Senators part ways with general manager Pierre Dorion after 8 seasons

Just hours after the Ottawa Senators were penalized by forfeiting a first-round pick due to their mishandling of the 2021 Evgenii Dadonov trade, they made a significant change in their front office.

Pierre Dorion, who had served as the team’s general manager for eight seasons, has officially “resigned,” according to new team owner Michael Andlauer, who made the announcement during a passionate press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Andlauer also revealed that former NHL defenseman Steve Staios, who joined the organization as the president of hockey operations earlier this summer, will step in as the interim general manager for the Senators. Andlauer and Staios have a successful history together, having won two Ontario Hockey League championships while with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

While Andlauer is framing Dorion’s departure as a voluntary resignation, it became evident as the press conference progressed that this was primarily Andlauer’s decision. The timing of the change further solidifies this notion.

Just hours before the press conference, news broke of the Senators losing their first-round draft pick in relation to the Dadonov trade situation. Ottawa failed to disclose Dadonov’s ten-team no-trade list during a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021, where they received Nick Holden and a draft pick.

Later on, the Golden Knights attempted to trade Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks at the 2022 trade deadline but were unable to do so due to the clause.

Andlauer mentioned that he received a comprehensive 73-page report from the NHL, which concluded that the team was negligent in handling the Dadonov trade. He also stated that this incident was the “last straw” for Dorion as the general manager of the Senators.

The owner revealed that he and Dorion had a dinner meeting the night before, during which they mutually agreed to part ways. Andlauer provided details on what led to Dorion’s downfall.

“The actions taken by our hockey club… were negligent and showed a lack of duty of care, which triggered events that brought embarrassment to the league and upset two other NHL clubs,” Andlauer stated.

Regarding the search for a new general manager, Staios mentioned that the Senators will take a patient approach and thoroughly examine all potential candidates before making a decision.

Andlauer criticizes NHL’s handling of Pinto and Dadonov investigations

Andlauer also commented on the Shane Pinto contract situation and subsequent suspension due to gambling, expressing frustration that these events put the Senators in a difficult position. In regards to the NHL’s management of the betting ban, Andlauer did not hold back.

“You have a young man who is making millions of dollars and representing the community… but he’s only 21 years old. Wayne Gretzky appears on MGM and talks about betting. Just think about being injured, having spare time, and a cell phone,” he stated.

The owner also expressed his outrage at the significant amount of time it took for the league to conduct the investigation into the Dadonov situation.

“You’ll have to ask the NHL why it took a year. I don’t understand why this lasted so long. It is beyond me,” he said.

Both the Pinto and Dadonov investigations clearly irked the Senators’ owner, but what is even more shocking is Andlauer’s claim that the league did not inform him of either probe while he was finalizing the purchase of the team.

“Perhaps they didn’t want to disrupt [the sale] to ensure that the seller obtained the best price possible,” Andlauer remarked.