How Barry Trotz busted Alex Radulov, Andrei Kostitsyn for curfew violations

Nashville Predators Coach Barry Trotz was not a happy man in having to sit forwards Alex Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Not because the disciplinary move after they violated a curfew on Saturday was a distraction for the Predators — because it clearly wasn't. Rather, because it's led to embarrassment for himself and team management, including some "what did you know and when did you know it?" stuff about the quasi-suspensions.

From FSN Arizona's Todd Walsh (via PHT), here's Trotz on Monday:

"There's a lot of speculation,  and I'll throw this out because it's been asked on a lot of shows — we did not know before Game 2 [that Radulov and Kostitsyn broke curfew], we found out after Game 2, and hell would've had to freeze over if they would've played in Game 2…if I knew before. Plain and simple. That's how I am, that's how the management team is and that's how the Nashville Predators are run. There's a lot of speculation we knew, and that's a bunch of crap — we didn't."

One loose end regarding these suspensions — how did the Predators find out Radulov and Kostitsyn violated curfew, arriving back at their hotel at a reported 4 a.m. in Glendale?

Trotz appeared on The Healthy Scratches radio show on Team 1200 in Ottawa with Steve Lloyd and Jason York on Wednesday and revealed how the Predators confirmed the curfew violation. Said Trotz:

"It's funny. With technology, all you have to do is go to the front desk. It's amazing that your key will actually clock you in when you leave and you go into your room. A little tip for anybody who's checkin' curfews."

That's 'chaperone on a high-school field trip abroad' devious right there. Then again, he does sorta look like that short-tempered assistant principal we all had …