The Barrie Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz faced backlash for what he said (or rather didn't say) after his team won Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. This is the story of how things played out and why.
Two days ago, the Barrie Colts defeated the Brantford Bulldogs 5-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, advancing to the OHL Championship Series.
After the game, reporters gathered to ask questions to Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz and co-captain Kashawn Aitcheson. During that press conference, every question asked was answered with “no one cares, work harder,” by both the coach and the player.
This phrase is the team’s motto, but its usage in this scenario did not go over well in the hockey world.
The minute long press conference was heavily criticized and it brought eyes on Barrie for all the wrong reasons. It turned what should have been a celebratory moment into a sour and uncomfortable one.
The next day, Smoskowitz went on Overdrive, a radio show from TSN, to discuss his side of the story.
During his conversation with hosts Bryan Hayes, Jamie McLennan and Jeff O’Neill, Dylan was quick to put all the responsibility on him, saying “that was my lead. That’s something I instructed [Aitcheson] to do and the kid was just being a good soldier.”
Smoskowitz then explains why he did it. He said that since this season has been about brotherhood and family in Barrie, he wanted to have every player be part of the post-game interview.
“Instead of having one guy, let’s have the brothers, let’s have the family,” Dylan says. “The room was small, I was told it wasn’t going to work and instead of being an adult about it and being mature about it, ... I kinda went the other way with it.”
Smoskowitz showed remorse for his actions, saying “it was a decision I regret immediately ... that one’s on me. That was a big oopsie and something I’ll learn from and you’d better believe it won’t happen again.”
He also admitted fault on how he treated the reporters, saying that he disrespected their jobs and it was a big mistake to treat them that way.
At the end of the interview, Smoskowitz commented that “I know for a fact I don’t deserve to get off scot-free" and the OHL agreed.
Earlier today, Barrie was fined $15,000 for “conduct detrimental to the public perception of the League,” as stated in the league’s statement regarding the fine.
Another part of the statement says “the post-game comments in question were determined to be highly unprofessional and represented a disservice to the dedicated media members who provide coverage of the Ontario Hockey League.”
With lessons learned and discipline handed out, the Colts will have to put this behind them and reset as they prepare for the final round of the OHL playoffs against the Kitchener Rangers.
The series starts tonight in Kitchener as the Colts hope to get one step closer to winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup and punching their ticket to the Memorial Cup.