Ottawa Senators AHL head coach Troy Mann gave some of the team's pre-scouting material to another NHL club prior to his firing, sources told TSN's Claire Hanna.
The occurrence was the final straw in burgeoning trust issues between Mann and the Senators.
Mann was relieved of his duties as the Belleville Senators' head coach Thursday night following a 5-3 win over the Rochester Americans.
"While a change at the head coach position during the season is not an ideal scenario, we felt it was necessary to deliver improved team performance," Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion said in Thursday's release announcing Mann's firing.
Trent Mann, Troy's younger brother, has been in the Senators' front office since 2011. He was promoted to assistant general manager last summer.
The elder Mann had been the Senators' AHL head coach since the 2018-19 campaign. Players including Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, and Nick Paul developed into NHLers under Mann's tutelage in Belleville.
Paul credited Mann for helping turn his career around following his nomination for the Masterton Trophy in 2021.
"One of the biggest things that helped me turn around, is (Mann) came in when I was at a lower spot in my mental state," Paul said to The Athletic's Ian Mendes in May 2021. "I was very negative with myself with no confidence. And he kind of came in and gave me the confidence that I needed. He really had trust in me, put faith in me, and played me a lot. He taught me the game and how to be successful. So, Troy Mann coming in really helped me turn it around."
Belleville ranked sixth in the AHL's North Division with a 17-22-4 record and had allowed the second-most goals in the league at the time of Mann's firing. The 53-year-old had a 150-117-22 record at the helm of the AHL Senators across five seasons.