Ottawa Senators hire Maple Leafs Assistant D.J. Smith as Head Coach

I guess all it took was an interview with Patrick Roy for them to decide on Smith instead.

Welcome to Ottawa, D.J.! Bienvenue!

News Release: Ottawa Senators name D.J. Smith head coach: https://t.co/jubv1CDahH

Communiqué: Les Sénateurs d’Ottawa nomment D.J. Smith au poste d’entraîneur-chef : https://t.co/wx1safhoOe #Sens pic.twitter.com/naxejtxuTH

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) May 23, 2019

Smith has agreed to terms on a three-year agreement with the Senators.

Smith, 42, becomes the 14th head coach in the team’s history. He has spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach on Mike Babcock’s staff with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He joined Toronto in 2015-16 after leading the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals to the 2015 Memorial Cup title.

This makes official what we have assumed for some time. The Leafs are in the market for at least one new assistant, possibly two.

With DJ Smith’s move to OTT and expectation that Jim Hiller will be going elsewhere too, there are openings on the TOR bench. One is expected to be filled by Paul McFarland. He coached the Panthers No. 2-ranked PP last season

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 23, 2019