OTTAWA - Ottawa Senators ( @Senators ) general manager Pierre Dorion announced today that head coach Guy Boucher has been relieved of his duties and Marc Crawford has been named interim head coach, effective immediately.

"I want to thank Guy for his three years of service. He is a good person and has been an excellent representative of the Senators. At this point, however, we need a different set of coaching and leadership skills to guide our team through this rebuild," said general manager Pierre Dorion. "In the interim, Marc will bring a different perspective along with a wealth of head coaching experience."

In tandem with an evaluation of our current coaching staff, we will conduct a search for a new head coach following the season. We will be looking for a coach who excels as:

A teacher who will focus on the development and growth of each player on the team;

A listener who encourages feedback from players and the coaching staff;

A communicator who lets every team member know where they stand and what is expected;

A tactician who brings structure and game planning that will enhance our rebuild.

Crawford, a 58-year-old Stanley Cup winning coach, is in his third season as a member of the Senators coaching staff in 2018-19. With 18 seasons of National Hockey League coaching experience, he has served as an NHL head coach for 1,151 games.

Marc and his wife, Helene, reside in Cornwall, Ont., and have two children, Dylan and Kaitlin.

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