Sens GM Dorion masters the awkward pause when asked about the upcoming season

It has been quite the offseason for the Ottawa Senators.

After a horrible campaign, they finished 30th in the league with a 28-43-11 record. Off the ice, there was the drama between Mike Hoffman’s fiancee and Erik Karlsson’s wife. Then, it was reported that season ticket sales were down. Shortly after that, Hoffman was traded. A little later, their owner Eugene Melnyk released a bizarre interview on the team’s Twitter account alongside defenceman Mark Borowiecki. Finally, Karlsson was traded to the San Jose Sharks.

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By hockey standards, that’s a pretty crazy few months considering there wasn’t much of anything happening on the ice.

In an interview with David Amber and Elliotte Friedman during a preseason broadcast of the Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs game on Tuesday night, it appeared it may have taken a toll on Ottawa General Manager Pierre Dorion.

When asked what he was most optimistic about heading into the season, Dorion stared off into the distance as if he was having flashbacks to all of the lunacy that has gone on.

It should be mentioned that there was no editing done to that video. The pause you saw was actually that long. It may have only a few moments, but it felt like an eternity.

If any other general manager in the league would have done this, nobody would have cared. However, with the Senators’ recent history, this is the kind of pause from someone high up in the organization that should make Ottawa fans nervous about the upcoming year (if they weren’t already).

Mr. Dorion… You’ve clearly been through a lot and we wish you all the best with whatever happens this season. I’d like to think the only way things go from here is up.

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