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Senators coach D.J. Smith: It’s time for team to take ‘next step’ – Sportsnet.ca

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5 years ago

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CrossFit training in the driveway is a thing at D.J. Smith’s home.

Hockey people aren’t so different from anyone isolating with loved ones during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Smith, the Senators head coach, is a great example of a father, husband and hockey man trying to juggle a bit of work, some fitness, parenting and general boredom as he isolates at home in Windsor, Ont., with wife, Christie, and children Colton, 16, and Brock, 3.

On a video conference call Wednesday, Smith said a typical day for him starts around 6 a.m., the waking hour of the couple’s three-year-old son.

From there, the new daily routine for Smith goes something like this: Either he or Christie will get up with Brock, see that he is fed and kept entertained. And by later in the morning, the family does CrossFit workouts in the driveway or garage, mostly programs Christie has found online, since CrossFit gyms, like nearly everything else, are closed.

“She tells me (the routines) and I just kind of do them,” Smith says.

While the couple misses their restaurant outings, Smith says he is probably in better shape without his favourite dining haunts, whether in Ottawa or on the road. Nearly all their food is home-cooked now.

“She keeps me in check,” Smith says.

Most afternoons, Smith will take little Brock out for a car ride for a change of scenery. Often the coach will make a call to Senators general manager Pierre Dorion just to check on things. Nights are spent trying to find new programming on Netflix. Join the club, coach.

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it.

‘The fear hadn’t set in’

Of all the NHL teams that shut down operations one month ago, none had quite the experience of Smith and the Senators. The Senators and Los Angeles Kings played the final game before the stoppage, on March 11 at the Staples Center.

The Senators had played in Anaheim the night before and in San Jose the previous Saturday, March 7. As the Bay Area was at the time the epicentre of the outbreak in the United States, Smith said it was somewhat eerie walking around San Jose, where the usually bustling downtown sidewalk streets were quiet. But otherwise, there were no outward signs of a pending pandemic.

“The fear hadn’t set in,” Smith said. “San Jose was a little bit lighter but when we were in Anaheim everything was normal. Anaheim and LA were living life as normal. There was the odd mask you could see before we left, but the world as we know it today wasn’t evident.”

And yet, because of modern communications, players knew what was coming. From their phones they had heard the NBA was postponing its season due to a player testing positive. Some wondered if that March 11 game versus the Kings would even happen.

“It certainly was a different atmosphere than any other game I’ve been a part of,” Smith said. “We just waited for direction from the league. “Once the NBA cancelled their games, we knew we wouldn’t be far behind.”

Since returning to Ottawa, seven people on the Senators charter flight have tested positive for the coronavirus, initially two players and broadcaster Gord Wilson; then three more players and one staff member. Smith said all are doing well and are on the “other side” of the virus now.

“I’m glad our organization is doing well but it certainly was a scary time,” Smith said.

After isolating in Ottawa for more than two weeks, Smith and his family went home to Windsor, where there have been major concerns as well. Smith said that seven local seniors’ homes have been hit with COVID cases.

“That’s the big thing here right now,” Smith said. “If your mother or father, grandmother or grandfather was in there you’d realize just how real it is. It has hit home here in Windsor pretty good.”

Ready if called upon

Smith has no idea if the NHL will resume the regular season, skip ahead to a playoff schedule, or cancel everything, but if there are any games for his non-playoff group to play, he doesn’t think the Senators would need a long training camp.

“I think we’re at an advantage there, we’re such a young team,” Smith said. “Young guys can get going quickly.”

Likewise, regarding injury concerns of a sudden restart to hockey, Smith feels that more veteran teams trying to get into playoff shape in a hurry will find that a challenge.

Time for Ottawa’s ‘next step’

Senators coaches were in contact with each other by phone on a daily basis up until last week. As for watching team video, Smith says he and his staff watch their own team to the point of “exhaustion.”

“We know our team inside and out,” Smith says. “What’s more important to me now is watching what other teams are doing. And what can we steal from what the best teams in the league are doing.”

In particular, Smith wants to see his team get better on special teams. The power play started horribly, improved and then tailed off. The penalty kill had been pretty good but also faded at the end.

Smith’s overriding message to his players, especially the young core players like Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Colin White, is a change in mindset from a rebuilding team to a contender.

“Whether we play this year or next, our mentality has to change,” Smith says. “It’s time for us to take a step. How big a step that is, we’re going to find out. But we certainly need to take a step mentally, with the Tkachuks, Chabot and Whites etc.

“You watch the best teams, the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals, for example, when they come to the arena they expect to win every night. I think every team wants to win every night, there’s a difference between wanting to and knowing that you can win every night.”

Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game.

Proudest moment of the season

Asked if there was any one game of which he was most proud, Smith pointed to a string of home games the Senators played in November. From Oct. 23 through Nov. 27 the Senators were 7-1 on home ice and counted wins against teams like Boston, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.

