Hockey Operations

He was part of the Penguins 2017 Stanley Cup-winning professional scouting staff. Prior to joining the Penguins, he spent seven seasons as a member of the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers hockey operations department, serving in a wide variety of capacities, including professional scout, manager of hockey operations and manager of player development.

A graduate of Saint Mary’s University, Bowness played four seasons of collegiate hockey with the Huskies after playing major junior with the Ontario Hockey League’s Brampton Battalion and Oshawa Generals. The son of Winnipeg Jets head coach and the first head coach in Senators franchise history (Rick Bowness). 

Sean McCauley enters his tenth season as a member of the Senators management staff.

A native of Ottawa, Ontario, McCauley held prior positions in the Central Canada Hockey League as a Director of Player Personnel with the Cumberland Grads and an Assistant General Manager with Kanata Stallions.

Chris Dennis joined the Belleville Senators coaching staff as an assistant this September.

Dennis spent the last two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, where he served as the head coach of the Kitchener Rangers (2022-23) and as an associate with the Barrie Colts (2021-22).

Prior to his time in Major Junior, he completed a three-year stint as an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League after a successful head coaching record at York University, where he was an acclaimed two-time Ontario University Athletics Coach of the Year.

Dennis also has a lengthy resume in the National Hockey League, spending ten years in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, where he worked as an assistant coach and video coach.

Before joining the Leafs, Dennis was a physical education teacher at Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School, where he coached the senior boys’ hockey team to the ROPSSAA championship and an OFSAA bronze medal in 2005.

Dennis graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Kinesiology & Health Science in 2002. He earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Education Studies as a licensed teacher in 2004.

Dennis and his wife, Melissa, have two sons, Luke and Ryan.

McIver joins the organization after a two-year stint as an assistant coach for the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, where he helped lead the team to appearances in the Eastern Conference finals in both the 2022 and 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs. Prior to his time in Newfoundland, he spent four seasons with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 2016-2020, where he began his coaching career as an assistant with the franchise.

As a player, the native of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, appeared in eleven seasons of professional hockey after being selected in the eighth round (254th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks.

The Blyth, Ontario, native brings over ten seasons of professional goaltending experience to the coaching ranks, which includes time with the Albany River Rats, Florida Everblades, Charlotte Checkers, Carolina Hurricanes, Hershey Bears, Washington Capitals, Tucson Roadrunners, Arizona Coyotes, Texas Stars, Riga Dynamo, Cologne Sharks, Chomutov Pirati, Liberec Bili Tygri HC, and Mlada Boleslav BK.

A second selection (38th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Peters spent his four-year OHL career with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors (02-05) and Plymouth Whalers (05-06).

Internationally, he earned a bronze medal with Team Canada at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Justin has a son, Logan and a daughter Nora. His twins will be starting senior kindergarten this fall.

A veteran of 15 NHL seasons, Donovan played in 951 career regular-season games with the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and the Senators, recording 241 points (112 goals, 129 assists) and 705 penalty minutes. He also registered 12 points (six goals, six assists) and 39 penalty minutes over the span of 49 career NHL playoff games, giving him an exact total of 1,000 NHL appearances for his career. Of Donovan’s 12 post-season points, 10 (five goals, five assists) were earned while helping the Flames reach the seventh game of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, where the club was ultimately defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in each of Calgary’s 24 playoff games that spring.

San Jose’s second pick (28^th overall) in the 1993 NHL Draft, Donovan spent his entire major junior career with the Ottawa 67’s. He earned a gold medal while representing Canada at the 1995 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Red Deer, Alta., before later winning a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Finland.

Shean and his wife, Trie, live in Kanata with their three children, Jorian, Rylan and Trinity.

Most recently, Winchester was the head coach of the CCHL’s Brockville Braves. In two seasons as head coach in Brockville, he helped the Braves earn a record of 79-36-5-4.

A veteran of 285 NHL games with the Senators and Florida Panthers, over which he recorded 70 points (20 goals, 50 assists) and 159 penalty minutes, Winchester joins Shean Donovan in support of the development and growth of prospects throughout the Senators system. In doing so, he returns to the team with which he signed as a collegiate free agent and where he began his National Hockey League career. In addition to his regular-season playing experience, he also skated in 10 NHL post-season games with Ottawa.

Winchester was recognized as the CCHL Coach of the Year following both of his two seasons in Brockville and compiled a record of 11-9 over 20 CCHL post-season contests while helping the Braves reach the second round of the playoffs in each of his two seasons with the team.

Winchester, who resides in Kanata, Ont., is married to wife, Alana, and has two daughters, Taryn and Isla.

Belfer graduated from both Queen’s University and Sheridan College, and spent time on the Queen’s Gales medical staff as well. He also has 14 years of experience in the Ontario Hockey League, including three seasons with the former Mississauga IceDogs, two seasons with the former Belleville Bulls and nine seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Kevin has a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Applied Health Science – Athletic Therapy from Sheridan College. He also is a Certified Athletic Therapist (Canada) and Certified Athletic Trainer (U.S.)

Kozai has held prior positions as a Therapist with the Oakville Blades of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Additionally, he was a Trainer with the Burlington Chiefs and Oakville Buzz (Jr.A Lacrosse) and Interned with the CFL Toronto Argonauts and Laurier University Men’s Hockey Team as a Student Therapist.

Kevin is an owner of K2 Elite Therapy and Performance in Belleville.

Hilary started her career in Toronto, finding a passion for working with athletes working out of SEMI (sport and exercise medicine institute) and ALPHA Health Services, working primarily with marathoners, triathletes and cyclists.

The Tamworth, Ontario native has been practising as a Registered Massage Therapist for six years since graduating from the Sutherland-Chan School of Massage Therapy in 2016 and moved to Belleville in 2018, transitioning into hockey via the Belleville Senators after meeting Athletic Therapist Craig Belfer.

Hilary played softball at Brock University, where she did her undergrad in Kinesiology and is currently teaching Massage Therapy at Loyalist College in Belleville.

A native of Nestleton, Ontario, Freeburn held prior positions as Assistant Strength Coach and Athletic Trainer with the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals, and was also a Student Trainer with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks. A graduate of UOIT, Freeburn majored in Kinesiology with a specialization in Exercise Science.

Freeburn currently lives in Belleville with his wife Katherine.

A veteran of more than 2200 regular season American Hockey League games, the native of Binghamton, New York came to Belleville with the Senators in 2017/18, after spending the previous two seasons with the Binghamton Senators before relocation. Prior to that, he spent five seasons as the Head Equipment Manager for the Oklahoma City Barons and has had two stints as an Assistant Equipment Manager in the National Hockey League, with the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

During the offseason, Mitchell spends his time back home in Binghamton, with his wife Teshia and son Angelo.

The Whitby, Ontario native moved to Belleville with the Senators in 2017/18, following one season in Binghamton and also has 11 years experience in the Ontario Hockey League, prior to making the jump to the AHL. Boyes’ OHL resume includes a two-year stint as Head Equipment Manager with the Soo Greyhounds and nine seasons as an Assistant Equipment Manager with the Oshawa Generals, where his father Bryan has been the Head Equipment Manager and Athletic Trainer since 1981.

Along with his club experience, Boyes has been tapped as a staff member for Team Ontario and Team Canada during events including the 2014 World Under 17 Challenge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the 2014 World Under 17 Challenge in Sarnia, Ontario and the 2014 National Junior Team Summer Camp in Montreal.

Boyes now lives in Belleville with his wife Lindsay and daughter Lucca.