Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green was inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame on Saturday night, honoring his playing and coaching career in British Columbia and beyond.
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Green, who grew up in Castlegar, B.C., was enshrined alongside former NHLers Andrew Ladd and Josh Gorges, NHL official Malcolm Ashford, and broadcaster Daryl Reaugh. The ceremony took place in the province where Green began his hockey journey.
“I don’t know if I could put it into words,” Green told the Hall. “The magnitude of being honoured like this… I don’t even know if it’s still sunk in.”
Early Career and NHL Success
Green grew up in Castlegar, a town of just over 8,000 residents located 25 kilometres from the Canada-U.S. border. In his final season of minor hockey with the Castlegar Rebels, he averaged two points per game before moving to the Western Hockey League. At age 18, Green recorded 102 points (51 goals, 51 assists) for the Spokane Chiefs, leading to his selection by the New York Islanders 23rd overall in the 1989 NHL Draft.
“I think the first thing that comes to mind is ‘humbling’,” Green told Donnie and Dhali – The Team on CHEK radio in June. “As a kid growing up in Castlegar, pretty (much) only dreamed about playing in the NHL. Never once do you dream of being in the hall of fame.”
Green, a centre, played 970 NHL games for the Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Phoenix Coyotes, and Boston Bruins over 14 seasons, amassing 455 points (193 goals, 262 assists).
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player in 2008, Green returned to the WHL to begin coaching in 2010. He started as an assistant with the Portland Winterhawks and became general manager and head coach two seasons later. Under his leadership, the Winterhawks reached the WHL Championship twice in three seasons, winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2013.
That off-season, Green took a head coaching job with the Utica Comets, the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate, leading them to a Calder Cup Final in his second season.
In 2017, Green became head coach of the Vancouver Canucks after Willie Desjardins was fired. Over five seasons, his Canucks went 133-147-34, making the playoffs once and winning two rounds during the 2020 COVID-19 bubble post-season. He was fired 25 games into the 2021-22 campaign.
After a stint as an assistant with the New Jersey Devils under Lindy Ruff—including 21 games as interim coach when Ruff was fired—Green signed a four-year contract with the Ottawa Senators in May 2024.
“Not always do you land on what we feel is a perfect fit for our group,” said Steve Staios, Senators general manager and president of hockey operations, at the introductory press conference. “This is also a massive step for our organization.”
The Senators have made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons under Green, though each time they have faced an early 3-0 series deficit in the first round.
