Sad news: The Ottawa Senators head coach has announced his retirement due to his health conditions.

Sad news: The Ottawa Senators head coach has announced his retirement due to his health conditions.

The head coach of the Ottawa Senators has announced his resignation owing to health issues. This is sad news.

Following his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, assistant coach Bob Jones has garnered support from the Ottawa Senators.

Early in January, Jones disclosed his diagnosis to the Senators’ players and coaches. In an effort to promote awareness for ALS research, Jones and his family requested that the team reveal his diagnosis on Tuesday.

“We feel like a loss or a poor performance is the end of the world, but there are people in life who are going through much harder things, so it makes us want to just throw everything out there,” captain Brady Tkachuk said. “I think it says a lot about the kind of person he is and how much he loves about this team and the players in the locker room that he wants to be here for the entire process and watch all of us, as a group and organization, achieve our dreams.

Jones, 53, joined head coach D.J. Smith’s staff on July 5, 2019, and is presently in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Senators. He had coached in the Ontario Hockey League for more than 20 seasons and had prior experience in the American Hockey League when he joined the team.

It’s been a while since I’ve known him. Smith stated, “Players adore him, his wife, his children, and all of his friends. “I am aware of the quantity of texts he has gotten, and I have heard about him today.

In the off-season, Jones resides in Tecumseh, Ontario, with his spouse, Paige. Together, they have two children, Blake and Brianna. The Jones family has requested that individuals thinking about making a donation take the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the ALS Society of Canada into account.

Dorion released a statement saying, “We have been working internally with Bob and his family as he takes on this challenge.” “The organization fully supports Bob’s decision to take any necessary time off from the club during the season to focus on his family and health, even though he will still be coaching.”

Loss of muscle control is a result of ALS, a degenerative illness of the neurological system that damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Because of the Hall of Fame baseball player who was diagnosed with it in 1939, it is frequently referred to as Lou Gehrig’s sickness.

Smith remarked, “I think reaching out to someone who has it means a lot.” If someone isn’t experiencing what you are, it’s quite difficult to listen to counsel.

Since I’m not in his position, I’m unaware of that. However, talking to someone else who has experienced it, gone to work every day, and maintained some semblance of mental stability during this can be helpful in the hockey community.