The message to winger Mike Hoffman was simple on Saturday night: Help the team win, or sit on the bench as a spectator.
Before facing the Dallas Stars on Sunday, coach Dave Cameron expanded on his explanation of why the club’s leading goal scorer didn’t get one shift during the third period of Ottawa’s 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It’s performance-based now,” Cameron said at the Canadian Tire Centre. “You always make your decision based on that game. When Mike plays fast, he’s effective. A lot of times when you bench a guy it’s not just so much what they’re doing, other guys are on their game.