(Photo: Jack Miller Quinte News)
For the most part, Troy Mann has been the face of the Belleville Senators for the past 4 1/2 seasons, but no more.
Yesterday the Ottawa Senators made the surprise move of firing Mann and replacing him with assistant David Bell for the rest of the AHL season.
Mann has been widely credited with the development of many of Ottawa’s prospects. However, in a statement by B-Sens GM Ryan Bowness, the NHL team felt it was necessary for the short and long term growth of the players.
The move came as the Belleville Senators played host to the Rochester Americans.
Since his arrival during Belleville’s second season in the American Hockey League in 2018, Mann has dealt with constant and almost daily roster adjustments due to injuries in both Belleville and Ottawa and call-ups to the parent NHL club.
Mann has had to deal with more than 200 player transactions every season.
The 45-year-old Bell 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 Mallard (CHL). The Wiarton, Ont., native enjoyed a seven-year professional playing career including winning an ECHL Kelly Cup in 2001 with the Greenville Growl.
The B-Sens currently sit in sixth place in the AHL’s North division with a record of 17-22-3-1 for 38 points in 43 games.
They are four points out of a playoff spot in the North Division.