“That has to be the Ottawa Senators going forward,” Smith said. “You come in and we expect to beat you in our home building. We were hard to play against. We were tough. We fought. We had energy. We scored goals. We blocked shots. All the things we had to do.”

For a brief moment, one month of the season, the Senators were playing winning hockey, cheering for one another and pushing each other.

“We were in the middle of the pack, and you could see how much energy winning brings to the room,” Smith said. What followed were a string of injuries on the blue line and the Senators fell back in the standings.

But it was a glimpse into what could be when Ottawa’s roster improves.

Smith added that his greatest source of pride was his team’s commitment to working hard, in games and practices.

Hogberg came a long way

Asked to name an individual who progressed the most in 2019-20, Smith cited goaltender Marcus Hogberg, who wasn’t even with the NHL team out of camp but stepped in to become the de facto No. 1, due to injuries to starters Craig Anderson and Anders Nilsson. Nilsson suffered a concussion and Smith isn’t sure of his current status, but hopes this long break will help him heal. Ditto for injured defenceman Mark Borowiecki, who suffered a torn ankle ligament on Feb. 13.

Also named by Smith for their progress were Tkachuk, for his will and determination, and Chabot, who stepped up his defensive play in the second half.

“He showed me he can play the big minutes and face the other team’s best guys,” Smith said.

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‘Proud’ of Colton, drafted by OHL Knights

Smith was congratulated by reporters for son Colton getting selected in the second round, 25th overall in the recent OHL draft by the London Knights. Colton plays forward for the Kanata midget AAA Lasers, coached by ex-Senators Shean Donovan and Chris Phillips. Donovan is also a player development coach for the Senators.

“It’s such a proud moment,” Smith said. “He started playing hockey when he was four years old, and he had ups and downs. Every time he grew his skating wasn’t very good. Then he grew into his body and was good again.”

Smith credits Donovan for developing Smith’s son and many others. Donovan had three players picked in the top 25, and his own son, Jorian Donovan, went sixth overall.

Smith laughed at the prospect of his son playing with the Knights, the sworn enemy when he was coaching the Windsor Spitfires.

“I certainly hated the London Knights growing up, I hated coaching against them but you must respect the fact that Mark and Dale (Hunter) do a phenomenal job,” Smith said. “They continue to have NHL prospects and players come out of there. They continue to outwork people in the league.”

All in all, Smith couldn’t imagine a better place for his son to get an opportunity to be a pro hockey player.

“Our whole family is proud,” Smith said, “and now it’s up to him to get to work.”

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FIFA urged to put more human rights scrutiny into 2034 World Cup deal with Saudi Arabia

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13 hours ago

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October 11, 2024

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ZURICH (AP) — Two months before FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host, the soccer body was urged again Friday to allow independent scrutiny of the kingdom’s human rights obligations for the tournament.

A group of law and human rights experts plus Saudi activists abroad want FIFA to mandate ongoing reviews — and a potential termination clause — into the 2034 World Cup hosting contract.

The advisers who came to Zurich on Friday want FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is closely tied to Saudi political and soccer leaders, to learn from how Qatar was picked to host the 2022 World Cup. Qatar won in 2010 with little thought from FIFA’s then-leaders about legal safeguards and reputational challenges.

Saudi Arabia, like Qatar, is a traditionally conservative society and needs a huge construction project relying on migrant workers to build stadiums and other infrastructure for global soccer’s biggest event.

“There are really no excuses now,” British lawyer Rodney Dixon told The Associated Press. “If it means that they therefore have to come to a different kind of agreement in December, that is what they should do.”

World Cup hosting contracts will be signed after the Dec. 11 decision by more than 200 FIFA member federations at an online meeting. Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for 2034.

Promising not to be confrontational with FIFA, Dixon said: “We are not naive. It is not FIFA’s role to change the world. They are not the UN.”

The briefing in FIFA’s home city came two days after the UN General Assembly in New York rejected a Saudi bid to get a seat on the 47-nation Human Rights Council for the next three years.

On Friday, the would-be FIFA advisers cited Saudi Arabia’s record on freedom of speech and assembly, and laws on labor and male guardianship that limit women’s freedoms.

After Infantino was first elected in 2016, when scrutiny was intense on Qatar and its treatment of migrant workers, FIFA demanded a human rights strategy from future World Cup hosts.

Bid rules for the 2030 and 2034 men’s tournaments refer to “activities in connection with the bidding for and hosting” rather than rights in wider society.

In May, FIFA got an offer from the law and human rights experts to create an independent process for monitoring progress in Saudi Arabia.

Swiss law professor Mark Pieth, an anti-corruption advisor to FIFA from 2011-14, said they had been ignored and “we are here in Zurich to try again.”

