Two positive developments helped the Ottawa Senators start the week off on the right foot.
First, Jake Sanderson returned to skating on a regular defence pairing for the first time since leaving the team’s season opener in Toronto on Oct. 3 with an injury.
Then, during practice, the organization announced new multi-year contract extensions for head coach Travis Green, assistant coaches Nolan Baumgartner, Mike Yeo, and Ben Sexton, and goaltending coach Justin Peters.
“It’s awesome. I was told yesterday, just so excited, he deserves it,” said Sanderson, speaking after practice about his reaction to Green’s extension.
“I think for me as a player, I’m pretty grateful to have him as a coach, and you know, I love playing in front of him. Obviously, you want to play hard for the guys, but when your coach is just an awesome dude, and everyone gets along well in the dressing room, you want to play hard for them, too. It’s a well-deserved extension, and I think as an organization, we’re excited for him.”
Green arrived in Ottawa before the 2024–25 season and helped the team break a seven-season playoff drought.
“This team [had] obviously been starving for playoff hockey, and he’s come in and adapted to a style of play that I think fits his team,” said Nick Cousins.
“And yeah, he’s been super great for me, personally. Really honest, which I appreciate. We have a great relationship, so just nice to be able to continue to build on that.”
Green has rocketed up Ottawa’s all-time coaching wins leaderboard, compiling 95 wins in his first 173 games. That has tied him for fifth place, and leaves him within reach of the second-highest total on the list. Green needs just 37 more wins to surpass D.J. Smith for the second most in franchise history.
“I think last year, especially, he helped me get to playing my game at an NHL level. He was great with me, hard on me, but made me play the right way, and I think it’s better off for me,” said Stephen Halliday.
“And yeah, the assistants, [Sexton, Yeo, Baumgartner], I skated with them a lot last year, and they made a difference in my development, especially [Sexton]. I talked to him a lot last year. Me and [Kurtis MacDermid] skated a lot with him and did a lot of skills skates at the end of the year, and I felt like it really helped get me confidence. Even this year, he’s helped me a lot on faceoffs, helps me with any part of the time. So yeah, I’m really thankful, but also happy for the extensions, it’s well-deserved.”
The contract extension will keep Green as head coach through the 2030–31 season, joining core pieces locked-up long term like Tim Stützle (2031), Jake Sanderson (2032), Dylan Cozens (2030), Shane Pinto (2030), and Drake Batherson (2035).
“I can speak [for] all the players, we like playing for him and all the coaching staff, and it’s well deserved,” said Claude Giroux.
“I think we obviously respect him, and it also shows the character we have in this room. We’re not going to score the most goals, we’re not going to put up the most points individually, but we’re going to win hockey games playing this way, that’s the goal in this room,” said Cozens about why the team buys into what Green demands of his team night after night.
“I think every guy is willing to sacrifice personally for the overall team game. He’s got us to buy into that. We just have such good guys in this room that are willing to play this way.”
