Dave Cameron, ex-Senators coach, calls Melnyk's comments 'hurtful'

Former Ottawa Senators head coach Dave Cameron sayshe washurt by public comments owner Eugene Melnyk made about his coachingabilities before he was fired at the end of the team's disappointing season.

"It was hurtful. I didn't think there was any need for it. I felt like I was fired for three weeks, every day,"Cameron told a gathering of reporters Thursday morningat the Canadian Tire Centre.

Cameron and three assistant coaches were let go Tuesday after the Senators finished the 2015-16 seasoneight points out of a playoff spot.

Melnyk was openly critical of the team's performance and Cameron's decision-making in particular towards the end of the season, reaching back as far as the team's home opener to call his head coach's lineup construction "stupid."

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Cameron's firing was announced Tuesday by Pierre Dorion, who took over as the team's new general manager Sunday after former GM Bryan Murray announced he was stepping down.

Dorion struck a decidedly different tone when he announced the firings.

"They were all good people," Dorionsaid about firing Cameron and assistant coachesAndre Tourigny,Rick Wamsley and Jason Smith. "It was tough for me to do on a personal level, and on a professional level."

Trying to 'digest' firing

Speakingpublicly for the first time since losing his job, Cameron criticized the very publicway in whichMelnykvoiced his displeasure with the Senators' misfortunes.

"Hecan evaluate me all he wants, my coaching, hecan fire me, I understand all that," Cameron said.

"There'sno reason for being hurtful. We're human beings, at the end of the day."

Cameron also saidmultiple times during Thursday's press conferencethat he was still trying to "digest" the news of his dismissal.

The 57-year-oldbecame the11thheadcoach inSenshistorywhen he was promoted to the job in December 2014, after spendingthe previous three-plus seasons as an assistant coach.

He has a career NHL head coaching record of 70-50-17, good for a.537 winning percentage.