Senators' Head Coach Applying New Mindset to Organization

The Ottawa Senators' new head coach is attempting to build a winning culture.

Nov 11, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green looks on from the bench in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Ottawa Senators are putting a heavy dose of faith in new head coach Travis Green. Coming off of a 37-win season and their eighth straight season of missing the playoffs, the Senators are eager to end the longest postseason drought in team history.

That drive is probably what made the Senators and Green such a good fit. Green's track record in the NHL hasn't been overly impressive. He was the head coach for the Vancouver Canucks for four and a half seasons, compiling a record of 133-146-34. Under his guidance, the Canucks made the postseason once, losing in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020.

He was most recently with the New Jersey Devils, serving as an associate coach and interim head coach with the team. The Devils had a difficult year as a team, missing the playoffs and failing to meet expectations. So, Green is now the bench boss in Ottawa and he's eager to to show how much he's improved.

Green spoke to the Senators' media and TSN recently and was asked about what might be different this time around as coach. He mentioned having a growth mindset as being a big part of what he hopes to bring to his new position.

"I strongly believe I'm a much better coach today than six years ago when I started in Vancouver," he said. "Whatever job you're doing, you get better at it as you do it. If you're open to learning and growing and having a growth mindset."

It's also something he is attempting to impart on the Senators' roster. While he acknowledged the goal is to become a great team and Stanley Cup contender, he identified the present task is building the base for a winning culture. Applying that growth mindset will be key for an organization getting used to missing the postseason.

"Day one's not going to be about how we're gonna score more goals," he said. "It's how we're gonna be a better team. How we're gonna build an identity. How we're gonna win in the long long term. You don't get to the top until you get through the first level, the first part of building a culture and building an identity."

With training camp a few weeks away, the Senators will get the chance to put Green's methods to the test. They enter the 2024-2025 season with an enormous challenge ahead, but perhaps with a committment to learning and growing, the Sens can end their playoff drought.

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