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Claude Giroux Doesn’t Want The Senators To Fire DJ Smith

Trey Daubert / NHL / November 8, 2023

Claude Giroux Doesn’t Want The Senators To Fire DJ Smith

DJ Smith is very much on the hot seat. I don’t think that’s really a secret. Especially after Pierre Dorion was fired for being an idiot. I guess the only difference here is the fact that the players are speaking up on Smith’s behalf. One of those is locker room leader and savvy veteran Claude Giroux.

If the decision is up to Giroux, he wants the Senators to keep Smith as the head coach.

“It’s getting pretty old, the fans and the media talking about D.J.,” Giroux told reporters Tuesday. “(It’s) pretty frustrating, actually. He’s our coach. He’s not going anywhere. We want to play for him. It’s just a distraction that we don’t need right now, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of not getting caught up into that.”

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Few things that should be noted before we close here.

“Fire DJ” chants at the CTC. #Sens pic.twitter.com/qkFvbu1xci
— SENS TALK (@senstalk_) November 5, 2023

Captain Brady Tkachuk wasn’t happy with fans that called for Smith’s job. Tkachuk says the guys play hard for Smith.

“It’s frustrating — the negativity from the outside — the constant booing, and the bullish—t from the crowd tonight.”

Blunt postgame assessment from Brady Tkachuk 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/j9m6C4zARH
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 5, 2023

I don’t necessarily disagree with Brady. I think the players do play hard for him. That’s just not the problem. This team has gotten off to poor start after poor start to open up the season. To me, it has everything to do with structure and the way Smith handles his training camps. To me, this line by Jakob Chychrun tells everything you need to know. He basically acknowledges his team doesn’t play with enough structure. That’s a problem and it’s not a coincidence why this team can’t defend.