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Travis Green breaks silence after being named Senators’ 14th head coach

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Scotty White | Last updated 5/9/24

This season wasn’t a good one for the Ottawa Senators as they finished in second-to-last place in the Atlantic division and failed to reach the postseason. Now, the offseason is here, and the Senators have found their next head coach as Travis Green is the new head coach in Ottawa. Former head coach D.J. Smith was fired back in December, and Jacques Martin was serving as the interim head coach.

Travis Green was in an interim head coach role before this as he finished the season leading the New Jersey Devils. Now, he is ready to go north to Canada to coach the Senators.

“Players want to know where they stand,” Green said during his introductory press conference on Wednesday. “They want to know what’s expected of them. That starts, really, by communicating. … Any winning team has accountability within their group. I’m gonna push the team in a direction of improving and making it a winner and having winning attributes,” he added. “It’s one thing to be a skilled group, it’s another thing to be a skilled, winning group. … That’s part of the conversations I’m gonna have with our team, is what it takes to win.”

Green knows that he has his work cut out for him in Ottawa and he is already thinking about what needs to change. One area of the game he is already looking at is the defense.

“You see that a lot with young, skilled players, getting them to grasp the commitment level to play in their zone,” Green said. “… There’s obviously technique, structure, details that are taught, but a big part of it is the mindset. If you want to win, you’ve got to play a 200-foot game.”

Travis Green is excited to be coaching in Canada

New Jersey Devils interim head coach Travis Green talks with ESPN reporter Leah Hextall during the first period of the NHL against the St. Louis Blues at Prudential Center. © Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Hockey is the most important game in Canada, and it just means more up there. Travis Green knows that the pressure will be on him, and he is excited for this new challenge.

“I think it’s a privilege to coach in Canada, play in Canada,” Green said. “There’s something to be said for winning in Canada. There is pressure, and I like that.”

The ultimate goal for Green and the Senators going forward will be to create a winning a culture and get the team into the playoffs consistently. Ottawa GM Steve Staios thinks that Green can get there.

“I think, as we watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs right now, you can look at a few or a handful of coaches … that were in the exact same position as (Green) is right now,” Staios said. “… It’s a lot deeper than win-loss records.”

Travis Green has a win-loss record of 141-159-35. He was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks from 2017 until 2021, and he had that brief stint leading the Devils at the end of this season.

The Senators are certainly hoping that Green’s win-loss record improves during his time in Ottawa, but they clearly aren’t concerned that he is coming in with a losing record. The Senators have found their new head coach, and they have confidence in him to do a good job.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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