DJ Smith

DJ Smith is the head coach of the Ottawa Senators. DJ had spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He joined Toronto in 2015-16 after leading the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals to the 2015 Memorial Cup title.

In three seasons as head coach in Oshawa, Smith compiled an impressive record and earned the honour of the OHL's Coach of the Year. Before his time in Oshawa, Smith spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. During his tenure in Windsor, the Spitfires captured back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in both 2009 and 2010.

Smith has also played professionally, appearing in 45 career NHL games as a defenceman with both the Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche after being selected with the 41st overall pick by the New York Islanders in the 1995 NHL Draft.

A native of Windsor, Ontario, Smith played his junior hockey with his hometown Spitfires from 1994-97. He’s known as a straight up and hardworking coach – he brings great insights about stick to your goals and giving your best. A leadership and hockey guru.

Appearances

Bring the excitement of the NHL and the cache of a NHL celebrity to your events, golf tournaments or corporate dinners by having DJ Smith act as your host, emcee or engage in a meet and greet.  As a local native to Windsor, Ontario, his ties to his community, success in the big leagues and his compelling, personal stories make DJ Smith a great speaker, as well.

Hockey Stories - Life in the NHL

What’s it really like to run a professional NHL team?  Look behind the boards to hear tales from the bench, locker room and about the players themselves.  This unique insight will provide you with lessons on goal setting, the winning edge sprinkled with humor and stories that you won’t hear anywhere else!

Leadership

What does it take to win a Stanley Cup?  Success in the NHL parallels success in business.  Learn from the greatest sports leaders today on how they lead their business and, as importantly, deal with setbacks to refocus on meeting their end goals. 

Motivating Millennials

One of the hottest debates today is “How do you motivate Millennials to drive your business forward?”  Hear from one of the best NHL Coaches, who take a different group of Millennials each year and motivate them to the reach their highest performance both individually and as a team.