‘I regret immediately’: Barrie Colts’ Smoskowitz apologizes for post-game conference
In what was supposed to be a moment highlighting the Barrie Colts’ achievement, the focus shifted to an unwanted side story as head coach Dylan Smoskowitz and captain Kashawn Aitcheson delivered a viral press conference.
Following the Colts’ Game 7 win over the Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL’s Eastern Conference final, completing a comeback after trailing 3-1 in the series, both Smoskowitz and Aitcheson answered every post-game question with “No one cares, work harder,” before OHL Director of Communications Josh Sweetland shut down the press conference before its usual full length.
After the answers quickly spread across social media, Smoskowitz joined TSN’s OverDrive radio show and apologized less than 24 hours later on Tuesday.
"That was my lead. It was a decision I regret immediately." Barrie Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz on the reasoning for the viral postgame comments.
“I regretted that, immediately, it took away from a really, really good game and a really, really good hockey series,” he said. “That’s that one’s on me. That’s, that was a big oopsie, and something that I’ll learn from, and you better believe won’t happen again.”
Smoskowitz admitted that he had hoped to bring the entire team into the press conference as a celebratory moment, but was told that there would not be enough space in the room, meaning he and a player — Aitcheson — were left to speak to the press. He added that it was his choice to address the media that way, instructing his captain to do so alongside him.
“There is nothing I ever had against the OHL. I would recommend it to any young player who wants to mature as a person, who wants to mature as a player, who wants to get a chance to follow a dream,” he added. “As a coach, I get on the bus, I go to these rinks to do a job, players go to do a job, and media members go to do a job, and I totally disrespected their job.”
After claiming the Conference title, the Colts now take on the Kitchener Rangers for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.