Barrie Colts Fined $15,000 After Controversial Post-Game Press Conference

TL;DR

The Barrie Colts were fined $15,000 after a controversial post-game press conference where head coach Dylan Smoskowitz and captain Kashawn Aitcheson dismissed media questions with a repetitive phrase. The league deemed their conduct detrimental to its public perception.

Key points

Barrie Colts fined $15,000 by the league
Post-game press conference sparked negative social media reaction
Coach and captain used team's motto in dismissive responses

Mentioned in this story

Dylan SmoskowitzKashawn Aitcheson

Barrie ColtsOHL

(Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

The post-game press conference after their game seven Eastern Conference final victory from Barrie Colts head coach Dylan Smoskowitz and captain Kashawn Aitcheson sure caused a fair bit of dialogue on social media, but not much of it was positive.

After reportedly being upset at not being allowed to bring more players into the interviewing room, the two answered every question asked by both the press and OHL communications director Josh Sweetland with "no one cares, work harder," the team's motto that they've stuck with all season.

The league was clearly not thrilled with this gesture and the negative attention it sparked online, and have fined the Colts organization $15,000 for "conduct detrimental to the public perception of the league."

While some of the social media discourse on the incident has maybe gone a bit over the top, it's probably right to say this wasn't the best way to present yourselves after a monumental victory.

Emotions were high after Barrie battled back from down 3-1 in the East final against a loaded Brantford Bulldogs squad, and were able to take home the Bobby Orr Trophy on the road with a 5-0 shutout win in game seven.

To Smoskowitz's credit, he took responsibility for the incident, appearing on TSN's Overdrive show yesterday to apologize for the incident.

Hopefully now, with this out of the way, the focus can go back to what looks to be an enticing OHL championship series between Barrie and the Kitchener Rangers.

Game one begins tonight in Kitchener, with both teams looking to carry the momentum from their conference final victories for a chance to head to the Memorial Cup as J. Ross Robertson Cup champions.

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Q&A

Why were the Barrie Colts fined $15,000?

The Barrie Colts were fined for conduct detrimental to the public perception of the league after their post-game press conference where they dismissed media questions.

What did the Barrie Colts' coach and captain say during the press conference?

During the press conference, coach Dylan Smoskowitz and captain Kashawn Aitcheson repeatedly responded with 'no one cares, work harder,' which is the team's motto.

What was the reaction on social media to the Barrie Colts' press conference?

The reaction on social media was largely negative, with many criticizing the Colts' dismissive attitude towards the media.