From new uniforms and a new franchise to players making debuts for their new teams, there’s going to be a lot of new things to get used to in the NHL next season. But there’s also going to be a few changes off the ice.
Next season, nine former NHL players are going to be taking on a new role in the league and some of them will even be making their debuts in a front office role.
Travis Green
Travis Green has spent the past four seasons coaching the Utica Comets, the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate, and next season he will be making his NHL coaching debut as the head coach of the Canucks. In his four seasons as the Comets’ head coach, Green led the team to a 155-110-29 record in 304 games.
Phil Housley
Phil Housley was selected 6th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1982 NHL Draft and went on to play 8 seasons with the team and next year he will make his return behind their bench as the new head coach. Housley spent time with the Nashville Predators as an assistant coach, but next season he will get a chance to make his debut as a head coach.
Steve Ott
It didn’t take Steve Ott very long to find a job once he announced his retirement on May 25, 2017. The former first round draft pick spent a majority of his career with the Dallas Stars but he’ll be returning as an assistant coach of the St. Louis Blues. Known as an enforcer throughout his career, Ott totaled 1,555 penalty minutes in 848 games.
Matt Greene
Like Steve Ott, Matt Greene did need a long time to find a new job in the NHL. After he was bought out by the Los Angeles Kings In late June, Greene will be returning to Los Angeles next season as a pro scout for the team. Greene spent the last nine seasons with the Kings and was a member of both Stanley Cup teams.
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon will join Matt Greene as one of the new faces in the Los Angeles Kings’ front office next season as he takes on the role as an assistant coach. The former first overall pick played 1,294 NHL games and totaled 1,327 points.
Brian Campbell
Brian Campbell spent two stints with the Chicago Blackhawks during his 17-year career and now that he’ll be taking on a new role with the team next season. Campbell will join the team’s business operations department this upcoming season and will also assist in marketing, community relations and youth hockey initiatives.
Scott Gomez & Fred Brathwaite
Dough Weight took over the coaching duties of the New York Islanders midway throughout the season last year and now he’s bringing in some new guys of his own. This past May, the Islanders named Scott Gomez as the assistant coach of the team and followed that up by naming former NHL goalie Fred Brathwaite as the team’s goaltending coach in July. Gomez will be making his coaching debut, while Brathwaite has worked overseas as a goaltending teacher.
Francis Bouillon
The former NHL defenceman joins the Montreal Canadiens for the upcoming season as a member of the player development team. Bouillon split his NHL career between the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators and played a total of 776 games.
