreed to an eight-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season to stay with Los Angeles.
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