The Ottawa Senators have hired now former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach DJ Smith to be their new head coach.
The Senators will criticized (perhaps fairly) for going with a cheap, rookie option – but we should keep in mind that the NHL constantly recycles failed coaches and that giving someone new a shot should be seen as a good thing.
According to Sportsnet, D.J Smith has signed a three year deal.
D.J Smith
Four seasons ago when the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Mike Babcock, he brought Smith in as an assistant.
Smith will replace the outgoing Marc Crawford (who coached just 18 games as interim head coach).