The Ottawa Senators are gearing up for an intense season under the guidance of their new head coach, Travis Green. Green wasted no time in setting the tone for the upcoming campaign, emphasizing the importance of building a strong team culture and identity.
In a recent meeting with season ticket holders and media, Green made it clear that the focus for the Senators this season goes beyond just scoring goals. He stressed the need for the team to come together, work on building an identity, and focus on long-term success. Green stated, “Day 1 is not going to be about how we’re going to score more goals. It’s how we’re going to be a better team, how we’re going to build an identity, how we’re going to win in the long term.”
A key aspect of Green’s coaching philosophy is understanding the individual needs and strengths of each player. Over the summer, he made an effort to connect with each player to get to know them better on a personal level. Green believes that by building trust and rapport with his players, he can effectively communicate his expectations and motivate them to perform at their best.
“I think, you know, the more time you talk to a player, you get to know him a little better, his personality,” Green explained. “And when you have a comfortability level, or you get to that level, it’s a lot easier to send messages, even mannerisms, whether one person’s happy or another person’s not happy.”
Known for his tough training camps, Green emphasized the importance of coming to camp with a high level of fitness and readiness to compete. He made it clear that there are no excuses for players to show up out of shape, especially with all the resources available to them.
“It’s going to be a training camp that pushes your conditioning, and that’s just part of it,” Green asserted. “I think every year when you come to training camp, you haven’t been on the ice for four months. You’re not in game shape, and part of training camp is to put your structure into place, your little details, but also to get ready for the game speed.”
As the Senators prepare for the challenges of the upcoming season, Green expressed confidence in his team’s readiness to tackle whatever lies ahead. With a focus on building a strong team culture, understanding individual players, and intense training camps, the Ottawa Senators are gearing up for an exciting and competitive season under the leadership of Travis Green.