In July, Saudi plans for the World Cup were published including a review of its human rights strategy by lawyers it chose, and 15 stadium projects.

Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea said Friday it documented “grave labor violations” against migrant workers who number more than 13 million, or about 40% of the kingdom’s population.

The scale of construction required for the World Cup and potential for labor abuses “is really, really chilling,” Shea said in a live link from London.

She cautioned that while rights groups had limited access to operate in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup, there is “zero access” to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi soccer officials have consistently said the kingdom is making progress on social reforms as part of the Vision 2030 drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernize and create a post-oil economy.

The 2034 bid campaign was contacted for comment Friday.

In a video message from Washington D.C., Abdullah Alaoudh of the Middle East Democracy Center insisted “the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia has worsened under Mohamed bin Salman’s leadership.”

Saudi Arabia was ranked No. 131 of 146 nations on gender issues by the World Economic Forum, Dixon noted.

“(There are) so many laws that prejudice women,” he said. “None of them are addressed by the Saudi bid.”

FIFA is evaluating World Cup bidders with reports likely in early December. It also must assess the human rights strategy of the sole candidate for the 2030 World Cup: co-hosts Spain, Portugal and Morocco with single games in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

“All relevant reports, including the independent human rights context assessments and the human rights strategies of all bidders for the 2030 and 2034 editions, are available on our website,” FIFA said Friday.

FIFA and Infantino have not held a news conference to take any questions on World Cup bids since the 2034 edition was fast-tracked toward Saudi Arabia one year ago.

Any protest among FIFA voters on Dec. 11 has been made less likely.

FIFA said last week both 2030 and 2034 awards will be combined in a single vote. Any European opposition to the Saudi bid also would count against Spain and Portugal. Victory by acclamation without an itemized vote is possible.

“If FIFA is desperate to give Saudi Arabia the World Cup,” Pieth said, “the least would be to see to it that the minimum of these (human rights) requirements is actually upheld.”

___

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Minnesota Lynx stun New York Liberty with 95-93 overtime win in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals

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16 hours ago

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October 11, 2024

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NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve has seen a lot in her incredible career that’s included four WNBA championships.

The historic rally by the Lynx to beat New York 95-93 in a wild Game 1 of the WNBA Finals ranks right up there as one of the best moments.

“We’re the first team in WNBA playoff history to be down 15 (in the final 5 minutes) and come back and win the game,” Reeve said. “So that ranks really high. I think it defines our team. Getting through difficult times. That’s what we’ve been talking about. You have to be mentally tough, resilient. … Thrilled that we could hang in there.”

Minnesota rallied from 18 points down in the first half and Napheesa Collier’s turnaround jumper with 8.8 seconds left in overtime lifted the team to the win over the New York Liberty on Thursday night.

With the game tied, Collier faked in the lane and scored. New York had a chance to tie it but Breanna Stewart’s layup at the buzzer was off.

“The basketball gods were on our side tonight,” said Courtney Williams, who had 23 points, including a four-point play with 5.5 seconds left in regulation, to lead Minnesota.

Collier finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and three steals.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Sunday in New York. Before the game, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is expanding the Finals to best-of-seven starting next year.

The OT got off to a slow start before Minnesota built an 88-84 advantage as New York missed its first six shots. Jonquel Jones finally got the Liberty on the board with a corner 3-pointer with 1:38 left. Williams answered with her own 3-pointer and the teams traded baskets over the next minute. Sabrina Ionescu’s steal in the backcourt and layup got New York within 93-91 with 32.9 left.

Jones then stole the ball at midcourt and scored to tie it four seconds later. Minnesota worked the clock down before Collier’s basket broke the tie.

The Liberty blew an 11-point lead in the final 3:23 of regulation when Minnesota scored 12 straight points, capped by Williams’ four-point play.

The Liberty made the most of the last few seconds in regulation. After Stewart’s first shot was blocked with a second left and went out of bounds, Ionescu inbounded the ball to her under the basket and she was fouled. The officials reviewed the play to see if the foul occurred before the buzzer sounded and deemed that it did awarding Stewart two free throws with 0.8 seconds left.

She hit the first of two free throws with the second one rolling off the rim. Williams’ shot on the other end was off and the game headed to OT.

“We just take it on the chin, you know. We were up a lot and then we had a wild kind of sequence to end the fourth,” Stewart said. “Didn’t start overtime great. I had a great look at the end and I didn’t make it. But I think that this is a series. We wanted to really win, obviously, for home court. But the beauty is, we have another game on Sunday and we’ll be ready.”

Jones led New York with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Ionescu finished with 19 and Stewart had 18.

New York came right at Minnesota, which was playing just two days after beating Connecticut in the semifinals. The Liberty built an 18-point lead in the first half before the Lynx rallied.

The 18-point rally tied the New York Liberty’s record they set in 1999 in Game 2 of the Finals that ended with Teresa Weatherspoon’s historic halfcourt shot.

