The old saying is you can’t go home again, but as Jacques Martin stood in a dressing room in the bowels of the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday morning, it felt like his career has come full circle.
Sports
The Ottawa Senators bring back Jacques Martin as senior adviser
“Being from Ottawa, it’s a great opportunity for me to comeback and join a great organization and some great people,” Martin said. “I really appreciate the opportunity to work with these young athletes, and the coaching staff, and just keep trying to get better on a daily basis.”
“Our commitment from the beginning was we’re going to look at all areas of the organization and where we can support it,” Staios said. “Jacques is going to come in and support our coaching staff.
“D.J. and the coaches bring many good qualities to our team. Jacques is unique and he’s got an incredible amount of experience. He’s got great poise and a lot of wisdom. He’s done this in the past, where he comes in with this advisory role, and it’s a great benefit to our coaching staff to have him around.”
Staios says Martin will serve as a “day-to-day resource” to the coaches. He’ll work as eye-in the sky during games with Daniel Alfredsson and assistant Ben Sexton. Martin will accompany them downstairs after each period to make suggestions on adjustments.
“Steve brought it to me awhile ago and right away I thought it was a good idea,” Smith said. “When I was Toronto, I had a chance to work with Jacques Lemaire, who won 11 Stanley Cups, and myself and Jim Hulton were the assistants and we used him every day.
“Just on how to speak to players and the little things to go with it. As a head coach, you’re always trying to get better. (Martin) is going to bring a real calming presence. Especially in a Canadian market, and we’re lucky to be here, but sometimes you get too excited or fired up one way another.
Michael Andlauer, a part-owner of the Montreal Canadiens before purchasing the Senators in September, spent time with Martin when he was behind the Habs bench, so there’s familiarity there.
You have to think Alfredsson, who has been working with the staff in an advisory role, would have been one of the voices in the organization along president Cyril Leeder that would have supported adding Martin.
There has been no shortage of criticism about the way the Senators have played defensively under Smith. Martin noted the club’s young core has to make a commitment to get the job done at both ends.
“I was telling the coaches earlier today that when I look at this team compared to last year it’s not about wins and losses,” Martin said. “To me, it’s about commitment away from the puck. A lot of these players, when they come into the league, they focus on offence.
Martin took over the Senators midway through 1996 campaign. He helped bring the club to respectability by instituting a strong approach to defensive play and led the Senators to their first playoff berth in 1997.
Martin posted a 341-255-96 (.562) regular-season record with Ottawa.
Fired by general manager John Muckler after the club lost in four straight to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the spring of 2003-04, Martin is still the team’s all-time leader in games coached (692), regular-season wins (341), playoff victories (31) and playoff games coached (69).
“The program is way ahead of where it was when I first came in here. We weren’t at the level this organization is at now,” Martin said. “They’ve been building over the last four or five years. They’re on the cusp of being able to take another step in the right direction and challenge for a championship.”
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The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris on Wednesday after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.
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AP soccer:
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
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VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
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