The Ottawa Senators have made changes to the coaching staff of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
Following Thursday’s game, Troy Mann was relieved of his duties as the team’s head coach. Assistant coach David Bell will take over as Belleville’s interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
“A change like this is a difficult decision, but we are aligned internally and feel this is necessary for the short- and long-term growth of the players in our organization as well as the cohesion in systematic play between Ottawa and Belleville,” said Belleville Senators general manager Ryan Bowness. “I want to thank Troy and his family for their contributions to the Belleville community.”
Bell, 45, is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Belleville Senators after being hired on June 27, 2019. He has more than 19 years of coaching experience, including serving as a head coach on two occasions with Niagara IceDogs (OHL) and the Quad City Mallards (CHL). The Wiarton, Ont., native enjoyed a seven-year professional playing career that included 60 games in the AHL with the Springfield Falcons, Portland Pirates and Saint John Flames.
The Senators currently sit in sixth place in the AHL’s North division with a record of 17-22-3-1 (38 points).
