On Monday, the Ottawa Senators announced that they hired former Hershey Bears head coach, Troy Mann, as the second head coach in Belleville Senators franchise history.

Back in April, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan announced that the organization would not be renewing Troy Mann’s contract with the Hershey Bears. The decision followed a disappointing season for the Bears, where they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 season, and for just the 13th time in their 80-year history. The Bears also endured a nine-game losing streak over the winter.

Additionally, Mann was on the record for being particularly critical of then-prospect Jakub Vrana, while he was still with the Bears.

Several prospects under Mann, including Nathan Walker, Madison Bowey, Chandler Stephenson, Christian Djoos and Jakub Vrana, failed to consistently crack the Capitals lineup, and were either scratched for several games, or sent back and forth to Hershey.

“At this point, we feel a fresh approach and a change in leadership is needed in order for us to continue to develop our young players towards the next level and for success at the AHL level,” MacLellan said at the time, regarding the decision not to renew Mann’s contract.

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, however, did not have any reservations about Mann’s track record, nor his ability to develop players at the AHL level.

“Troy is a talented, experienced head coach who has a track record of developing players,” Dorion said. “Troy is a teacher and a winner. We feel that he’s a great fit for both Belleville and for our organization and will able to impart on our young players the values of leadership, character and chemistry that are so important to us. We’re excited to welcome him to the Senators and looking forward to introducing him to the fans in Belleville.”

Troy Mann already has a connection to the Senators’ organization. Troy’s brother, Trent Mann, is the head scout for the Senators.

Sens hire Troy Mann head coach of their AHL affiliate in Belleville. Troy is brother of Sens head scout Trent. https://t.co/ACoaBP69hp

— Brent Wallace (@tsn_wally) June 25, 2018

Troy Mann was head coach of the Hershey Bears over four seasons. He led the Bears to two Atlantic Division titles, as well as a trip to the 2016 Calder Cup Finals. The Bears posted a 162-102-22-18 record over 304 regular season games while under Mann. Mann also served as an assistant coach with the Bears from the 2009-10 to 2012-13 season. During Mann’s time as assistant coach, the Bears won the 2010 Calder Cup.