Barry Trotz Offered Free Beer For Life By Winnipeg Brewery If He Takes Jets Coaching Job

Winnipeg Jets fans have officially reached the point of full on desperation.

Don't believe me? Fine -- go look at what local brewery Little Brown Jug Brewing Company and local sports talk show “Winnipeg Sports Talk” have come up with in an attempt to lure NHL free agent head coach Barry Trotz to Winnipeg.

Free beer for life -- which you must admit, should be included in every job offer -- is on the table should the 59-year-old, 2018 Stanley Cup champion head coach choose the Jets as his next reclamation project.

“In case it’s coming down to the wire and Winnipeg needs a sweetener, we here at Winnipeg Sports Talk are here to act as the closers with a special offer for Barry Trotz,” Andrew “Hustler” Paterson said Monday, via Twitter. “Barry, I know there are plenty of teams that would love you as their new bench boss, but we need you back in your home province of Manitoba to turn our team around.

“To show you how serious we are, we have the following offer for you: After consultation with our friends at Little Brown Jug… we are prepared to offer you free beer for life if you become head coach of the Winnipeg Jets. Your beer fridge will be stocked for eternity.”

The Jets, although featuring high-end talent such as forwards Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and netminder Connor Hellebuyck, bottomed out in the 2021-22 season, finishing eight points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. That came after four straight trips to the postseason, in which Winnipeg won just three playoff series.

Head coach Paul Maurice resigned during this past season, saying he felt the team needed a new voice. Trotz is suddenly available after he was fired by the Islanders at the end of the season, coming off back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Final in 2019-2020 and 2020-21 -- falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning each time.

New York missed the playoffs in 2021-22, hampered by arena issues and COVID-19 issues early into the season which led to the team's disastrous start. Trotz is third on the all-time wins list for NHL head coaches with 914 over his time with the Nashville Predators (1998-2014), Washington Capitals (2014-18) and Islanders (2018-22).

Trotz happens to be a native of Dauphin, Manitoba, just a few hours away from Winnipeg.