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D.J. Smith

Born:May 13, 1977Draft:1995 Islanders, 41st overall
Hometown:Cranston, RI, USAPosition:Defense
Known For:Shoots:Left
National Team:USA

Denis John “D. J.” Smith (born May 13, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was recently the head coach of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL) before being fired on Dec. 18, 2023.

As a player, Smith played 45 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche. As a coach, Smith won the Memorial Cup in 2015, and spent four years as an assistant with the Maple Leafs before joining Ottawa.

Years as a NHL player: 1997-04

Years as a NHL coach: 2019-present

Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith
Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

D.J. Smith Statistics

Trade Tracker

DateTraded FromTraded WithTraded ToTraded For
March 13, 1996New York IslandersWendel Clark
Mathieu Schneider
Toronto Maple Leafs1997 1st Round Pick
(Roberto Luongo)
Sean Haggerty
Darby Hendrickson
Kenny Jonsson
March 1, 2002Nashville PredatorsColorado Avalanche2002 9th Round Pick
(Matt Davis)
March 1, 2002Toronto Maple LeafsMarty WilfordNashville PredatorsMarc Moro

Deeper Dive

Coaching History

  • 2004-10 Windsor Spitfires OHL Asst. Coach
  • 2010-12 Windsor Spitfires OHL Assoc. Coach
  • 2012-15 Oshawa Generals OHL Head Coach
  • 2013-14 Canada U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Asst. Coach
  • 2013-14 OHL All-Stars Jr Super Series Head Coach
  • 2014-15 Oshawa Generals OHL Asst. General Manager
  • 2015-19 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Asst. Coach
  • 2019-2023 Ottawa Senators NHL Head Coach

Achievements

  • 2008-09 OHL Champion
  • 2013-14 Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal
  • 2013-14 OHL Coach of the Year (Matt Leyden Trophy)
  • 2013-14 OHL First All-Star Team
  • 2014-15 CHL Memorial Cup Champion
  • 2014-15 OHL Champion

Sources