Pierre Dorion stepped down as general manager of the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 1, just hours after the NHL announced the sanction of losing a first-round draft pick for either 2024, 2025 or 2026. All this as a result of the Canadian federal capital franchise failing to warn the Vegas Golden Knights of the contents of the list of vetoed destinations in his contract when it traded Evgeni Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights, resulting in a subsequent failed trade from Nevada to the Anaheim Ducks, the Californians being on that list that was unknown to their then-team.
All that pandemonium unleashed in March 2022 has ended up having its consequences in November 2023, and the mistake made has led to the departure according to the official statement, by mutual agreement between the parties, of Pierre Dorion, and thus his replacement by Steve Staios who joins his position as president of field hockey operations that of interim general manager with immediate effect.
And the sense of sloppiness and poor workmanship that crept out of this whole operation could not be washed away with an apology, least of all after owner Michael Andlauer received a 73-page report from the league offices noting that the Senators "were negligent in principle, embarrassed the league and upset two other clubs." The only possible option was the executive's departure, although instead of withering dismissal, the figure has been that of mutually agreed departure. Shane Pinto's non-renewal was another nail in Dorion's coffin.
Steve Staios extends his duties
After barely a month as president of field hockey operations for the franchise in Canada's federal capital, Steve Staios hasn't been sitting on his hands as he made the transition to a new position, adding Sens legend Daniel Alfredsson to the player and coach development department and adding other new faces to the franchise's organization chart.
Now, in addition to the franchise 's mid- to long-term organizational tasks, he will have to deal with the more immediate ones such as player transfers, injury reports, keeping an eye on the salary cap and keeping an eye on the work of the coach and his assistants as well as the needs they present to him.