Patrick WilliamsAuthor of TheAHL.com features

It’s August. The weather is humid. Last season is just a memory, but the next season is still more than two months away.

Then surely it’s time to sit back and relax, right?

Not in Belleville, where the parent team Ottawa Senators have barely slowed down since the start of the offseason in April. Steve Staios is entering his first offseason as general manager, and since the start of free agency on July 1, moves to improve the organization have followed one another.

Jan Jenik And Xavier Bourgault came through transfers from Utah and Edmonton respectively. Jenik, who has played in the NHL for the past four seasons, is only 23 years old. Bourgault is 21 and a first-round pick of the Oilers in 2021. Adam Gaudettewho played 50 games for Ottawa during the 2021-22 season, returns to the organization; his 44 goals with Springfield last season led the AHL and earned him a spot on the league’s First All-Star Team.

An important step, however, was the extension of the contract of Belleville’s head coach. David Bell for two more years. Bell, who took over the B-Sens midway through the 2022-23 season, led the club back to the Calder Cup playoffs in 2024 and earned the franchise’s first series victory when they eliminated the rival Toronto Marlies in the first round.

Given all the changes coming to the company, Bell admits it was a relief to be able to sort out his own situation before his existing contract expired.

“It was big,” he admitted. “As any coach knows, it’s not much fun counting down the days until you don’t get a paycheck anymore.”

It was also a well-deserved contract extension. Bell was a tough player during his own playing days, and his Senators have taken on some of that personality. They fought to the end for a playoff spot, finally securing victory with an emotional home win over Laval on April 19. They then battled the Marlies hard before putting the pressure on Cleveland in a divisional semifinal series. Four of Belleville’s seven playoff games were decided in overtime, including the series-clinching win over Toronto.

“I think we had a really good season,” said Bell, who is always measured in his words. “I don’t think it was great, but it was good. We made some progress. I don’t want to use the word ‘success,’ but I would say ‘steps in the right direction.'”

The ups and downs of the contract lifecycle for players are well known. But it’s less true for coaches. With a family at home, Bell faced decisions that affected more than just himself.

“It was really hard,” Bell said, “but it all worked out. My kids are happy here. We love Belleville. We’re pretty well embedded socially and the kids are in sports and stuff, so it was a good day when it was done.”

Mastering the business side of the game is a learning area for an AHL head coach that complements the many lessons that come with playing on the ice. Coaching in the NHL is about winning and losing; an AHL coach has to worry about winning too, but player development is a top priority. While winning and losing are clearly defined, the fickle nature of player development can be more opaque. When is it best to take a young player out of his comfort zone? When is it best to protect a young player a little until he has a little more experience that can serve as a buffer?

Bell likes to take things slow with his players. Maybe try to launch an attack in the defensive zone in the first half before trying to score a win in the final 30 seconds of regulation time. Challenge a player, but protect his confidence. Put him in a position where he can succeed.

“Let them try,” Bell explained. “Hopefully they get that moment in a not-so-decisive situation so they can capitalize on it. Whether it was a playoff game or the last minute of a game, (now) they’ve been in that situation before, maybe the lights just weren’t as bright.”

Summer offers time to slow down and reflect, to think about the myriad decisions that a 72-game season has brought. He’s been through the Calder Cup Playoffs as well as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There are trends that can be picked up and analyzed. There are videos that can be watched. Maybe something or an edge can be found. Bell will also have a new staff to prepare for as Ottawa Stefan Legein and long-time AHL defender Andrew Campbell as assistant coach.

And as a coach, you have to take care of yourself, too. All season long, coaches tend to players’ needs and spend endless hours in the office. The hockey calendar never really ends; it just slows down a bit in the summer. Ottawa hosted a development camp in July. In September, the organization will field a team for the 2024 Prospects Challenge, hosted by the Buffalo Sabres.

“Try to get away from the game and reboot your brain,” Bell said. “I think fresh eyes, fresh brain, fresh body … you’ll be better when the puck drops in September if you’re refreshed and excited.”

Patrick Williams, writer for TheAHL.com, has covered the American Hockey League for nearly two decades for NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM! Sports, and most recently co-hosted The Hockey News On The ‘A’ podcast. He was awarded the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award in 2016 for his outstanding coverage of the league.