When players badmouth their teams and coaches, even the most reliable reports are generally second or third-hand accounts. But the Ottawa Senators are dealing with a video showing some of their players viciously slamming the team and its coaches.
The video was recorded when the players were in an Uber ride. They did not appear to know that they were being recorded and they took some harsh shots at the team’s struggles.
One of the sources of their mocking was assistant coach, Martin Raymond.
“Marty Raymond, the only coach in NHL history to have the worst power play and the worst PK within a calendar year,” center Matt Duchene said,” per the Ottawa Citizen.
Defenceman Chris Wideman also took aim at Raymond.
“Do you notice that when (Raymond) runs the video, if you ever actually do pay attention, he doesn’t ever teach you anyhing?” Wideman said. “He just commentates on what’s happening.”
When talking about the team meetings, Duchene noted, “I haven’t paid attention in three weeks.”
The Senators are certainly in a state of transition. They were one of the NHL’s worst teams a season ago. Days before the current season began, Ottawa traded its best player, captain Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks.
The Senators have also struggled this season. They’ve gone 5-6-3 in the first 14 games and sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division.
The captaincy has remained vacant since Karlsson’s departure. But Duchene remains one of Ottawa’s four alternate captains. If he has thoughts like this, we’d only imagine that plenty of his teammates do, as well.
This video will certainly not be welcome to the Senators.