Senators Hiring Travis Green Was the Right Decision

As for Green’s losing record in New Jersey (8-12-1) that can’t be pinned on him. Lindy Ruff had pretty much already coached the Devils out of playoff contention by the time Green took over his job. Green just couldn’t overcome the combination of faltering stars, injuries, and poor goaltending that ultimately sealed the Devils’ fate this season.

Did the Senators Pass Up Better Coaches in Hiring Green?

Courville-Lynch, along with many Ottawa Senators fans, argue that when Staios hired Green, he missed out on several stronger coaches including Jay Woodcroft, Craig Berube, Todd McLellan, Dean Evason, and Gerard Gallant. All of them are now sitting by the phone waiting for a call about their next coaching gig. 

It’s easy to say Staios should have brought in a coach with more pedigree than Green – maybe one with multiple playoff rounds under his belt or even one sporting a Stanley Cup ring. We all agree that would be ideal, but coming to Ottawa is a tough sell among established coaches in the league. 

Whether anyone likes to admit it or not, the Senators aren’t a very good hockey team. Not a lot of coaches are interested in coaching clubs struggling through seven years of a rebuild – not when the bright lights of Toronto beckon. Not only that, but for many coaches, Canada isn’t an attractive place to ply their trade, especially in smaller markets like Ottawa. Perhaps Green wasn’t the best coach available to the Senators this spring, but it’s quite possible he was the only one willing to come to Ottawa. 

As for coaching experience, Green has more than most of the head coaches Ottawa has hired over the years. He ranks third among Senators coaches in terms of NHL games coached before coming to Ottawa, with 335 of them to his credit. Only Brian Murray (1000) and Craig Hartsburg (443) coached more. Cory Clouston, Paul MacLean, Dave Cameron, and D.J. Smith had never been a bench boss in the NHL before they were appointed to that role in Ottawa. Building on that, Staios pointed out that several teams now battling for the Stanley Cup are being coached by men with no prior head coaching experience in the NHL. 

Travis Green Deserves a Chance

The faith that Staios, Senators’ senior-vice president of hockey operations Dave Poulin, and team owner Michael Andlauer have in Green is obvious. It’s one of the reasons they gave him a four-year contract with Staios explaining that, “If you look at our group and the growth and potential of our group moving forward, I think that (the four-year term) lines up.”

As for Green’s approach to the job he has vision explaining that, “I’m a demanding coach that wants the best out of my players. I want to push them to be their best, to tap their potential, and make them understand what it is”.” Yet his vision goes beyond just developing his players. As he explained it, “I want to win a Stanley Cup and I’m going to push this team to get to that place.”