Those closely following Troy Mann might have been surprised to see him select a head coaching position with the Kingston Frontenacs.
While he has worked professionally to this point in his career, Mann has always felt an affinity for the Canadian Hockey League.
In previous job searches, he was often approached with offers from major junior organizations. Early in the 2023-24 season, an opportunity opened up when a role with the Kingston Frontenacs was made available. After years of looking for the right position, he felt he had finally found the posting for him.
After the conclusion of his position with the Belleville Senators, Mann engaged in player development work with the Quinte Red Devils, a triple-A hockey program, through most of last year, but after receiving a proposal from Frontenacs' general manager Kory Cooper, he decided to rejoin the head coaching ranks.
It might have simply been that he wanted to try something new after a storied career in the ECHL and American Hockey League. An excellent mentor, he has always relished a chance to nurture prospects. The ethos of the Ontario Hockey League naturally complements his player development approach and experience.
"I think major junior hockey has always intrigued me as a coach. It is just a different path. I don't know, from a coaching perspective, that I have anything left to prove in the AHL, quite frankly," Mann said during an interview at Leon's Centre.
Regarded amongst the best in the industry at helping prospects reach their potential. Mann has a proven track record of development and the ability to consistently produce winning records. These traits are expected to serve him well in his latest opportunity. He knows he will need to adjust to the junior hockey level.
"You come in here for a reason. We want to see the players progress individually. We certainly want to win some hockey games. We know it's going to take some time," Mann said. "From my perspective. Patience is certainly something that's going to be at the forefront because of the processing time for information and maybe not giving out as much on a daily basis as at the professional level. But overall, it's been really good."
Since joining the Frontenacs, his approach has been well received, and the team has responded with a 3-1-0-0 record.
"It is just reinforcing words through video or communication with the player individually. We came in, and we tweaked a couple of things," Mann said of his latest procedure. "I think, fortunately for me, the past couple of weeks were only two-game sets. So it allows for a lot of teaching."
"It is my job to get this team back to where management and ownership think it can be. The one thing I have learned at this level is teams always have a window. We want to progress this year where, hopefully, we are in the playoffs. As we all know, the postseason can bring a lot of different scenarios in terms of wins and losses. But that is the goal, and the offseason will bring something different for next year."
As always, Mann is focused on giving his team the best shot at winning and his players the greatest chance to succeed at the next level.
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