The Ottawa Senators are reportedly eyeing a candidate to replace DJ Smith as the organization's head coach, and it's not who you're thinking of.
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According to Ottawa Sun journalist Bruce Garrioch, citing NHL executives who requested anonymity, the Senators have their eye on John Gruden, the current head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs' farm club, the Marlies.
A former NHL defenseman – he notably played 22 games for the Senators between 1998 and 2000 – Gruden led the American National Development Program from 2011 to 2015 before making the jump to the Flint Firebirds in the NHL Hockey League. Ontario (OHL). He lasted just one season before taking on the same role with the Hamilton Bulldogs, a team that then had Steve Staios as general manager. The same Staios who is currently serving as interim CEO in Ottawa since Pierre Dorion was fired.
Gruden and Staios won the OHL championship together in 2017-2018.
After two years in Hamilton, he became assistant coach to Barry Despite at the New York Islanders, a position he held until 2022.
After a season as an assistant with the Bruins, he became head coach of the Marlies at the start of the season.
The interest in Gruden could therefore explain the fact that the Senators intend to take their time before appointing a new head coach and that they have entrusted the interim task to Jacques Martin and prefer to wait until the end of the season to do so To chat with Gruden, who is under contract with the Leafs.