The Montreal Canadiens will soon see a lot more of Jacques Martin — except it will be behind enemy lines.
According to a news release, the Ottawa Senators have relieved head coach DJ Smith of his duties, replacing him with Martin.
The former Habs bench boss, who coached Ottawa between 1996 and 2004, recently re-joined the Senators organization as a senior advisor to the coaching staff.
As of now, he will hold the title of interim head coach.
News Release: D.J. Smith has been relieved of his head coaching duties; Jacques Martin has been named #Sens interim head coach. Daniel Alfredsson joins the team’s coaching staff as an assistant coach: https://t.co/UtadFrrkEG pic.twitter.com/LZiNGB5Mbm
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 18, 2023
Upon announcing the 71-year-old’s new role, the Senators also revealed the hiring of former longtime captain Daniel Alfredsson as an assistant coach.
Along with eight years in Ottawa and a brief Montreal stint (2009 to 2012) that included a run to the 2010 Eastern Conference Final, Martin’s four-decade pro coaching career also included stints with the St. Louis Blues (1986 to 1988), Chicago Blackhawks (1988 to 1990), Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche (1990 to 1996), Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins (assistant coach from 2013 to 2020), and New York Rangers (assistant coach from 2020 to 2021).
Martin will return to the Ottawa bench when the Senators visit the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Alfredsson is also expected to make his on-bench debut this week.
The interim Senators general manager will address the new additions when he speaks to the media this afternoon.