Travis Green got his first head coaching job with the Vancouver Canucks in the 2017-18 season. Unfortunately for Green, he was fired in the middle of the 2021-22 season when the Canucks had an 8-15-2 record.
Green wouldn't get a chance to be a head coach until last season for 21 games. The New Jersey Devils fired then head coach Lindy Ruff and would name Green the interim head coach. The Devils went 8-12-1 with Green as interim head coach.
After last season concluded, Green wanted to return as the full-time head coach of the Devils, but an opportunity came for Green to be the new head coach of the Ottawa Senators. Green was hired on May 7, 2024, to be the head coach of the Senators. Fifteen days later, the Devils hired former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe as their new head coach. Yesterday, the Senators' win was a special one for Green.
Green earned first win against Devils after not returning to the team
With the Senators defeating the Devils 2-1 yesterday on the road, Green earned his first win against his old team as Senators head coach. Green and the Senators would avenge their early 3-1 loss against the Devils from Oct. 17.
"We checked well the last two periods," Green said in his postgame interview following the win against the Devils. "Just played a really good road game."
The Senators defeating the Devils helped them improve to 24-18-4 on the season. Over the past six games, the Senators are now 5-0-1. The Senators jumped into the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with the win as well.
Yesterday marked Green's first time coming back to New Jersey since coaching his final game with the Devils this past April. Green reflected on his time in New Jersey with gaining more experience Devils interim head coach. Green said he was "grateful" the Devils gave him a chance to be a head coach again.
Green gave a lot of credit to Ruff on learning from a veteran head coach who is now in his 24th season an NHL head coach. Being a head coach of two teams in a year after not being a head coach since the 2021-22 season can be a challenge for any coach, but Green is welcomed to new challenges.
"Like anything in life, when you go and do something new, something different that you're not used to, you learn from it," Green said.
Green has the Senators going in the right direction at the moment, but the Senators need to remain focused and keep earning important wins. The Senators play the New York Rangers tomorrow night for the second time this season at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers currently trail the Senators by four points in the Eastern Conference. On Nov. 1, the Rangers won the first regular season meeting against the Senators 2-1 in New York City.