Less than two months after hiring Jim Little to help rebuild the Ottawa Senators’ business off the ice, the team announced this morning that the 55-year-old has been “released from his duties as chief executive officer,” effective immediately.
The club said the decision was made as a result of conduct inconsistent with the core values of the Ottawa Senators and the National Hockey League.
The Senators have not released details of incidents or circumstances leading to their decision, but a source with knowledge of the situation told Postmedia the Senators have been in close contact with the NHL regarding Little’s release, and how it relates to recent policy changes within the league.
Little said his dismissal was sparked by a heated argument he had last month with the one person higher than him on the Senators’ roster: Melnyk.
“The statement made today by the team contained some language that deserves some clarification,” he said in a statement. “On Valentine’s Day, the owner and I had a personal disagreement over the approach that I had been pursuing. I am a strong-willed person and the disagreement included me using some very strong language with him over the phone, including swearing, which he did not appreciate and for which I later apologized.”
“It was these events, to my knowledge, which led to my dismissal. Any other inference from the statement is wrong,“ Little said. He also wished the team well.
A source with knowledge of the situation from the Senators’ perspective did not deny the two men had a recent face off, but said that dispute was not the sole reason for the dismissal or the league’s involvement.
“It was a pattern of behaviour, not just one incident, among other things,” the source said.
FILE: Jim Little.
Jean Levac /
Postmedia News
At the conclusion of the GM meetings in Florida on Wednesday, Bettman would not say why exactly the Ottawa Senators fired Little. But the NHL commissioner made clear that it wasn’t for the type of inappropriate conduct that prompted the league into unveiling a four-point plan in December to combat verbal, physical and emotional abuse.
“It’s not what you think. Or what’s been suggested,” Bettman said. “It relates more to — while I generally don’t normally comment on club personnel decisions, it’s not one of the things we had been discussing at the board meetings in December.
“It has to do more with internal operations. If you want more, you have to talk to the Senators.”
When asked if he is growing tired of the constant barrage of negative news coming out of Ottawa, Bettman seemed unfazed.
“Eugene Melnyk has been an owner in good standard for 15 years at least — maybe 20 — and teams sometimes go through cycles for a variety of reasons,” he said. “But I am not one who overreacts or is concerned when a team’s performance is less than what the people of that community would like to see.
“I know that Eugene is passionate about that team, passionate about the game. And it wasn’t that long ago that the team was a game away from the Stanley Cup final. In sports, it’s really easy to criticize and second-guess.”
Before being hired by the Senators, Little had left Shaw Communications, a Calgary-based telecommunications company, where he was executive vice president and chief marketing and culture officer.
Previously he held senior executive roles at Royal Bank of Canada, Bell Canada, and Bombardier Aerospace.
Senior management has assumed the duties of the CEO and an executive search firm has already begun work on identifying appropriate candidates. A new CEO is expected to be announced in a few weeks.
Asked about the decision following the club’s skate at the Canadian Tire Centre Wednsday, Coach D.J. Smith and the players were tight-lipped.
“I don’t know a whole lot about that side,” said alternate captain Thomas Chabot. “It’s the business side. I don’t think I really have anything to say about it to be honest.
“We’re players, all we have to do is focus on what we do on the ice and the business side of things is out of our hands. All we do is go out there for practice, go out there for games and show up and be professionals the best we can every day.”
Smith noted this wasn’t area he’s consulted on.
“I just deal with the hockey side,” said Smith. “My boss is (GM) Pierre (Dorion) and I just deal with him so I’ll let him answer on that. I didn’t deal with (Little) at all.”
He isn’t concerned with off-ice issues affecting the team’s performance.
“The players deal with myself and Pierre on a daily basis and that’s who they deal with,” Smith said. “We worry about our team inside that room and I think the guys are pretty good at just doing their job.”
— With files from Adrian Humphreys, Michael Traikos and Bruce Garrioch
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
