Frustrated by media accusations of dishonesty, the Senators head coach made a statement to defend the way he provides injury updates.
Senators head coach Travis Green has heard some of the criticism surrounding the way he provides injury updates, and on Monday he decided to address it.
With the Senators dealing with several injuries near the end of the preseason, Green took some time at the end of his media availability to push back against suggestions that he has intentionally withheld information or, worse, provided information that wasn't true.
“I'd love to tell you everything about injuries,” Green said. “I'm never being deceitful on purpose, trying to say something that's not true.”
Green didn't identify which local media member(s) he was taking issue with, but he certainly has a point. Injuries don't always follow predictable timelines. Players suffer setbacks, recovery dates change and sometimes a coach hasn't spoken with the trainers or doctors yet.
He may simply be passing along the information he has, such as it is, at that particular moment.
But that being said, Green sometimes doesn't do himself any favours when it comes to his tone.
He can be notoriously brief with the media, frequently answering questions about injuries with only a word or two. Fairly or not, he can sometimes leave the impression that the answer is essentially, 'None of your business.'
Of course, this is exactly the media's business. They need readers, viewers, listeners, and clicks to stay in existence.
But it isn't just that. Reporters are the conduit that runs between the Senators and their fans. When an important player is injured, fans want to know what happened and when they might see him again.
The media's job is to ask those questions for them.
That doesn't mean every medical detail should be made public, nor does it mean a coach can provide answers he doesn't have. But when information is so consistently limited, it can lead to skepticism.
When Green heard about a particularly skeptical media discussion this week, he didn't care for it. So he made a statement to explain himself, and used Artem Zub as his primary example Monday.
The Senators had hoped Zub, who has been rehabbing an injury suffered during last spring's playoffs, would return near the end of training camp. Green had publicly indicated that was the expectation.
It didn't happen.
“I thought (Zub) was going to come back sometime in camp and when I said that I wasn't lying,” Green said. “Zub had a setback and now he can't play. So I was not being deceitful and I don't want to come across that I am. And I'm not.”
Green pointed out that there are occasions when he isn't going to disclose the exact nature of an injury for reasons personal to the player. And even when he's willing to provide information, there isn't necessarily a firm timeline available.
“If anyone's played any type of sport, you don't always know how long you guys going to be out. And I wish and I hope you guys can appreciate that,” Green said.
The coach acknowledged the uncertainty can be frustrating for everyone involved, including himself.
“Moving forward, I'm going to try to give you information. I don't always have it myself. I don't always know how long a guy's going to be out and that can be frustrating for a coach and it can be frustrating for you guys.
"But I don't want to... I'm not lying to the media, trying to be deceitful with it, all right?”
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
