Green: Joining Devils 'Checked All the Boxes' | FEATURE

The New Jersey Devils checked the boxes.

A place where you can win. Check.
A place where you're working with great people. Check.

Those were the two big priorities for Travis Green when he was looking to get back into the coaching game.

On Thursday, Green was named Associate Coach on Lindy Ruff's coaching staff, ready to get back behind the bench for the first time since he last was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks in 2021. It appears to be a perfect match, the Devils looking for a new associate coach, and Green looking for the right opportunity. He had an understanding of what was important to him in joining an NHL bench and had multiple opportunities this off-season to join different teams. Ultimately he decided that with the Devils was where he wanted to be. He called his decision a 'no brainer'.

"New Jersey really checked all the boxes," Green said in his introductory press conference. "a young, exciting team that's been developed through the draft and you've seen them slowly mature, last year they had a great season. And they really have in my opinion, a chance to win and win long term.

"And then the people that you get to work with, Lindy and Tom (Fitzgerald), being able to work with them but also the rest of the coaching staff," Greene continued, "(…) you're always looking to learn and get better as a coach and you know New Jersey really checked everything that I was looking for when it came to joining a team."

Green coached the Vancouver Canucks from 2017 until he was let go in 2021. It was, he said, the first time he had been let go in his coaching career and required a bit of time to digest. Since then, the 52-year-old has used his time away wisely.

"I tried to use the time productively," he shared, "I visited a few teams in Europe just to see different sides of coaching. I watched a lot of hockey last season, maybe ways that I hadn't before. And if I'm being honest, I probably got really recharged. energized to get back and I'm excited about the opportunity and can't wait to get going."

Part of the allure of bringing in a coach like Green, Video: Travis Green | PRESS CONFERENCE, was his "energy and engaging personality" that will be a "huge benefit when working with our players one-on-one." Much of how Green coaches is based on his playing days, having suited up for 970 NHL games with six different clubs and also understanding the way modern-day athletes are wired.

"When I first started coaching, I promised myself I wouldn't forget what it's like to be the player," Green elaborated. "I think that's important. You can't coach each player the same. They're all individuals. They're all a bit different."

"Part of teaching players is the players having trust," he added, "and I think the best way to have trust with a player and build that is through communication and building relationships. When I look at myself as a coach, that's a big part of how I go about coaching. With today's modern-day athlete, I think it is important that you have strong communication skills."

Green is still getting to know the organization. He'll travel to Nashville next week to be with some of the coaches and management ahead of the NHL Draft to begin familiarizing himself. He already has a relationship with Fitzgerald from their playing days as teammates on three different NHL teams, but Ruff is someone Green is looking forward to getting to know better and ultimately learning from.

The decision to join the Devils 'became that much easier' he said after his initial conversations with the Devils head coach.

"It was important to me to be with a staff that I'm gonna learn from," he said, "to be with a staff that will work well together and feel comfortable with. And then obviously, when you look at the team, the players, the young, exciting players… I can't wait to get going. I'm excited to be with the Devils."

All boxes checked.