Former Senators Coach Dies After Battle With ALS

The Ottawa Senators mourn the loss of former assistant coach Bob Jones, who passed away Friday at age 54.

Former Ottawa Senators coach Bob Jones passed away Friday at age 54. / Jerome Miron - USA TODAY Sports

Former Ottawa Senators assistant coach Bob Jones has passed away after a battle with ALS, the team announced Friday. He was 54.

“The entire Senators’ organization is thinking of Bob’s loved ones and sending our sincere condolences to his family,” owner Michael Andlauer said in a statement. “For both our current players and for the members of our staff who had the privilege of working with Bob, his loss brings considerable sorrow. Bob will be fondly remembered for having a true joy for life and for his determined commitment to routinely help better individual players and all hockey organizations for which he worked.”

Jones was diagnosed with ALS in December of 2022 and publicly announced his diagnosis a month later. He continued to work with the Senators through last season and became an advocate for ALS research awareness.

After announcing his diagnosis, Jones became a source of key source inspiration for the Senators

"It makes us want to just leave it all out there," Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said at the time. "We think that a loss or a bad game is the end of the world, but there are people in life going through way harder things.

"The fact that he wants to be here every step of the way and see all of us as a group and an organization accomplish our dreams, I think it says a lot about the person he is and how much he cares about this team and the players in the locker room. It just makes us want to find that extra level to get the job done in honor of him."

ALS has tragically claimed the lives of multiple prominent hockey figures over the past few years, including Toronto Maple Leafs legend Börje Salming in November of 2022 (age 71) and Calgary Flames assistant general manager Chris Snow in September of 2023 (age 42).

Jones is survived by his wife Paige and their two adult children Blake and Brianna.

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