Report: Ottawa Senators interested in bringing back Jacques Martin
The Ottawa Senators are searching for a new head coach and reports are suggesting the team could bring back a familiar face.
Jacques Martin coached the Ottawa Senators between 1995 and 2004 and his name has emerged as a candidate to return to the Canadian capital for a second spell in charge.
Martin’s first tenure with the Senators is still the longest in franchise history, with the St. Pascal, Ontario native earning a 341-235-96 record during his spell.
The now 66-year-old led the Senators to three Northeast Division titles, earning the Jack Adams award in the 1998/99 season.
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The Senators were unfortunately swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Buffalo Sabres that season, though three of those games were decided by just one goal.
Despite earning the Jack Adams in 1999, the Senators’ best campaign with Martin in charge came during the 2002/03 season.
The Ottawa Senators finished the regular season as Presidents’ Trophy winners, with 113 points, and Martin led the team all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals – where the team eventually lost a seven-game series against the New Jersey Devils, who went on to lift the Stanley Cup.
Since leaving the Sens after the following season, Martin took charge of the Florida Panthers for three playoff-less seasons before he took on the same role with the Montreal Canadiens.
Martin lasted less than three seasons in Montreal but helped guide the team to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010 – losing to the Philadelphia Flyers, who would go on to lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Martin has not held a head coaching role since 2012 but has been involved with the Pittsburgh Penguins organisation, as both an assistant coach and senior advisor.
As an assistant coach, Martin helped the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups and is now viewed as an ideal coach for the Ottawa Senators as they currently are.
The Senators need to work on improving their defence and Martin is seen as a strong defensive coach, who is also already familiar with the organisation and the fanbase.
General manager Pierre Dorion has reportedly already interviewed both Marc Crawford and Troy Mann for the role but has requested permission from the Penguins organisation to sit down with Martin.
With Martin’s historic and recent success and familiarity to the Senators, he may be seen as the perfect coach to step in and build a team that will compete – like he did during his first tenure, being the first coach to lead the team into the post-season in their fifth season of existence.
If the Ottawa Senators are interested in bringing their former coach back, however, they will have to compete with fellow Atlantic Division rivals the Buffalo Sabres for his signature – with Dorion needing to truly sell them as the better location for Martin to take his talents if he’s interested.
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But what do you think Sens fans? Would you be interested in seeing Martin return to Ottawa? What other coaches do you think could do a good job? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!