Players reflect on David Bell's impact after the Belleville Senators made a change behind the bench this week
Ahead of Wednesday’s practice at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Belleville Senators issued a press release announcing that they had fired head coach David Bell. Assistant head coach Andrew Campbell was promoted as the interim head coach.
In the press release, Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios issued the following comments:
“We are constantly evaluating ways to improve our organization and felt the timing was right for a fresh voice and approach in Belleville,” said Staios. “We thank David for his time and commitment in Belleville and the Bay of Quinte and wish him well in his next opportunity.”
After the Senators' practice on Wednesday, two former players of Bell’s — Stephen Halliday and Nik Matinpalo — reflected on their experiences playing for Bell.
“He meant a lot to me and helped me a lot throughout my career,” Halliday asserted. “I owe a lot to him and am really sad to see him go. I wish him nothing but the best, and I’m definitely going to keep in contact with him.
“He's a guy who helped me a lot through my first season, especially because I didn't have the greatest start. He really gave me a lot of confidence. I certainly wouldn't be in this dressing room without David Bell. So he means a lot to me."
Nik Matinpalo shared Halliday’s sentiments.
“He was a great coach for me,” the Finnish defenceman noted. “He absolutely helped me a lot. Obviously, without him, I'm not playing here right now.
“He was helping me a lot with basically everything, but like (defensive) zone work, he would find me video clips of a lot of different players. This summer, he even sent me a couple of clips of (Jaccob Slavin) to study and watch how he defends.”
The B-Sens had lost eight of nine games before the coaching change, which marks a new direction in Belleville. But for the players who worked closely with Bell, it sounds like his influence extended well beyond the recent results.
By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News - Ottawa