Dorion out as Senators GM in wake of pick forfeit
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
Pierre Dorion has resigned and been relieved of his duties as general manager of the Ottawa Senators. President of hockey operations Steve Staios will take over as interim GM.
The team announced Dorion’s departure after eight seasons in the role during a Wednesday news conference featuring owner Michael Andlauer, who purchased the team last spring, and Staois.
Dorion’s firing came on the heels of Ottawa being docked a first-round draft choice for the club’s role in an invalidated trade in 2022 between Evgenii Dadonov and the Anaheim Ducks that Andlauer said came with a 73-page document — which he only received last week — dictating how the Senators were “negligent in nature” and that was a final push to move on from Dorion.
“I think a lot of the decisions that have been made or some of the issues that we’ve had could have been avoided,” Andlauer said. “Our duty of care was ignored, which set off events that embarrassed the league and pissed off two other NHL clubs. As a member of this league, we have to be held accountable for our actions, and while this was done before my watch, I must respect that decision. So today I’m here to announce that Pierre Dorian has resigned and been relieved of his duties as general manager.”
Andlauer said it was over dinner with Dorion on Tuesday the sides determined they were “best to part ways.” But it wasn’t a hasty decision. Andlauer said he told Staois — who joined the Senators organization in late September as the first major hire by Andlauer — last week he was considering a change at the GM post.
The NHL’s harsh punishment for the Dadonov debacle, plus the recent gambling-related suspension of restricted free agent Shane Pinto, forced Andlauer into action and pursuing a new path in the GM slot.
Dorion, 51, started with the Senators in 2007 as chief amateur scout, eventually graduating to director of player personnel in 2009 and assistant general manager in 2014. He was officially named the new GM on April 10, 2016, taking over from Bryan Murray. Under Dorion, Ottawa made one playoff appearance, advancing to the 2007 Eastern Conference Final.
Head coach DJ Smith — who was hired by Dorion in 2019 — will remain in place along with his staff.
Over the course of Ottawa’s transparent press conference, Andlauer expressed frustration that he’s facing the consequences coming from the Dadonov’s botched trade attempt.
Ottawa is only now having to forfeit a first-round draft choice in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 as punishment stemming from their 2021 trade of Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights, where Ottawa failed to inform Vegas that Dadonov’s contract included a 10-team no-trade clause. That caused the Golden Knights’ subsequent trade attempt of Dadonov to the Ducks in 2022 to be invalidated.
“Why I inherited this is beyond me,” Andlauer said. “There’s no reason for [an investigation] to take so long.”
The Senators will now have to decide which season they’ll give up the first-round choice, a decision that must be made within 24 hours of that year’s draft lottery.
“We’ll go through a process to identify our best-case scenario and how it will be less debilitating [on our organization],” Andlauer said in terms of choosing a season to give up their pick. “We haven’t really gotten to that but there will be a process that we will put in place and take a long hard look at it.”
On top of this week’s difficulties, the Senators have also dealt with fallout surrounding Pinto’s suspension. Pinto, who has yet to sign a new contract with the club, was assessed a 41-game ban on October 26 for violating the NHL’s betting rules. The league did not provide details on why Pinto had specifically been flagged but did say he was not being accused of wagering on NHL games.
Andlauer maintained the NHL’s investigation into Pinto’s activity began last summer but the organization wasn’t made aware of it until more recently. To that end, Andlauer wanted negotiations with Pinto to be halted until they gathered all the facts. And again, Andlauer was perplexed by the NHL’s own lack of transparency around when Pinto was being looked into and the bungled Dadonov transaction.
“I don’t understand why it [all] took so long,” said Andlauer. “Maybe because the club was for sale and they didn’t want to disrupt [the process], so making sure the seller got the biggest price possible. I don’t know. I can’t answer that. You’ll have to ask the league that question.”
In the meantime, Staois is looking for Ottawa’s next general manager. He said the priority is to “instill stability and confidence in the group” immediately following what can only be described as a turbulent first month of the season in Canada’s capital city.
“I’ll do what’s best for the Ottawa Senators,” Staois said. “That’s the bottom line. “So, I think as this [search] starts to unfold, I think we’re going to take a longer look at what our options might be and who might be available.”
NEW YORK — Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov will be out for five to six months following surgery on his right shoulder, the team said Sunday.
The injury to the 25-year-old Romanov occurred Tuesday in Dallas in the final minute of regulation when he was hit from behind by Stars forward Mikko Rantanen.
Romanov, who had to be helped from the ice, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. He has one assist in 15 games this season. He signed an eight-year, $50 million contract last summer.
“He’s not happy,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said before Sunday’s 1-0 shootout win over the Seattle Kraken. “We have to move on. We don’t replace a player like that.”
Roy said the team would rely on Adam Boqvist and Marshall Warren in place of the speedy Romanov.
“You hope that the guys coming in will fit it and hopefully that Boqvist will play like he’s been playing,” Roy said of his defense corps, which has been bolstered by 18-year-old rookie standout Matthew Schaefer.
Rantanen received a five-minute boarding penalty and game misconduct, but no additional discipline from the league for the hit on Romanov. He was suspended for one game earlier Sunday following a hit on Calgary‘s Matt Coronato during Saturday’s game.
Roy was furious after Rantanen’s hit on Romanov and yelled at the Dallas player as he went to the locker room through a tunnel between the benches.
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan defended his player because he believed Rantanen’s skate was clipped by Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield, causing him to raise his arms for balance just before contact with Romanov.
Rantanen said he did not intend to injure Romanov. He is in his first full season with Dallas after getting traded twice last season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen received an automatic one-game suspension after getting ejected from his second game in a three-game span.
Rantanen received a game misconduct late in the second period of Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Flames after boarding forward Matt Coronato from behind. Coronato was able to finish the game, but Calgary coach Ryan Huska called it “a terrible hit.”
The NHL Department of Player Safety chose not to have a hearing for Rantanen following his latest infraction, according to sources, and instead relied on Rule 23.6 of the NHL rulebook which mandates an automatic one-game suspension for any player who receives a total of two game misconduct penalties in the “Physical Infractions Category” within 41 consecutive regular-season games.
The suspension will bench Rantanen for Tuesday night’s matchup in Edmonton against the Oilers, a rematch of last year’s Western Conference final, which the Oilers won in five games.
Rantanen, 29, is tied with Jason Robertson for the team lead with 28 points over 22 games (10 goals, 18 assists). With his two ejections, he now leads the team with a whopping 57 penalty minutes.
Saturday’s hit was the latest in a tough week for Rantanen.
In last Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Islanders, the Stars winger was also ejected late in the game after boarding defenseman Alexander Romanov. That play drew the ire of Islanders coach Patrick Roy, who went on a profane tirade as Rantanen left the ice, then later called the hit “disrespectful.”
“I’m going to say is [that] when you see the number, you have to lay off. Everybody knows that. You don’t go through the guy,” Roy said after the game. “I was in Colorado when [Rantanen] was drafted there. It’s not his style. But at the same time, that should not be part of our game.”
Romanov will have shoulder surgery and is expected to be out five to six months, the Islanders said Sunday.
Rantanen has no history of supplemental discipline over his 11-year-career, which has spanned Colorado, Carolina and now Dallas. Rantanen’s only noted history with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety before this suspension was an embellishment fine.
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