Former Ottawa Senators defender rips organization
PUBLICATION
Sam Hutch
December 7, 2023 (6:26 PM)
The Ottawa Senators are a franchise that appears to be in trouble after boasting that the rebuild has been over the past couple of off-seasons, it looks like they're headed towards another awful year, but the real question is: from an organizational standpoint, do they treat their players properly? It doesn't sound like it.
According to former defender Michael Del Zotto, the Senators organization used to play mind games with him, sending him down for no apparent reason; take a look.
During my time in Ottawa, I got sent down down to the minors, because they wanted to wake the team up. I was told at the end of the season "oh you were the scapegoat. Your teammates liked you and we had to send you down to shake things up." In what world is that normal?
The reason Del Zotto was given even he was sent to the Senators' AHL Affiliate the Belleville Senators was because the team needed a �shake up' and even though he was well liked and playing decent hockey, Ottawa thought sending him down would wake up the locker room.
First of all, that makes no sense to begin with, nor is it a legitimate reason to send someone to the minors and second of all, mind games are not how you get the best out of your players. No wonder so few people have excelled under the old management group.
Good for Del Zotto speaking up about what goes on behind closed doors. Until there's a complete organizational shift, it doesn't sound like the Senators will be able to take a step forward.
POLL |
Are you surprised the Organization would do this? |
Yes | 32 | 23.5 % |
No | 56 | 41.2 % |
Sounds like the Senators | 48 | 35.3 % |
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