Travis Green was on the plane to Ottawa, where he was to be officially announced as the new head coach of the Senators, when the messages began to pour on.
Included in those messages was a rather memorable clip of Green, then with the hated Toronto Maple Leafs, in the 2003 playoffs. In that clip, Green takes a charging penalty for a hit on Ottawa defenceman Shane Hnidy, before approaching the Sens bench and pointing at much-loved tough guy Chris Neil for an earlier hit he had been subjected to.
Teammate Darcy Tucker — hardly a fan favourite in Ottawa — then escalates things by launching himself at Neil on the bench. Green promptly joined in. Par for the course between these two teams in the early days of the Battle of Ontario.
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“Well, I figured this question would come. Especially when I was on the plane yesterday and I got about eight people sending me video clips of it,” said Green, with a laugh, after a member of the media asked about it. “And wouldn’t you know, the first person I walked into at the rink was Chris Neil. And then (former defenceman Chris) Phillips walks around the corner and now I’m starting to have nightmares again.”
“I stood on the bench today and I remember almost being on the bench that night,” said the 53-year-old former NHLer. “Those were fun times.
“You look at those two teams back then and the way they competed. Seeing both buildings, that time of year with playoff hockey. Just the fact I got those videos, and then I was standing on the bench today, really resonated with me. What we’re gonna try and build and get to here.”
For the record (and in case Sens fans are holding a grudge) Green only wound up with two minutes in penalties on the play from 21 years ago.
Tucker? He had 42.
