Ottawa Senators relieve D.J. Smith of head coaching duties; Jacques Martin to serve as interim head coach

Former team captain Daniel Alfredsson appointed to assistant coach’s role

OTTAWA – Ottawa Senators president of hockey operations and interim general manager Steve Staios announced today that the team has relieved D.J. Smith of his head coaching duties. In addition to Smith, assistant coach Davis Payne has also been relieved of his role. The remaining members of the coaching staff have been retained. Jacques Martin will serve as the team’s interim head coach.

The team also announced that former longtime captain and the franchise’s all-time points’ leader, Daniel Alfredsson, is joining Martin’s staff as an assistant coach. Martin will make his return to the Ottawa bench when te team visits the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Alfredsson will also assume an on-bench role.

Originally hired as the team’s third head coach on Jan. 24, 1996, Martin spent nine seasons with the Senators and posted a 341-255-96 (.562) regular-season record with the franchise ahead of his return to the organization earlier this month. Set to become the second head coach to make a return to the Senators bench after Bryan Murray did so during the 2007-08 campaign, Martin remains the team’s all-time leader in games coached (692), regular-season wins (341), playoff wins (31) and playoff games coached (69).

Staios will be available to media on Monday afternoon via Zoom from the team’s hotel in Tempe, Ariz. Timing will be communicated.

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