Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn responded on Saturday to some harsh criticism from Dallas Stars CEO Jim Lites.
Lites is disappointed with the Stars’ season thus far and ripped into Seguin and Benn, singling them out for their poor play.
“It’s pissed me off,” Lites said on Friday. “What nobody says is what is completely obvious to me: We are getting terrible play from our top two players.”
Lites said that Seguin, usually a top goal-scorer, is not getting dirty the way he needs to. He said Benn has had some poor play that would get many players benched.
Both players were at an optional skate on Saturday and responded. They said they were aware of the comments and they somewhat took the high road in response.
Tyler Seguin comments today on criticism from Stars CEO Jim Lites: pic.twitter.com/wurddTxWDE
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) December 29, 2018
Jamie Benn comments today on criticism from Stars CEO Jim Lites: pic.twitter.com/0YNw2dMOX3
— Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) December 29, 2018
Lites may come off like a jerk to some, but he’s clearly trying to light a fire under his best players. He also says the owner sees things the same way, so maybe he’s taking the heat by being the bad guy.
Dallas entered play on Saturday 19-16-3 with 41 points — barely grabbing the final playoff spot in the West. They’ve only made the playoffs twice since 2008 and are expecting much more out of this year’s squad.
This is not the first time Seguin has faced criticism from a team CEO. There have long been concerns about his focus due to alleged partying.
