The Ottawa Senators have found their guy.
This morning, the team announced they have hired former-Toronto Maple Leaf Assistant Coach DJ Smith as the team’s next Head Coach.
Smith was signed to a three year deal.
Here’s how General Manager Pierre Dorion described Smith in the official news release from the team.
“D.J. Smith is a winner. We believe he is the best person to drive the development and success of the Ottawa Senators,” said general manager Pierre Dorion. “D.J is a great communicator and an exceptional strategist. His passionate approach, coupled with his ability to teach the game, is exactly what we were looking for throughout the process. We’re thrilled to welcome D.J. and his family to Ottawa.”
It’s safe to say this hire, like any move the Senators make these days, is going to be met with a fair bit of skepticism. In a recent poll on this site, just 5% of readers had Smith as their preferred choice. Smith was also heavily criticized during the Leafs first round loss to the Bruins just a couple months ago.
In a 2018 NHLPA poll, Smith was identified by players as the current Assistant Coach who should be a Head Coach.
He finally gets that opportunity with the Ottawa Senators.
Prior to his time as an Assistant in Toronto, Smith was the Head Coach in Oshawa, where he put up a 135-53-3-13 record and was the OHL’s Coach of the Year in 2013-14.
Smith will meet with the media in Ottawa at 12:30 PM today.
