News Article: Sens hire DJ Smith as head coach

[Yak]

Hay, I was wish DJ Smith all the best!

He is coming in under some difficult circumstances. Even the best coach in the league would have a hard time in Ottawa. PD and EM are coach killers.

This roster is far off from competition for a playoff spot so he is in store for a rough ride. Even if their is a miracle season and we are in mix for a playoff spot this team is on a long road to being seriously competitive.

Regardless of what DJ does you know PD and EM will do their best to undermine our success like always.

I am not excited about the hire but wish him the best and hope he can survive the madness of next few years and get some good things done with our young players.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

They handed the team over to the players when Spezza was the man and it has been a nightmare ever since, all those guys are gone now, the players will no longer be running the show.

So the players were running the show this season?

 

[supsens]

So the players were running the show this season?

according to Duchene he sure didn’t care what the coaches had to say about anything so ya they still had some issues

 

[Boud]

Our analytics-inclined posters are sure to love him!!!!

Lmao that's such a meat head type comment.

 

[coladin]

Lmao that's such a meat head type comment.

I guess no one can joke behind the bench anymore. Ottawa fans are so bloody serious

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

according to Duchene he sure didn’t care what the coaches had to say about anything so ya they still had some issues

Yeah good thing Duchene is gone. Now we have a roster that will really impress.

Same bull shit every yea and some fans like yourself actually eat that shit up.

Can’t wait for you to tell me how Chabot is a locker room virus when it’s time to pay him.

 

[Boud]

I guess no one can joke behind the bench anymore. Ottawa fans are so bloody serious

That's a meat head joke, exactly.

 

[SanderSen]

I'm fine with this hiring. Too early to tell. Y'all gotta stop being "The glass is half empty" peeps.

Craig Hartsburg - glass pretty full
Cory Clouston - glass not quite there
Paul MacLean - halfish full
Dave Cameron - half empty

D.J. Smith - there is no glass (or spoon)

 

[scallionjj11]

Apparently the sens "young players" had a big influence in the hire of DJ Smith

as per hockey central at noon

 

[scallionjj11]

This might be way too forward, but i think i'm falling for this guy already. I can't wait for October to see what kind of factor he will really have on the Ottawa Senators.

 

[scallionjj11]

 

[Super Cake]

Hey if he doesn't work out as a coach, we at least can keep him on the paywall as our new dj.

 

[coladin]

That's a meat head joke, exactly.

Comment or joke? Bit of a difference

 

[Clayonator]

Comment or joke? Bit of a difference

It’s hilarious that he makes one humorous remark pertaining to analytics, and you have people like Trevor Shackles who already don’t like him because he doesn’t fit their buttoned down mould of propriety in appearance or demeanour, then jump on him and take a spontaneous joke as a reason to not hire him. My god, stop taking everything including yourselves so damn seriously people. If he looked more like Jiri Hudler wearing a bow tie, suspenders, and thick rimmed spectacles, people would be lauding the hire for his uber intellectual appearance, and laugh at the joke for being the pinnacle of wit, as opposed to a slightly disheveled well built good ole boy, who they automatically assume is an all brawn no brain, blowhard simpleton.

To those who actually are objectively sceptical for hockey reasons only (inexperience, PK/Defence results in leaf land) and nothing more, I respect your opinions, although disagree on the projected outcome. I think he’ll be a fine coach for us. I also think that’s all anyone can hope for, even if you dislike the hire initially.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Comment or joke? Bit of a difference

Hockey boomer joke that is probably half-serious.

 

[Icelevel]

Ugh, Pierre's smug face is just the worst, even in freeze frame.

DJ on the other hand seems like a good guy. I don't know enough about him now to have an opinion, we'll see how he does. If he succeeds then great, we found a diamond in the rough. If he fails, then we'll tighten our stranglehold on the lottery odds. Seems like it'll work out either way

Agree with it all. At times Dorion is the absolute worst I’ve seen atbthat job. At other times I think maybe he has an idea about what he’s doing with that behind the scenes long term plan. But nothing is a good excuse for his behaviour in those pressers. Somehow he needs to keep it reeled in. Less emotion and he can get through it ok.

 

[Icelevel]

Lmao that's such a meat head type comment.

He comes across as a meathead type. We’ll see.

 

[Icelevel]

Those guys are almost as bad as Dorion at their jobs.

 

[BonkTastic]

Those guys are almost as bad as Dorion at their jobs.

That wasn't a bad clip at all, though.

 

[DonInKanata]

I like the hire. I don't know anything about him.

 

[Senator Blutarsky]

At times like this, whenever a coach gets hired - especially for the first time - I like to think back on that old Valyrian saying: coachar fireghulis (all coaches must be fired).

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I have no idea why he's always been sensitive to the money questions. He has a long history of reacting to budget questions.

Be a budget team and own it, people will be warmer to that than spewing obvious nonsense. Eugene has no issue saying it at all and neither did Bryan Murray, so I don't really get the sensitivity around it from Dorion. Used car salesman I guess.

I think I get it: it sort of implies he can't be good at his job because of salary constraints. If I landed my dream job and I had to deal with the world telling me I suck and I can't even afford to improve the team, I'd find that highly irritating.

People want to be judged based on their capabilities, not how much money is available. I remain of the mind that if Dorion had the budget, he'd be a fine GM. He has too good an eye for talent to be this awful.

That being said, this is what happens when you work for a lying sack of ****. It is up to Dorion to show that the extremely limited funds don't mean the team can't be good.

 

[topshelf15]

I think I get it: it sort of implies he can't be good at his job because of salary constraints. If I landed my dream job and I had to deal with the world telling me I suck and I can't even afford to improve the team, I'd find that highly irritating.

People want to be judged based on their capabilities, not how much money is available. I remain of the mind that if Dorion had the budget, he'd be a fine GM. He has too good an eye for talent to be this awful.

That being said, this is what happens when you work for a lying sack of ****. It is up to Dorion to show that the extremely limited funds don't mean the team can't be good.

Yep he went into a position with a terrible owner,that he didnt have the experience to deal with...And it has showed ,probably the reasoning behind EM dragging his feet on getting an actual experienced NHL management professional...PD has been played like a banjo by EM

 

[Gil Gunderson]

People want to be judged based on their capabilities, not how much money is available. I remain of the mind that if Dorion had the budget, he'd be a fine GM. He has too good an eye for talent to be this awful.

He has yet to show he can properly evaluate hockey players past the junior level.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I think I get it: it sort of implies he can't be good at his job because of salary constraints. If I landed my dream job and I had to deal with the world telling me I suck and I can't even afford to improve the team, I'd find that highly irritating.

People want to be judged based on their capabilities, not how much money is available. I remain of the mind that if Dorion had the budget, he'd be a fine GM. He has too good an eye for talent to be this awful.

That being said, this is what happens when you work for a lying sack of ****. It is up to Dorion to show that the extremely limited funds don't mean the team can't be good.

I can understand that point, but you'd think he'd at least have the smarts to know he's not fooling anyone and not willingly look like such a doofus up there. The proof is right in front of everyone to see. It's not something that's really up for debate, it's just a known fact.

I thought BMurray handled it perfectly. You don't give it all the focus in the world, but you at least acknowledge you have budget constraints and not sit there lying through your teeth that you have all the resources you could ever want.