Confirmed with Link: DJ Smith fired, Jacques Martin in as interim, Alfie as assistant

[Emerica]

Isn't Martin too old to be doing this shit anymore

He definitely has to be the oldest HC in the league now. Probably going to go back to an advisory role after the season.

 

[Sensinitis]

LFGGGGG!!!!

 

[Pancakes Pancakes]

I would really love to know the thought behind letting DJ run the practice today before firing him. Lol

 

[PatrickEaves]

It would be so “Sens” to not get a new coach bounce.

It's going to take a while to undo the damage that DJ did to this group of players.

This entire core group of players has never played a single NHL game under a real NHL coach. They aren't even unlearning bad habits, they are learning good habits from scratch.

 

[albator71]

There it is, now all the pressure are on the players!!! It's gonna be fascinating to see how the players react to this. Martin and Alfie have a lot work to do to turn this team around.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Feel bad for DJ

But I actually got a dopamine rush reading this title.

 

[h2]

Love these changes, but why are we keeping Capuano? He's part of the problem.

 

[Sun God Nika]

As much as i wanted to see this day part of me hurts for DJ but then I remembered he coached a NHL team for 6 years and has more money than I will ever see in my lifetime so we good.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I do wish they'd done this 2 or 3 games ago, or more. Feels like the hole might have been dug a little too deep to matter at this point.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

 

[bert]

Lol. I saw the tweet about him making it "fun", but nothing else.

Just seems unusual to run a practice and get canned right after.

Its pretty strange.

 

[milkbag]

BuT tHaT dOeSnT mAkE sEnSe wiThOuT a NeW Gm.



FINALLY! Too little too late. Oh well though, onwards and upwards.

 

[PatrickEaves]

Its pretty strange.

Until you realize that "practice" was probably the final straw.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

It would be so “Sens” to not get a new coach bounce.

I'm not expecting a new coach bounce based on the fact that this entire core of young players have all learned the "NHL ropes" playing under DJ and it'll take a while to deprogram all of the bad habits before things can turn around. It's not similar to the Blues, Oilers and Wild situations at all.

 

[Sweetnut]

Congratulations Alfie, well deserved.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Ran a fun practice and then got fired.

 

[Chili]

I remember when JM took over the first time, the team was a real mess. He didn't have an assistant to start but pretty quickly he had the group playing competitively. Pittsburgh hasn't been very good since he left there (they were awful Saturday night against the Leafs). Short or longer term, like the move.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

It's going to take a while to undo the damage that DJ did to this group of players.

This entire core group of players has never played a single NHL game under a real NHL coach. They aren't even unlearning bad habits, they are learning good habits from scratch.

Lol dude I literally made the exact same post as you above but I swear I hadn't seen it. Great minds and al lthat.

 

[Senscore]

Ran a fun practice and then got fired.

The "lose" things up typo is the icing on the cake.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Feel bad for DJ

But I actually got a dopamine rush reading this title.

Ya, I don't feel bad for a grown man getting paid lots of money and getting fired for sucking at his job.

 

[albator71]

I'm afraid the players might see Jacques Martin as a back stabber, he was hired to assist and now his the head coach, interesting!!

 

[Silky Johnson]

too bad it took for the season to be essentially lost

on the flip side I think the players can learn a lot from Martin and Alife, and this gives Steve the time to find a GM and long term head coach

This is all about seeing what these players can do. There is tons of skill on this roster.

Stutzle, Brady, Chychrun, Chabot and Batherson all ooze talent but need someone to teach them to play right.

Norris, Pinto and Grieg have the potencial to be two way beasts with the right guidance.

Sanderson is already special and JM is the right guy to guide him to stardom.

Really good bones for JM and Alfie to work with.

If we don't go on a huge run Tarasenko and Kubalik are trade fodder to help restock the cupboard.

 

[PatrickEaves]

Ya, I don't feel bad for a grown man getting paid lots of money and getting fired for sucking at his job.

Yeah. I suck at my job and I don't get paid tons of money for doing so.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Ran a fun practice and then got fired.

Little did he know all the fun for the fans came after practice.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

The time to do it was when they got back from Sweden. They won but they did not play well and hadnt played well for a while. Then they went on a for 5 games where they did unexpectedly played well then we have seen whats happened in the last 4 games. Been a roller coaster. I wonder what posters are going to think when Martin benches Stutzle. Wonder if he gets the Spezza treatment. Not sure if many have been around here since then but he did not play spezza in the playoffs and he had a 55 point season under his belt and was the same age as Stutzle is now.

Some coaches have commented on how they have had to change and adapt based on the temperament and personality of the current generation of players compared to previous generations.

Martin has been around recently in the NHL and Junior, and isn't coming out of retirement or anything, so it makes me wonder if what he did 20 years ago to teach or motivate players may not be the same as what he would do now.