Report: Senators fired CEO after discovering ex-wife's abuse allegations

The Ottawa Senators dismissed CEO Jim Little after becoming aware of abuse allegations his former wife, Lara Smith, made toward him, the club said, according to the National Post's Adrian Humphreys.

The Senators reportedly discovered several allegations of harsh or abusive behavior, including previous public claims of domestic abuse made by Smith toward Little.

Ottawa fired Little less than two months into his tenure Wednesday. The former executive said he was fired for using "strong language" during a heated phone argument with team owner Eugene Melnyk on Feb. 14.

Following the dispute, the Senators conducted an investigation into Little's behavior, during which they found Smith had published online accounts of his abuse during their marriage.

"As the weeks and months unfolded, I was the victim of extreme control, psychological, and at times, physical abuse," Smith reportedly wrote in August 2019. "Going to yoga class and the grocery store were cause for outbursts of rage."

The club confirmed knowledge of the blog post and that it was unearthed after Little's disagreement with Melnyk.

"The pattern of behaviour by Mr. Little within the organization, which violated the team’s code of conduct and the policies of the NHL, coupled with the detailed allegations contained within an online posting discovered subsequently, was extremely concerning given his conduct within the company’s head office," Senators team spokesperson Dan Gagnier said.

Little disputed the allegations through his lawyer.

"The suggestion that the Senators terminated Mr. Little’s employment because of (Smith's) allegations ... is untrue," his representative, Matthew Sammon, said, adding that the matter will now be addressed in court.

Sammon also called Smith's allegations "defamatory" and said they aren't "attributed to any specific source."

Smith and Little were married in July 2015 but were no longer living together as of October 2017, according to divorce records.

The Senators hired Little on Jan. 10.