Senators part with GM Dorion amid forfeiture of 1st-round pick for role in Dadonov trade

The Ottawa Senators have parted ways with general manager Pierre Dorion.

The announcement that Dorion resigned was made during a press conference on Wednesday in the wake of the NHL's ruling to strip the club of a first-round draft pick for its role in the voided trade of Evgenii Dadonov from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Anaheim Ducks in March 2022.

Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations, will assume interim GM duties.

"Today I'm here to announce that Pierre Dorion has resigned and been relieved of his duties as general manager," said Senators owner Michael Andlauer. "I thank Pierre for his efforts for the Sens organization since starting as an amateur scout in 2007 and his contribution in the Ottawa-Gatineau community."

Andlauer, who officially purchased the team from Eugene Melnyk's estate in September, put an early stamp on the organization by hiring Staios as the team's president of hockey operations.

The long-rumoured move immediately placed the former NHL defenceman above Dorion in the decision-making hierarchy.

The Senators have gone through some painful years since last making the post-season, but Dorion has had some home runs at the draft table with the likes of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson.

He's also missed on others, while his trade and free agency record was spotty in the nation's capital.

Dorion was heavily criticized for his inability to sign Pinto, who remains a restricted free agent without a contract, over the summer after adding expensive pieces like forward Vladimir Tarasenko and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.

Ottawa originally dealt the winger to Vegas in July 2021, but failed to disclose Dadonov's 10-team, no-trade list.

The Golden Knights then attempted to send Dadonov, who signed a three-year, $15-million US contract with Ottawa in October 2020, to the Ducks in March 2022, only to later learn the Anaheim was on his no-trade list.

That forced the league to negate the transaction roughly 48 hours later.

The NHL said in a brief statement that Ottawa will give up its first-round draft pick in 2024, 2025 or 2026. The Senators will have 24 hours following the conclusion of each draft lottery to decide if that year's pick will be forfeited.

Vegas tried to deal Dadonov and a second-round pick to Anaheim for defenceman John Moore and the contract of injured forward Ryan Kesler ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.

The NHL said at the time the trade could not be completed because Dadonov's contract included a limited no-trade clause, "which has not been complied with."

The Golden Knights, who eventually traded Dadonov to the Montreal Canadiens, said in a statement Wednesday: "We appreciate the league's diligence on this matter and respect the decision."

Dadonov was traded by Montreal to the Dallas Stars ahead of last season's deadline, and signed a two-year, $4.5-million contract extension in June.

Last week, Senators forward Shane Pinto was suspended for 41 games for "activities relating to sports wagering."

Dorion was named GM in April 2016 when it was announced the late Bryan Murray would be stepping down.