Bell Out, Campbell In…But Who’s Next?

Written by: SensBuzz

Steve Staios and Matt Turek pulled the trigger on their AHL Head Coach yesterday when the club announced it had dismissed head coach David Bell. Bell was in his seventh season with the Senators’ organization, and his third as head coach of the Belleville Senators.

Bell departs after the club stumbled out of the gate to an 11-14-3 start while also losing 10 of their last 12 games, despite icing one of the deepest rosters of his tenure. 

Belleville’s biggest issue this season has not been special teams or a lack of offence. In fact, Bell’s team boasts the eighth-best offence in the AHL, a strong power play, and a middle-of-the-pack penalty kill. Under Bell, Arthur Kaliyev sits second in the AHL in goals, Stephen Halliday ranks in the top five in assists despite spending all of December with the big club, Carter Yakemchuk is in the top three in rookie scoring, and sixth in the league for points by a defenceman.

The problem, plainly, has been goaltending and team defence. The Belleville Senators lead the league in goals against with 105 surrendered, and no other team has yet entered triple digits. They are also last in home goals against, allowing 55 goals in 15 games, contributing to a 4-9-2 record on home ice.

We wish David Bell nothing but the best moving forward. When you think back to some of the impossible situations the Senators organization has put Belleville in over the years, it is hard not to feel for him. That said, this is a results-driven industry, and the Senators will be looking to respond when they return to the ice Friday against the Rochester Americans.

That brings us to what we have heard about personnel decisions going forward. 

General manager Matt Turek appeared on TSN 1200 following the move and announced that Andrew Campbell has been appointed interim head coach. Campbell is an assistant coach who has followed Turek since their Hamilton and Brantford days, and I am led to believe Turek is very comfortable allowing Campbell to see out the season at the helm.

Campbell is not one of the trendier coaching prospects circulating through NCAA circles, but he has been hand-picked and has been closely connected to Turek, Staios, and Andlauer since the 2021-22 OHL season. He has been described as a strong communicator by Stefan Legein and Paul Gibson, who remain behind the bench in Belleville, and as a development-focused coach, particularly through his consistent work with top prospect Carter Yakemchuk this season.

I believe that Campbell will be given a long runway as a first-time head coach. Still, there are a few broader thoughts worth putting on the table.

If we look at the current coaching structure:

Ottawa

Head Coach: Travis Green

Assistant Coaches: Mike Yeo, Nolan Baumgartner, Daniel Alfredsson, Ben Sexton

Goaltending Coach: Justin Peters

Belleville

Head Coach: Andrew Campbell

Assistant Coach: Stefan Legein

Goaltending Coach: Paul Gibson

The primary goal of an AHL team is development. I am not suggesting development cannot occur with a smaller staff, but there is a clear disparity between the two organizations, with Ottawa employing three more assistant coaches than Belleville.

Here is what we know. To work within Michael Andlauer’s organization, an internal reference matters. Three names immediately come to mind as potential candidates the Senators could explore, along with one additional suggestion.

Candidate 1: Jay McKee

Much like John Gruden was to Steve Staios at the OHL level, Jay McKee was Matt Turek’s coach in Hamilton and Brantford. McKee is not an “if” but a “when” candidate for professional coaching. The complication is timing. His Brantford Bulldogs are 23-3-4 and sit first in the OHL. Pulling him, or anyone from his staff, mid-season would be extremely difficult and likely unrealistic before summer.

McKee will have his choice of opportunities once the season ends. The question becomes whether he would leave OHL dominance for a historically middling AHL situation. That remains unclear.

Jay McKee is also signed through 2027-28 after re-upping back in June. That’s just another layer the Senators will be forced to navigate.

Candidate 2: Laura Fortino

Unlike McKee, Laura Fortino is not the head coach of the OHL’s top team, but she is an assistant on his staff. Fortino began her OHL coaching career after being hand-picked by then general manager and president of hockey operations Steve Staios. In an interview in August 2022, Staios said:

“Laura exudes the passion, character and leadership that we covet in Hamilton. /…/ We have witnessed firsthand through our training and development camps over the years, her ability to coach and mentor players. Laura’s playing experience and success speaks for itself, she has been an instrumental part of many Championship teams and undoubtedly will carry on that success as a Coach.”

Conveniently, Fortino also worked alongside Andrew Campbell on McKee’s staff. She is comfortable behind the bench and has carved out a meaningful role in player development in Brantford, an area the Senators have emphasized with the creation of a formal development department under Sam Gagner following the departures of Sean Donovan, Jesse Winchester, and Wade Redden.

Fortino has overseen the development of several NHL-affiliated prospects, from late draft picks to players fast-tracked toward professional hockey. Under her guidance, Jorian Donovan, Florian Xhekaj, and Nick Lardis have all hit the AHL ground running.

She is someone I could see the Senators making a serious push for, particularly in a role working closely with Gagner.

Candidate 3: Benoît Groulx

Benoît Groulx, the longtime coach of the Gatineau Olympiques and Syracuse Crunch, previously coached Belleville assistant Stefan Legein. Before the Senators ultimately hired Travis Green, Groulx’s name surfaced repeatedly following Pierre Dorion’s departure.

Since then, Groulx spent a year scouting for the Tampa Bay Lightning before leading Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL to their first Gagarin Cup Final in over a decade. On November 17, 2025, he stepped down from his head coaching role, citing “extreme fatigue” in an interview with Le Droit.

There is no public information on his current situation, but if he has returned to Gatineau, the Senators would be looking at a highly respected local QMJHL and AHL coach currently without a position. Any consideration would, of course, depend on his health and willingness to return behind the bench.

Alternate Option

Daniel Alfredsson and Ben Sexton are the least experienced coaches on the Senators’ bench, but both are legitimate long-term coaching prospects. Alfredsson was fast-tracked from coaching his sons to contributing on the NHL bench, where he works with the power play and forwards. Sexton, to his credit, moved rapidly from player-coach to assistant coach in Belleville and then to an NHL assistant.

With Mike Yeo and Nolan Baumgartner ahead of them in experience, Ottawa’s bench is crowded. We have seen players sent to Belleville for conditioning assignments, but rarely coaches. If there were ever a case for it, this might be one. Sending either Alfredsson or Sexton to Belleville would provide an opportunity for greater responsibility and hands-on development work. Alfredsson, in particular, could benefit from cutting his teeth in the AHL.

Let me know what you think. Who should the Senators bring in? Be sure to engage on social media and share your thoughts.