During a locker room media availability on Wednesday, Ottawa Senators defencemen Chris Wideman and Thomas Chabot took a few moments to issue individual apologies for their roles in the Uber rant caught on camera late last month.
“From the bottom of my heart, expressing my apologies to Marty Raymond for my role and for what happened that night,” Wideman told reporters. “What was said was definitely not how we feel about him as a person and as our coach. We were carried away and it was unacceptable. That’s really all I can say about it.”
Wideman and Chabot were two of seven Senators players ranting about assistant coach Martin Raymond and the team’s overall struggles on special teams. Matt Duchene, Chris Tierney, Dylan DeMelo, Colin White and Alex Formenton (now back with the OHL’s London Knights) were also involved. Video of the players was recorded without their knowledge during an Uber ride while in Phoenix, and quickly went viral after it was posted online.
“As a group here, we definitely want to apologize to Marty Raymond,” said Chabot. “He’s someone that we really appreciate. We love having him around here, he shares his passion for the game every single day. He’s always there for us. I think that’s where we’re going to leave it.”
The players issued a group apology Monday night after the video went viral:
“We want to apologize publicly to Marty Raymond, our teammates and coaches for our comments in Phoenix Arizona on October 29. Our private conversation was recorded without our knowledge or consent. We’re passionate about our team, and focusing on growing together. We are grateful for the support of our fans and organization. This is an important learning experience, and we will do better.”
Head coach Guy Boucher also addressed the incident with a statement of his own:
“Nothing is more important to us during this rebuild than making sure our players and coaches are fully committed to our plan, our values and our system of play. We have every confidence in Marty Raymond’s coaching; in the effort and determination of our team; and in the sincerity of our players’ apology. We are now treating this as a team matter, and will be making no further comment to the media.”
On Tuesday, following the club’s win over the New Jersey Devils, forward Matt Duchene said the following:
“I want to take this opportunity to extend my absolutely sincerest apologies to Marty Raymond,” Duchene told reporters at Canadian Tire Centre. “He’s a heck of a person, a coach, and he did not deserve what we said. That’s all I can say on it right now, unfortunately.”
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