Troy Mann Introduced as AHL Senators' Head Coach
BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Senators formally introduced Troy Mann as the team’s new head coach at a press conference at the Yardmen Arena Tuesday morning.
The Senators got their ‘’Mann’’ in the form of the 48-year-old Campbellton, New Brunswick native, Troy Mann, who arrives in the friendly city armed with a winning pedigree and a solid track record.
‘’Ottawa came to the plate first and to me, that’s important,” said the newly-appointed coach. “[They] jumped the gun early, and that made me feel really good as a coach, that they stepped up first, and I wanted to be loyal to that aspect when they say, ‘We want you to be the head coach.’”
Former Hershey Bears’ Erik Burgdoerfer and Jim O’Brien also helped out in the pursuit of Mann, making calls to their former coach, helping to sell him on Belleville. The new bench boss also has previous connections to the organization as his brother Trent is the Senators' Chief Amateur Scout.
Mann who has compiled a 162-102-22-18 record in his first AHL head-coaching stint, guided the Hershey Bears to two Atlantic Division titles and a Calder Cup Final appearance in 2016. Mann is now tasked with getting Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, back on track having finished outside the playoffs five of the last seven years.
“I like to play an aggressive style,” said Mann, when describing his coaching style. “With the way the game is played nowadays, you certainly need structure and work ethic. Those are two things, regardless of how good your team is from a skilled perspective… you can embrace right away.”
After four seasons in Pennsylvania, Mann is ready for a new chapter in his coaching career.
‘’It’s a small town that embraces young families. We’re going to love it here, in terms of just the small town atmosphere.” Mann added that it is exciting to be coaching in a town with “such a rich hockey history.”
Note: Ottawa Senators’ GM Pierre Dorion has announced the hiring of Ryan Murphy,35, as an assistant coach in Belleville. The Rumson, NJ native has a long-standing relationship with Troy Mann spending the past five seasons on his staff as an assistant.
