The long-awaited search for the next head coach of the Ottawa Senators has officially come to an end.
Steve Staios, GM and President of Hockey Operations
Canucks former Head Coach Travis Green has been named the next Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators, it was announced by the NHL Senators today.
Staios added that Travis Green has been signed to a 3-year contract through the end of the 2027-28 NHL season.
“After speaking to several highly qualified candidates, it became clear that Travis is the right fit to lead our group,” said Staios.
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.”
“A big part of my coaching is building relationships,” Green told media in New Jersey at the end of this season.
“When you talk about accountability, that’s really being there for each other every day and being dependable that you’re going to do the right thing to win.
“As a coach, to have accountability in your room, I believe you have to have open dialogue, open communication, trust, and build a relationship. Not only do the players then accept accountability; they want it, and they understand it when players are held accountable.”
In the above article, Green admits to learning from Lindy Ruff with the New Jersey Devils as assistant coach:
“Just being around Lindy made me a better coach,” Green said.
“I study the game a lot, I study different systems a lot, and I analyze what works for some teams and also doesn’t work for other teams. I have changed some of my ideas, and that’s just evolving as a coach.
“The game evolves, and coaches have to evolve as well.”
On April 26, 2017, he was named head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.On December 5, 2021, Green was fired as the head coach of the Canucks along with general manager Jim Benning after leading the team to an 8–15–2 record.
On June 22, 2023, the New Jersey Devils hired Green as associate coach in head coach Lindy Ruff‘s staff. He was named the team’s interim head coach after Ruff was fired on March 4, 2024.
NEW YORK (May 7, 2024) – Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid are the three finalists for the 2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists.
Following are the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Kucherov paced the NHL and set a franchise record with 44-100—144 (81 GP) – the second-most points by any player over the past 28 years – to capture his second career Art Ross Trophy (also 2018-19) and propel the Lightning to their seventh consecutive playoff berth. He factored on exactly half of Tampa Bay’s 288 total goals (excluding shootout-deciding goals), marking the 12th instance in League history of a player registering points on at least 50 percent of his team’s scoring within a single season – and just the third occasion this century, after Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers in both 2020-21 (57.4%) and 2018-19 (50.7%). Kucherov finished 54 points ahead of his closest teammate (Brayden Point: 46-44—90 in 81 GP), the largest gap between a team’s top two scorers since the 2000-01 Florida Panthers (55: Pavel Bure: 59-33—92 in 82 GP and Viktor Kozlov: 14‑23—37 in 51 GP). Kucherov, who capped 2023-24 by becoming the fifth different player in NHL history – and first winger – to produce 100 assists in one season (tied for the League lead with McDavid), also ranked among the top performers in power-play assists (1st; 40), power-play points (1st; 53), three-point games (1st; 23 – the most by any player since 1995-96), four-point games (t-1st; 8), multi-point games (t-2nd; 41), shots on goal (8th; 306) and goals (10th; 44). The 30-year-old Kucherov – a finalist for the second time after capturing the award in 2018-19 – is seeking to become the fourth active player with multiple Hart Trophy wins, following McDavid (3x), Alex Ovechkin (3x) and Sidney Crosby (2x).
Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche
MacKinnon ranked second in the NHL and established a franchise record with 51-89—140 (82 GP) – just the fifth 140-point campaign over the past 30 years – to guide the Avalanche to their seventh straight playoff appearance. He set career highs in goals and assists, becoming the sixth different player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to produce a 50-goal season and trailing only Peter Stastny (93 in 1981-82) for the franchise’s most helpers in a single campaign. MacKinnon, who found the scoresheet in a League-high 69 appearances (84.1%), also set personal bests and ranked among the 2023-24 leaders in even-strength points (1st; 92), multi-point games (1st; 44), shots on goal (1st; 405), power-play assists (2nd; 38), power-play points (2nd; 48) and plus/minus (t‑6th; +35). His totals were aided by a 35-game point streak at Ball Arena to begin the season (Oct. 19 – March 26: 29-48—77), the second-longest home scoring streak in NHL history behind only Wayne Gretzky’s unblemished 1988-89 home campaign (33-70—103 in 40 GP w/ LAK). MacKinnon additionally became the first player in League history to record two separate overall point streaks of at least 19 contests within the same season, doing so Nov. 20 – Dec. 27 (13-23—36 in 19 GP) and Feb. 13 – March 26 (13-25—38 in 19 GP). The 28-year-old MacKinnon – a Hart Trophy finalist for the fourth time after finishing third in voting in 2020-21, second in 2019-20 and second in 2017-18 – is vying to join Peter Forsberg (2002-03) and Joe Sakic (2000-01) as the third player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to win the award.
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, finished third in the League with 32-100—132 (76 GP) to power the Oilers to their fifth straight postseason appearance despite a 2-9-1 start to the season. He became the sixth player in NHL history to register at least seven 100-point campaigns and the first to reach the milestone in four or more consecutive seasons since 1992-93, when Steve Yzerman (6) and Brett Hull (4) both achieved the feat. McDavid also became the first player to produce back-to-back 130-point campaigns since Mario Lemieux in 1991-92 and 1992-93, and the first to record at least 120 points in three consecutive since Wayne Gretzky ended a run of 13 straight in 1991-92. McDavid, who – at 1.52 – owns the third-highest points per game rate in League history (minimum: 500 GP) behind Gretzky (1.92) and Lemieux (1.88), became the fifth-fastest player to reach the 900-point milestone (602 GP: Jan. 2 vs. PHI) and the fourth-fastest to accumulate 600 career assists (616 GP: Feb. 13 vs. DET). He added to his outstanding campaign by becoming the fourth different player in NHL history (and first since Gretzky in 1990-91) to collect 100 assists in a season (April 15 vs. SJS) – a milestone later matched by Nikita Kucherov. The 27-year-old McDavid – a three-time winner (2022-23, 2020-21 and 2016-17) and finalist for the sixth time in his nine NHL seasons – is looking to become the fourth player with at least four Hart Trophies, following Gretzky (9x), Gordie Howe (6x) and Eddie Shore (4x). McDavid also is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner since Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
History
The Hart Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL in 1960 after the original Hart Trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The original Hart Trophy was donated to the NHL in 1924 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
Announcement Schedule
The series of NHL Trophy finalist announcements concludes Wednesday, May 8, when the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award will be unveiled.
