Bobby Jones gets NHL job
Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League have rounded out their coaching staff with the hiring of Bobby Jones as an assistant, Hockey News North has learned.
The 49-year old Jones, who hails from the Sault Ste. Marie area beach town of Haviland Bay, was tapped for the Ottawa job by new Senators head coach D.J. Smith. Jones and Smith previously worked together as assistant coaches with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
A career coach, Jones got his first gig behind a pro bench during the 2018-2019 season as an assistant with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. The AHL Stars are the top farm club of the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
One of the good guys of the game, Jones has a lengthy past as a notable OHL coach and player.
He played parts of five seasons, spanning 239 games, playoffs included, as a dependable defenseman with the Soo Greyhounds — including being team captain — before turning to coaching at age 25 after a few years in the minor pro system of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
Jones then became a highly-regarded assistant, associate and head coach in the OHL for more than 20 years, working for the Greyhounds, Brampton Battalion, Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, Sudbury Wolves, Windsor Spitfires and Oshawa Generals.
While the associate coach in Windsor, Jones was part of two Memorial Cup championship teams with the Spitfires.
Prior to moving up to the AHL as an assistant with Texas this past season, his most recent OHL gig was a three-year stint with Oshawa as its head coach.
Congrats To Bobby …Sault guys and hockey ..winning combo !!