The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

It's difficult to get a day-to-day decent sound bite from any professional player or coach. They say what they are "supposed" to say. They speak in cliches and don't really offer anything interesting or insightful when they talk to the media.

But Senators coach John Paddock is an exception. Now he isn't as entertaining as a Jeremy Roenick for example, but his old school I-don't-give-a-crap-what-you-think approach is refreshing. Here are some quotes from him since the start of the 2007-08 season:

“I don’t care what (Emery’s) like to you guys (in the media). The people he’s responsible to are his teammates and the organization. You have a certain standard you have to live up to, but who says that he has to be happy all the time ... It’s good to be surly.”

"Losing Zdeno Chara was atrocious."

"I'm never going to be on the committee so I don't really care." (On being asked if he'd vote for Eric Lindros to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.)

"Meszaros and Savard are both only going to have one fight a year." (When asked if he thought the two opposing players would fight again in game 2 of the series).

This no-nonsense approach is probably a good indication of what he's like with the players. He doesn't need flash, but he wants effort and attention to detail. And their 15-3 record reflects that.

I'm definitely pleased with having John Paddock as coach of the Ottawa Senators.