Breaking The ice

In 1991 and 1992, Bryan Trottier hoisted the Stanley Cup as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now fast forward to this past weekend in Pittsburgh where Bryan Trottier and his team were crowned 3ICE champions for the second time this season.

“Our attention to details and alertness paid dividends, especially on line changes and puck management,” Trottier said. “To a man, they gave 100 percent and left nothing in the tank.”  

On top of many areas of his team’s game that Trottier was happy with, he felt they scored timely and responsive goals. Round after round, his team scored these crucial and game-changing goals that ultimately allowed them to take the final prize of the weekend.

“Defensively, we were focused and solid. Offensively, we played smart and took advantage,” Trottier said. “We had huge contributions at both ends of the ice, big plays defensively, big saves, great sticks, and our transition was sharp and opportunistic.”

Narrowing in on his bench, Trottier felt all his players put in excellent effort which went a long way on the ice. Parker Milner and Jake Newton both had family in attendance, so Trottier was glad that they were able to get the three wins in front of them. Additionally, John Albert replaced Sean Doughie in the lineup, and Trottier felt that Albert fit right in.

“We got rewarded with some well-earned points and bonus money,” Trottier said. “Many big plays affected the final outcome and I’m very happy that everyone fed off this energy. We continued to channel positive energy to our shooting arms and skating legs.”

Moving forward, the head coach wants to continue to see his team build chemistry and unity on the ice. While this is something his team can work on, they’re going to miss another important aspect of their experience in Pittsburgh when they travel to the final two regular- season tour stops – the crowd.

“The crowd in Pittsburgh was fantastic and cheered loud for all the teams,” Trottier said, “Made for a great atmosphere and our players really appreciated the fan’s enthusiasm.”  

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