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The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has fined the Barrie Colts $15,000 after Monday night’s post-playoff game news conference, where the coach and team captain gave only one response: “No one cares, work harder.”
The fine was handed down two days after the Colts’ 5-0 road win over the Brantford Bulldogs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final, allowing them to move on to the OHL title series against the Kitchener Rangers.
At the brief media availability, Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz and captain Kashawn Aitcheson refused to respond to media questions with little more than that catchphrase.
Aitcheson, for example, was asked about his goal and the play of his teammate, goaltender Ben Hrebik, who made 40 saves.
“Uh, no one cares, work harder,” the defenceman responded.
WATCH | Barrie Colts’ post-Game 7 news conference:
When Smoskowitz was asked how it felt to lose Game 4 by a 6-1 score, and come back to win the series, he answered, “It’s a good question. No one cares, work harder.”
In a Tuesday interview with TSN’s Overdrive that the Colts have pinned to the top of their X account, Smoskowitz took the blame for the responses. He said he was reacting to being told he couldn’t have the whole team with him for the media availability.
“All year long, it’s been about this brotherhood,” he said to the Overdrive hosts.
“Instead of being an adult about it, and being mature about it and saying, ‘OK, no problem, let’s go and have a normal press conference as per usual,’ I kind of went the other way with it. And it was a decision that’s, you know, I regret immediately.”
Smoskowitz said the Brantford series was a good one, and the decision to answer media questions with one phrase “was a big oopsie and something that I’ll learn from.”
He added Aitcheson was “just being a good soldier” and doing what he was told.
“He is an outstanding human being.”
OHL calls comments ‘highly unprofessional’
In issuing the fine, the OHL said it was “for conduct detrimental to the public perception of the league.”
“The OHL holds its member teams and their personnel to the highest standards of professional conduct,” it said in a brief statement.
“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.”
CBC News reached out to the Colts for comment about the fine, but hadn’t heard back by time of publication.
Championship series begins in Kitchener
The Colts will be on the road tonight to start their quest for the J. Ross Robertson Cup against the Western Conference champion Rangers.
In a pre-game media availability on Tuesday, Rangers forward Sam O’Reilly, who received the Red Tilson Trophy as the regular season’s most outstanding player, said he was looking forward to the series.
“I’m really excited and ready to get going. It’s a great honour to be in the OHL finals.”
Barrie has “a lot of good players over there,” O’Reilly said. “I think we just have to keep playing the same way, stick to the system, and I think our skill will take over.”
The Kitchener Rangers held a press conference ahead of their OHL Championship Series matchup with the Barrie Colts. CBC K-W’s Diego Pizarro spoke with Rangers forward Sam O’Reilly and general manager Mike McKenzie about how the team is preparing for the series.
Rangers general manager Mike McKenzie said they’re excited to start the series on home ice.
“Our guys love playing in front of our fan base. The building’s been electric.”
Here’s the schedule for the rest of series:
- Game 2 in Kitchener on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
- Game 3 in Barrie on Sunday at 6 p.m.
- Game 4 in Barrie on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
- Game 5, if needed, in Kitchener on May 14 at 7 p.m.
- Game 6, if needed, in Barrie on May 16 at 6 p.m.
- Game 7, if needed, in Kitchener on May 18, with the time to be determined.
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