Travis Green replaces interim coach Jacques Martin as the bench boss to lead the Ottawa Senators as they aim to take the next step competitively.
The Ottawa Senators made it official on Tuesday: their next coach is Travis Green.
Following a long-awaited coaching search in the National Capital Region, Green received a four-year contract in what will be his second stint as a full-time NHL coach, following parts of five seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.
“After speaking to several highly qualified candidates, it became clear that Travis is the right fit to lead our group,” Senators GM-president of hockey operations Steve Staios said in a press release. “As we’ve routinely stated, developing a winning culture is paramount to our aspiration of achieving sustained success.
“Travis has a burning desire to win, is passionate about teaching and holds his players to a very high standard. We’re excited to welcome he and his family to the Ottawa-Gatineau community.”
Green has 335 games under his belt as an NHL head coach, 18 more games than the Senators' previous full-time coach, D.J. Smith, who was fired last December. During that time, Green has 141 wins, 159 losses and 35 losses. But Green also has 17 games of post-season experience in the 2020 COVID-19 bubble playoffs, recording 10 wins and seven losses.
The 53-year-old from Castlegar, B.C., is coming off an interim coach role with the New Jersey Devils this season after the team fired Lindy Ruff. In 21 games, he had an 8-12-1 record. New Jersey finished 10 points out of a playoff spot after entering the 2022-23 playoffs as the second seed in the Metropolitan Division.
Green also played 970 games as an NHL center, recording 193 goals and 262 assists for 455 points between the New York Islanders, Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.
It's a significant opportunity for Green, who is best believed to hold his players accountable as the Senators continue to try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.
Ottawa finished 13 points out of a playoff spot and ranked 14th of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference. The Senators entered the season with high expectations after finishing just six points out of the playoffs in 2022-23.
The Senators have a core with lots of promise, starring forwards Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson and Josh Norris, as well as defensemen Thomas Chabot, Jacob Chychrun and Jake Sanderson.
The focus over much of the Senators' rebuild with Smith as coach was to develop the skills of the younger players. The focus has since turned to enforcing winning habits and a standard that should have this team competing for a playoff spot.
For more analysis, visit The Hockey News' Ottawa Senators site.