The New Jersey Devils associate coach returns to Vancouver two years to the day he was let go by the Canucks organization.
Tonight's game versus the New Jersey Devils will be memorable for multiple reasons. Not only will it be the battle of the three Hughes brothers, but the first game back at Rogers Arena for former Vancouver Canucks coach Travis Green. The Devils associate coach spent close to a decade in the organization, coaching both at the AHL and NHL levels.
After a successful run with the Portland Winterhawks, Green was named head coach of the Utica Comets before the 2013-14 season. Over his four seasons as coach, the Comets posted a 155-110-39 record, making it to the AHL Final in 2015. During that time, he oversaw the development of many current NHLers, including Jacob Markström, Ben Hutton, Michael Carcone, as well as a young Thatcher Demko. Despite Utica missing the playoffs in his final season, the Canucks made the wise choice to promote him to the NHL, filling the open vacancy left by Willie Desjardins.
Green made the jump to the Canucks at an awkward time in their history. The team's competitive window was closed, and while they should have entered a full rebuild, they attempted to rebuild on the fly. Despite the challenge, Vancouver's new coach did everything he could to try and make the Canucks success. He was behind the bench for their only playoff series win in the last decade and helped Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Nils Höglander, Demko, and Brock Boeser navigate the NHL during their rookie seasons. Unfortunately, years of missing the playoffs caught up to him and Vancouver relieved him of his duties on December 5, 2021.
Now in New Jersey, surrounded by talented players like Jack and Luke Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton and Tyler Toffoli, he has helped transform this Devils team into a power play powerhouse. Ranked first in the league on the power play at 36%, New Jersey needs just 22 more goals over their final 60 games to tie their total from last season. While the team has started slow, it is clear that the addition of Green behind the bench has made a significant difference so far this season.
While the results may not have been there, Green's tenure as Canucks coach should be deemed as a success. His 133 wins rank fifth in franchise history, and as mentioned, he is the only coach to win a playoff series since 2013. Expect plenty of emotions tonight as he attempts to lead the Devils to a win over the Canucks on the two-year anniversary of his dismissal from Vancouver.