Both teams are looking to make history in this series. The Liberty are looking for the franchise’s first championship while the Lynx are vying for a league-record fifth. They were the best teams during the regular season, finishing in the top two spots in the standings.

New York is in the finals for the second consecutive year and is hoping to erase the scar of losing to the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. Minnesota is making its first appearance in the championship round since 2017, when the team won its fourth title in a seven-year span.

The Liberty had lost two of the three regular-season meetings to Minnesota and the Commissioner’s Cup championship, but both teams have said that those games didn’t really matter heading into the championship.

The Lynx were able to hold Jones in check in all three of the wins with the Liberty’s star center scoring in single digits each time. She reached double figures by the end of the first quarter on Thursday.

Minnesota held New York to 38% shooting and improved to 181-11 since 2011 when the team holds an opponent under 40% shooting.

The star-studded New York crowd of 17,732 was loud and spirited as it has been all season. Spike Lee, Jason Sudeikis, Meek Mill and New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos were all in attendance. Lee was wearing an Ionescu jersey.

___

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Struggling Whitecaps take on heavyweight LAFC with playoff positioning on the line

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16 hours ago

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October 11, 2024

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VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps need a win — badly.

Points have been tough to come by for the ‘Caps in recent weeks and, with just two games left in their regular-season schedule, Vancouver is in danger of having to play its way into a Major League Soccer post-season series.

The club has a chance to make up ground Sunday when it hosts Los Angeles FC.

“Huge importance,” Whitecaps midfielder Stuart Armstrong said of the match. “We want to try and climb the table so every point is very valuable.”

The two sides have been on opposite trajectories in recent weeks.

Vancouver (13-11-8) comes into Sunday’s matchup winless in its last five MLS appearances (0-3-2) after falling 1-0 to Minnesota United at B.C. Place last Saturday.

LAFC (17-8-7) heads north on a four-game win streak. The squad hasn’t lost since Sept. 21 when L.A. dropped a 3-1 road decision to Dallas FC.

“One thing I’ve learned in this league is that any game is a new opportunity to win. And any game, if you come in the right mindset, you can win it,” said ‘Caps defender Ranko Veselinovic.

“We are a good team, we are good players. And if we come with the right attitude in the game, we can do good.”

LAFC is an opponent the Whitecaps are all too familiar with, having faced the club twice already this year and six times last season. The most-recent rendezvous came during the Leagues Cup competition back in July, when Vancouver edged L.A. on penalties.

This time around is likely to look a little different because both sides will be missing key pieces due to international call-ups.

Vancouver will be without the creative offence of captain Ryan Gauld (Scotland), the scoring prowess of Fafa Picault (Haiti) and the defensive talents of Andres Cubas (Paraguay), as well as three other important players.

LAFC will miss sniper Denis Bouanga (Gabon), who has the second most goals in MLS (19), and leads the league in both shots (148) and shots on target.

The absences will undoubtedly change the game, said ‘Caps head coach Vanni Sartini.

“I think we need to be very open to understand how they’re going to come and play. Because maybe they’re not going to play like they usually play, in terms of system, in terms of positioning of the players. But they still have a lot of quality players,” he said.

With so many of his regular starters away, Sartini will be looking for other players to step up while maintaining Vancouver’s identity.

“The last couple of games, especially the (3-0 loss) against Seattle, we didn’t give what we can do,” the coach said. “I think we need to reset and be really focused on us.

“Because when we focus on us, we can beat any team.”

While a victory Sunday could help Vancouver avoid a play-in game, the club knows L.A. is still trying to lock up first spot in the West.

“They’re obviously at the top end of the table so we know they’re going to be a good team. They’re fighting it out with the (L.A.) Galaxy. We’re in a slightly different battle at the moment,” Armstrong said.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge. But these are the type of games you want to play in. And you always enjoy the big matches.”

LOS ANGELES FC (17-8-7) AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (13-11-8)

Sunday, B.C. Place

INS AND OUTS: Both sides will be missing some major players due to international call-ups. Vancouver’s Ali Ahmed (Canada), Sam Adekugbe (Canada), Cubas (Paraguay), Gauld (Scotland), Picault (Haiti) and Pedro Vite (Ecuador) are all with their national teams, while L.A. will be without Bouanga (Gabon), Cristian Olivera (Uruguay) and Maxime Chanot (Luxembourg). LAFC’s Lorenzo Dellavalle and Jesus Murillo are also out with knee injuries.

HISTORY BOOKS: Sunday’s game will mark the 20th all-time meeting between the two clubs. LAFC has fared better and holds a 9-5-4 edge in the matchups, but the clubs have split their two previous games in 2024.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Vancouver won its third-straight Canadian Championship title in September, while L.A. is the reigning U.S. Open Cup champion.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.

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