Guy Boucher and the Ottawa Senators have added another Coach to the staff for next season and once again, have gone with a familiar face.
It has been rumoured for some time now but this morning the Sens made it official, announcing Pierre Groulx is the team’s new Goalie Coach. He takes over for Rick Walmsley who was somewhat surprisingly let go when the team dismissed Dave Cameron at the end of the season.
In Groulx, the team is getting a hard working coach with a strong track record. Groulx has worked with Anderson in the past and spent years in the Montreal Canadiens organization working with Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price, particularly in his early years. Groulx spent five season with the Senators from 2000-2005 and worked closely with Guy Boucher when Boucher was the Head Coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Most recently, he worked with the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate in Portland. Goalie Coaches don’t usually get much of the spotlight but this article from 2011 provides an interesting look at Groulx during his time in Montreal.
With this hiring, it seems as though the Senators have completed their staff for next season although there is an outside chance they bring on one more Assistant. Looking at the whole group (Boucher, Crawford, Cookson, Groulx), this has to be the most experienced Coaching staff the team has ever assembled.
-A quick note- From what I’ve heard, it sounds like the Senators spoke to former St. Louis Blues Assistant and ex-Ottawa Senator Brad Shaw about a job on the staff on multiple occasions. In fact, I believe Shaw may have been offered a spot on the coaching staff. In the end, Shaw ended up accepting a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
