Sens leadership calls leaked Uber video a 'hiccup'

Ottawa Senators veterans saythe team has dealt with the playerswho were caught on video complaining about their team and coach and they're ready to move on.

Seven Senators players apologized late Monday night after Postmedia publisheda story with a video of them criticizing their teamand coach Martin Raymond in a conversation in front of an Uberdriverin Phoenix, Ariz., last week.

Ottawa Senators teammates caught trash-talking coach (WARNING: Some viewers may find the language in this video offensive.)

6 years ago

Duration 4:18

Seven Ottawa Senators players are apologizing after a video surfaced of them trash-talking and ridiculing their assistant coach. Postmedia found the video on social media and re-posted it.

None of those players spoke to the media after morning skate Tuesday.

Instead, it was up to long-time Senators such as Mark Stone and Craig Anderson to face the first questions about the incident from reporters.

"This is a hiccup," Stone said, adding the team found out about the existence of the video a few days ago."Guys have made great efforts to repair relationships. This is only going to make our team stronger."

"[The players] support each other," Anderson said.

Head coach Guy Boucher said the team has dealt with the issue and has moved on.

"I don't know who makes decisions to put those things out there but when you purposefully try to hurt another human being, I don't want to spend too much time on that," he said.

"Especially probably the best human I know."

The Senatorshost New Jersey tonight.

Legal questions

An Arizona media law expert said in an email there are a few legal questions at play.

Joseph Russomanno, an associate professor at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said federal and state laws including Arizona's permit broadcasting conversations under certain circumstances.

He said there are arguments at least one person involved (the driver) knew about therecording, which could meet one legal threshold.

Sens grilled over teammates caught trash-talking coach

6 years ago

Duration 0:35

Zack Smith and Craig Anderson fielded questions about their teammates' conduct during an Uber ride in Phoenix in October. Seven players have apologized for mocking assistant coach Martin Raymond.

Other factors include whether there was a reasonable expectation of privacy given they were in a ride-hailing vehicle and whether the information shared is of the public interest.

An Ubergeneral manager said filming a private conversation without passenger consent isa clear violation of its terms of service.

Uber worked to get the video removed, said a spokesperson in an email, without addressing question's about Uber's camera rules in Phoenix and whether the driver is facing discipline.

"It was a private conversation, I feel terrible for the guys in the video and especially [Raymond]. It's not fair to any of them," said Senators forward Zack Smith.

"If you took a camera, followed me around in my hockey career and recorded everything I said about coaches I don't think I'd be in the league, I'd have a lot of people mad at me."