Rebels alumnus Green named interim head coach of NHL’s Devils
By Contributor
Courtesy KIJHL
Castlegar Rebels alum Travis Green (1985-86) has been named the New Jersey Devils Interim Head Coach for the rest of the 2023-34 NHL season. The Devils made the announcement on March 4.
“Travis has key experience running benches at the junior, AHL and NHL levels and knows that there are no shortcuts to success. He is a high-demanding individual who is familiar with the group and excited about working to get us back on track,” said Devils’ President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald on the team website.
Green, 53, was named Associate Coach by Fitzgerald on June 22, 2023. He was Vancouver’s head coach for parts of five seasons from 2017-18 to 2021-22 with a 133-147-34 record. Green led the Canucks to the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, after the team posted a 36-27-6 record in the regular season. Before coaching in the NHL, he was head coach for the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 2013-14 to 2016-17, winning 35 or more games in all four seasons. Utica clinched two postseason berths under Green’s guidance and advanced to the 2014-15 Calder Cup finals. While with Vancouver, Green coached Quinn Hughes, the older brother of both Jack and Luke Hughes.
Previously, Green took over as interim head coach of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Portland Winterhawks in 2012-13 and won a WHL Championship title. Green and the Winterhawks then clinched a berth in the 2012-13 Memorial Cup final.
A native of Castlegar, B.C. the New York Islanders selected Green in the second round, 23rd overall, at the 1989 NHL Draft. He recorded 455 points (193g-262a) in 970 career regular-season games from 1992-93 to 2006-07. Green spent most of his playing career with the Islanders (388 GP), but also skated for Toronto (181 GP), Arizona/Phoenix (147 GP), Boston (146 GP) and Anaheim (108 GP). The former NHL centerman appeared in seven different postseasons and earned 21 points (10g-11a) in 56 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Green and Fitzgerald were teammates dating back to 1992-93 with the Islanders, 2002-03 with Toronto and then 2005-06 with Boston.
In Green’s lone KIJHL season with the Rebels, he had 30 goals and 70 points in 35 regular season games. He then spent four seasons with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs.
