Troy Mann Named B-Sens’ Head Coach
The Belleville Senators have their new head coach.
Troy Mann, the former Hershey Bears head coach, was tapped to lead the Ottawa Senators’ AHL affiliate with a two-year deal announced today. He replaces former bench boss Kurt Kleinendorst after an abysmal 29–42–5 season.
Mann, who is the brother of Senators’ chief amateur scout Trent Mann, is coming off of a successful tenure with the Hershey Bears. As head coach of the Washington Capitals farm club, he coached the team to a 162-102-40 record over four seasons, including a Calder Cup Final appearance in 2015-2016.
His contract was not renewed after a 30-37-9 season in which Hershey failed to qualify for the AHL playoffs.
After the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup this past season, head coach Barry Trotz publicly credited Troy Mann as a critical component in the development of many of the Caps’ key players. Mann has coached the likes of John Carlson, Braden Holtby, Jakub Vrana, Chandler Stephenson, Christian Djoos, Andre Burakovsky, Jay Beagle, and Tom Wilson.
Senators’ General Manager Pierre Dorion said of Mann; “Troy is a talented, experienced head coach who has a track record of developing players...Troy is a teacher and a winner. We feel that he’s a great fit for both Belleville and for our organization and will be able to impart on our young players the values of leadership, character and chemistry that are so important to us.”
This will be the 48 year-old’s ninth season behind an AHL bench, and fifth as a head coach.
He is the Baby Sens’ third head coach since 2012.
Stay tuned to Silver Sevens Sens for further updates on this, and everything else throughout the Ottawa Senators’ 2018 offseason.