OTTAWA, Ont. — The Ottawa Senators announced on Monday that coach D.J. Smith and assistant Davis Payne had been relieved of their duties.
The firing of Smith came in the fifth and final year of his contract. He's now the fifth NHL coach to be replaced this season.
Jacques Martin, who was hired earlier this month as a senior adviser to the coaching staff, will take Smith's place as interim coach. Martin coached Ottawa from the 1995-96 season through the 2003-04 campaign.
The Senators said Martin will be on the bench Tuesday night for the Senators game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Martin will also be joined by former Senators captain and franchise career points leader Daniel Alfredsson, who will serve as an assistant coach.
Questions surrounded Smith's future with the Senators ever since last season as the franchise goes through many changes. The team came under new ownership in September when Canadian businessman Michael Andlauer became the majority owner.
Andlauer's first few months as owner have been challenging as the club has struggled to find consistency. Things got further amplified by restricted free agent forward Shane Pinto, who received a 41-game suspension for violating the NHL's rules on sports wagering.
Less than a week later, Ottawa fired general manager Pierre Dorion on the same day the club lost a first-round draft pick for their role in an invalidated trade back in 2022 involving Evgenii Dadonov and the Anaheim Ducks.
As a result of Dorion's departure, the Senators turned to president of hockey operations Steve Staios to serve as the club's interim GM.
Jacob Markstrom Returns to Active Roster For Calgary
CALGARY, Alb. — On Sunday, Calgary Flames starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom returned to the active roster after being on the injured reserve list since Dec. 4.
Markstrom was sidelined due to breaking a finger during practice.
In a corresponding move, the Flames returned goaltender Dustin Wolf and defenseman Ilya Solovyov to the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League.
Prior to the injury, the 33-year-old Markstrom posted a 6-8-2 record with a 2.94 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage this season.
Wolf and Dan Vladar took over duties in goal during Markstrom's absence, with the Flames going 2-3-2 during the stretch.
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