#dj-smith

#dj-smith

When Smith took over the Senators, the franchise was basically a construction site. There was no foundation, with just a pile of high‑end draft picks and a lot of hope they would grow into a Stanley Cup contender. However, during his tenure, Smith became known as the ultimate "player's coach." He could relate to stars like Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle, pushing them to play a heavy, hard-hitting brand of hockey while the roster was still maturing.