The four coaches left in the NHL playoffs have some connections. Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper are facing off for the third time in four postseasons. They went to the same rural Canadian prep school Trotz is a hockey lifer, while Cooper became a lawyer before switching professions. Peter DeBoer of the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal’s Dominque Ducharme each came from Canadian junior hockey. DeBoer is on his fourth team in 12 years as a pro. Ducharme was a midseason replacement.
