The Ontario Hockey League has fined the Barrie Colts $15,000 for the team's unusual behavior during a post-game news conference earlier this week. The incident occurred on Monday night, immediately after the Colts clinched the Eastern Conference championship with a Game 7 victory over the Bulldogs in Brantford.
What Happened
During the press conference, Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz and co-captain Kashawn Aitcheson refused to answer reporters' questions about the emotional win. Instead, both repeated the same phrase—"no one cares, work harder"—to every question posed. The footage quickly went viral, drawing criticism from hockey fans and media who felt it undermined the team's achievement.
Coach's Apology
On Tuesday, Smoskowitz apologized for his actions, explaining that he was frustrated after being denied a request to include the entire team in the league-run conference. "It's a decision I regretted immediately, he said on TSN 1050's Overdrive. "It took away from a really, really good game and a really, really good series." He noted that "no one cares, work harder" had been the team's motto all season.
League's Response
The OHL announced the fine on Wednesday, citing conduct detrimental to the league's public perception. In a statement, the league said: "The OHL holds its member teams and their personnel to the highest standards of professional conduct. 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."
Player Exonerated
Smoskowitz insisted that Aitcheson should not be blamed, as he was following the coach's instructions. "He took my lead, that was something I instructed him to do," Smoskowitz said after the Colts blanked the favored Bulldogs 5-0 in Game 7, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. The 33-year-old rookie coach admitted he learned from the incident: "Instead of being an adult about it, being mature about it and saying no problem … I kind of went the other way with it."
