Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith, top, stands behind his bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Gene J. Puskar
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators have fired head coach D.J. Smith amid yet another losing season in the nation’s capital.
The Senators made the announcement a day after Ottawa lost its fourth straight game with a 6-3 defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Jacques Martin will take over on an interim basis.
The Senators have missed the playoffs for four straight seasons under Smith.
They are currently 12 points behind the Washington Capitals for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with an 11-15-0 record.
Smith was the sixth-longest tenured coach in the NHL and the fourth to be fired this season.
The 46-year-old Smith follows former general manager Pierre Dorion out the door after the latter parted ways with the organization on Nov. 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2023.
