Sens' Joseph takes accountability for scratch: 'This is on me'
Published
Ottawa Senators forward Mathieu Joseph said Thursday he was scratched against the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday for "a mistake."
Joseph addressed the media after head coach DJ Smith said the forward did not play because of a "non-hockey" issue.
"I’m just going to talk about this once," Joseph told reporters. "This was an internal thing. I made a mistake. I was ready to assume the consequences of it. This is on me. This is my responsibility. I know I can be better and I will."
The 25-year-old would have faced his brother, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, for the first time in the NHL, but instead remained sidelined as the Senators earned a 5-4 win in overtime.
"I assumed the consequences of it," Joseph said. "I’m an adult. I can deal with this. It’s part of hockey. It’s part of life and I’m ready to move forward and excited to be in the lineup."
Smith confirmed Thursday that Joseph will be in the lineup when the Senators travel to Pittsburgh to complete the home-and-away series on Friday.
"What I’ll say on that issue is – which has kind of been blown out of proportion – it was a non-hockey issue, he sat his game and we welcome him back with open arms," Smith said.
Joseph has not played since Dec. 8 when he suffered a lower-body injury.
"It’s been pretty brutal to be sidelined like that," Joseph said. "Seeing the guys battling every night and not being able to help the team.
"At the end of the day, that’s what I love to do and I’m a passionate guy about playing hockey. For me that’s all that matters and I’m really excited to get out there with the guys."
Joseph added that it will also be special to play against his brother after missing out on the opportunity Wednesday.
"It’s an exciting time for our family," Joseph said. "It’s an exciting time for us. It’s definitely a childhood dream for me and my family and my brother. So, it’s going to be fun to see him in another logo and play against him."
The Laval, Que., native has two goals and seven assists in 25 games this season.