(Ottawa) Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith is counting on a new assistant.

Ben Sexton was promoted from the American League farm club to join Smith’s staff.

Sexton spent the last three seasons as an assistant with the Belleville Senators. He was hired before the 2020-2021 season.

After being a seventh-round pick, 206th overall, of the Boston Bruins in 2009, Sexton spent the majority of his career in the American League except for a brief stint with the Senators in 2017-18. He retired in 2020.

The Sens also announced the hiring of Sean Tierney as director of the analytics department. He will begin his position on September 15.