Barrie Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz has issued a public apology for a viral post-game press conference, admitting he 'immediately' regretted his actions after his team clinched the OHL Eastern Conference championship on Monday night in Brantford, Ontario.
Coach Takes Responsibility
In an appearance on TSN 1050's Overdrive on Tuesday, Smoskowitz insisted that co-captain Kashawn Aitcheson should not be held accountable for the incident. 'He took my lead, that was something I instructed him to do,' Smoskowitz said. 'That was my lead. It was a decision I regret immediately.'
The Richmond Hill native, a former forward for the Colts, Mississauga Steelheads, and Oshawa Generals during the 2010s, made headlines when footage showed him and Aitcheson repeating the same line—'no one cares, work harder'—in response to every question from reporters.
Why It Happened
Smoskowitz explained that his request to have the entire team attend the press conference was denied. 'Instead of being an adult about it, being mature about it and saying no problem … I kind of went the other way with it,' he told co-hosts Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill, and Jamie McLennan. 'It took away from a really, really good game and a really, really good series. That one's on me, that's a big oopsie and something that I'll learn from and you better believe it won't happen again.'
League Reaction
The incident drew widespread criticism from media and former NHL players, including Ryan Whitney, who expressed hope that Smoskowitz had directed Aitcheson's behavior. Given that conference championship press conferences are formal league-hosted events, it came as no surprise that the OHL was reportedly displeased.
According to a report by the Waterloo Region Record's Josh Brown, commissioner Bryan Crawford stated that the Colts would face punishment. 'Not good,' Crawford said. 'We expect them to handle themselves in an appropriate manner and participate with the media with the standards that we expect in the league.' He added that the team 'did a disservice to themselves in the way they chose to handle the press conference.'
Smoskowitz's Apology
Smoskowitz acknowledged that he had 'totally disrespected' the work of reporters. 'They pay their gas, they get there, they prepare questions for me and expect an answer and I did not give that to them,' he said. 'I did not allow them to do their job, but more importantly I disrespected their job.'
Looking Ahead
Barrie, which last won the Bobby Orr Trophy as Eastern Conference champions in 2013, now faces the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL final. The series begins Wednesday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. The Rangers advanced by defeating the Windsor Spitfires in five games to claim their first Wayne Gretzky Trophy since 2008.
