Breaking The ice

As a former assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche and Head Coach of the New York Rangers, coaching is familiar territory for Bryan Trottier. Even though this time he’ll be putting only three players on the ice at a time, the coaching aspect of it is pretty similar - you prepare the players, wind them up, and them be ready if there's an injury or there’s minor adjustments that need to be made. 

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“I think it's an opportunity for all of us,” Trottier said. “For me, I look at it like you have all these young, eager athletes that just really have incredible ability and now I get to be entertained while standing right up close and personal. I just always say to myself, these guys are just playing a game they love to play. They're doing what they love to do, they're going to express themselves, and we're all going to be beneficiaries.” 

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Fans should expect Team Trottier to be spirited, eager, and very creative. In Trottier’s eyes, it’ll be nonstop action where players will show off their pure hockey skills during the fast-paced games that are filled with scoring and great save opportunities. 

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“They're going to see hockey without all the nonsense,” Trottier said. “I call it nonsense because there's a lot of broken plays which is good hockey, but it just doesn't create any scoring opportunities. So, you will be on the edge of your seats and holding on for dear life because if you're pulling for one team, you never know what the score is going to end up.” 

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The first-ballot Hall of Famer is looking forward to being behind the bench at each unique stop on the 3ICE tour. All eight cities are good hockey markets in the sense that they're all good cities to visit because each one has their own history to it. Pittsburgh stands out to Trottier after playing with the Penguins and winning two Stanley Cups with them, but so do the special meanings behind other cities. 

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“Nashville is one of those unique hockey markets where we can enjoy the wilds of country music and the entertainment of hockey,” Trottier said. “It's country music town USA, so I’m looking forward to Nashville. I'm looking forward to bringing this kind of entertaining hockey to London. The Old Quebec aspect of it is special as that's the heart of hockey in the province of Quebec. Wherever we go, we're going to bring a joy and excitement to hockey enthusiasts. So, there's some really good venues, really good cities, and I’m looking forward to it all.”