The Vancouver Canucks have found their new head coach and decided to go with Travis Green for the season 2017-2018 as their 19th head coach in their history. Vancouver decided to go within the organization with Green, who coached the AHL Utica Comets four years before named today. prior to be bench boss with Utica, Green coached the 2012-2013 Portland Winterhawks. With Portland, Green won the WHL title and earned a spot in the 2013 Memorial Cup final.
Hiring Travis Green from within is a growing trend in the NHL. With the Utica Comets, Travis Green completed the 2016-17 season with 35 wins and 32 losses matched with 7 overtime-loss. Travis Green became the first head coach of the Comet’s team history. Under Green, Utica was able to earn a Division and Conference championship in 2014-2015.
Green another NHL rookie coach
It will be Travis Green’s first head coach job in the NHL. The Canucks are in a rebuilding mode and Green will have to coach a team with many young faces mixed some older veterans like the Sedin brothers, Loui Eriksson and goalie Ryan Miller. He will replace Willie Desjardins who was fired at season’s end.
Vancouver this past season finished 29th in the NHL with only 69 points. With Desjardins, the Canucks were only able to reach the playoff in 2014-25 with 101 points.
Green is an ex-NHLer who will have the chance to further develop a young promising crop of prospects. Prospects such as Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi, Markus Granlund and Troy Stetcher on defense will eventually lead the way and feel Green is the man to develop these young players. In his NHL career, Green spent most of his career with the New York Islanders but also had seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. In his career, Travis the centreman compiled 193 goals with 262 assists in 970 games played over 14 NHL seasons.
The announcement is expected today at Rogers Arena.
