Vancouver Canucks president and general manager Michael D. Gillis announced today that the Canucks have named Travis Green head coach of the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate.
“We are very pleased to have Travis Green join our organization,” said Gillis. “Travis brings a wealth of hockey knowledge and a winning pedigree to the role. His experience as a player and immediate success as a head coach, guiding Portland to a WHL championship this past year, are tremendous assets to lead and develop our players and prospects in Utica.”
Green, 42, most recently served as the assistant general manager and interim head coach of the 2012-13 WHL champion and Memorial Cup runner-up Portland Winterhawks. As head coach, he helped Portland to a record of 37-8-2 in the regular season, earning the Scotty Munroe Trophy as the WHL’s top regular-season team. He led the Winterhawks to a league championship before falling in the final game of the Memorial Cup to Halifax.
Prior to serving as interim head coach, Green served as assistant coach and assistant GM for the Winterhawks from 2008 through 2012-13. As assistant coach, Green helped the Winterhawks to a record of 160-99-8-7 and three consecutive league finals appearances, making the playoffs all but one season behind the bench.
Prior to joining the Winterhawks coaching staff, the Castlegar, B.C., native played 970 games over 14 seasons in the NHL with the N.Y. Islanders, Anaheim, Phoenix, Toronto and Boston. Originally drafted in 1989, Green played 164 games over his first three professioanl seasons in the AHL with the Capital District Islanders.
