Boy, has it been a busy week and a bit for the Ottawa Senators. From Shane Pinto getting a 41-game suspension to the Evgenii Dadonov trade coming back to bite us. Now, the dismissal of Pierre Dorion. Dorion was at the helm of the Ottawa Senators for eight years. He was let go on Wednesday by owner Michael Andlauer. President of Hockey Operations Steve Staios will serve as interim General Manager while he conducts the search for Dorion’s replacement. In this piece, I will examine some potential options and will conclude with my choice of who I think should be named the next General Manager of the Ottawa Senators.
Embed from Getty ImagesOttawa Senators Internal Options
First and foremost let’s take a look internally. Internally, only two people are in managerial roles, Steve Staios and Ryan Bowness. I don’t think Andlauer wants to group the POHO and GM duties on a long-term basis, but it’s definitely an option that will be considered. Staios and Andlauer are all about being “best in class”, which means looking at every option. Before joining the Ottawa Senators, Staios worked with the Edmonton Oilers for one year with the title of “Special Assistant to General Manager”. This role likely meant he was Ken Holland’s prodigy and was probably going to assume more responsibilities year over year.
Before joining the Oilers, he spent seven years with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL as President and General Manager. This is where he built a relationship with owner Michael Andlauer. He’s won at the OHL level and he’s worked with a historic GM in Ken Holland. At the end of the day, I don’t think Staios gives himself the job in the interest of keeping the president and manager role separate.
Ryan Bowness and Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators
Ryan Bowness was brought in during the 2021-22 offseason, not long before acquiring Alex DeBrincat. Bowness has since served as Dorion’s Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the Belleville Senators. I can do a deep dive into his tenure as GM of the BSens in a later piece. For the purpose of this article, I’ll simply say that he’s been impressive in my eyes.
Before joining the Ottawa Senators organization, he served as the Director of Pro Scouting with the Pittsburgh Penguins for three seasons. Three seasons before that as a pro scout. He was also a pro scout with the Winnipeg Jets. Safe to say, his background is scouting. He’s got a fantastic eye for the game, and he’s widely regarded as one of the top executive prospects in hockey. He will absolutely get a long look for this job, and I would not be surprised if he were one of the finalists.
One final name to mention in this category is obviously Daniel Alfredsson. Widely regarded as the greatest player in Ottawa Senators history, Alfredsson has recently re-joined the team hockey operations department in a non-defined role. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet recently posted on Twitter saying he would not be surprised if Alfie’s role could grow with the recent dismissal of Dorion. I don’t expect him to be named GM as he has no real experience in an NHL front office. Considering how he and the late Eugene Melnyk did not see eye to eye, I don’t think Alfie got any legitimate responsibility in his short tenure as Senior Advisor from 2015-17. I could see him being named an Assistant and learn from there for the future, but as of right now, I would not want to set him up for failure.
Top Assistant General Managers Who Should Be Considered
I took a look at the GM searches over the last two years. I’ve compiled a list of the most mentioned names so you don’t have to. I’ll start with folks who currently serve in other organizations as Assistant General Managers.
Eric Tulsky is one of the most well-respected executives in hockey. He is currently the Assistant GM with the Carolina Hurricanes. Tulsky runs one of, if not the best analytics department in the NHL. He’s been considered a finalist for numerous GM jobs in the past. These include but are not limited to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Mathieu Darche is the second name that is always mentioned alongside Tulsky as one of the best prospective executives in hockey. Darche is a former professional hockey player. He played with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens. He was captain of the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2009-10, which is owned by none other than Michael Andlauer. The relationship exists and I would not be surprised if he got the job. He has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning in a front-office capacity since 2019-20.
Darche was named their Assistant General Manager in the 2022-23 season. The 46-year-old has been Tampa’s “capologist”. He has a very good understanding of the CBA and loopholes in the salary cap structure. He’s been confirmed as an early candidate by both Bruce Garrioch of PostMedia and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He was previously their Director of Hockey Operations. Mathieu Darche would provide great knowledge in Ottawa’s current battle with the salary cap. He was included as a finalist for the following jobs: Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and possibly the Chicago Blackhawks amongst others.
Jason Botteril, Jamie Pushor
Jason Botteril is currently the Assistant GM in Seattle. He was previously the GM of the Buffalo Sabres before being an AGM in Pittsburgh for a long time. His tenure in Buffalo did not end particularly well. However, he’s known as one of the top prospect GM’s in the game. Jason Botteril has a great hockey mind. Botteril has a background in scouting and has a lot of experience in numerous front offices. He would be a great buffer to Steve Staios and could be considered for either the GM role or potentially as Vice President of Hockey Operations if the team opts to go with an “inexperienced” GM. He has most recently been linked to the GM jobs in Pittsburgh, Toronto, San Jose and Chicago.
Jamie Pushor is another name to look at. He’s currently an Assistant General Manager for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s been with the Lightning since the 2011-12 season. He started out as a pro scout, making his way to the Director of Pro Scouting before becoming the team’s AGM. To be hired by Steve Yzerman to fill out his front office is an extremely high compliment and that alone should grant him an interview.
Jason Spezza
Jason Spezza is an Ottawa Senator great. He was drafted second overall by the Sens in the 2001 draft. Beyond his very successful career as an NHL player, he is seen as one of the top minds in hockey. He’s been shadowing Kyle Dubas in both Toronto and now Pittsburgh, who is one of the best GM’s in all professional sports. Spezza learning from one of the best bodes well as he will inevitably be named a GM at some point for whatever team is lucky enough to secure his services. He is a hockey encyclopedia and is going to be able to build a team from the point of view of a former player. Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman has listed him as a potential candidate for this job.
A Few Options Outside the NHL
Peter Chiarelli is the first name that’s been linked to Ottawa’s GM job as per LalimesMartian on Twitter. He’s currently serving as the Vice President of Hockey Operations with the St. Louis Blues and has a very interesting resume. We all know how his tenure in Edmonton ended, but before that, he won a Stanley Cup as the General Manager of the Boston Bruins. Before this he served as an AGM with the Senators, tying him to the community.
I’m purely speculating when I say this, but there’s a chance that Cyril Leeder may advocate for granting the Ottawa native an interview should he be part of the GM search. Media member Shawn Simpson recently voiced his praise for Chiarelli on the Coming In Hot Podcast. Personally, I’d rather if the team went in a different direction, but I would not mind Chiarelli in a similar role to his current one in St Louis, as Vice President of Hockey Operations, serving mainly as a consultant to Doug Armstrong. He could be pretty valuable to Steve Staios and help mentor a new GM.
Scott Mellanby
Scott Mellanby has been thrown in the ring for a few GM jobs in recent memory. He is currently working with Peter Chiarelli with the St Louis Blues as a Senior Advisor. Mellanby recently was an Assistant GM with the Montreal Canadiens. His tenure with the Canadiens gives him a relationship with Andlauer and will likely be considered for the role. I could see him as VP of Hockey Operations. Serving in a similar role that I mentioned for Chiarelli, but I don’t think he gets the final nod for GM. He was recently considered for the GM job in Florida when they ultimately ended up hiring Bill Zito. He was also interviewed for the Chicago job a few years back.
Mark Hunter is regarded as one of the best drafters in recent memory. He was considered in the last two GM Searches for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ultimately, he was passed over in favor of Kyle Dubas, and more recently Brad Treliving. Mark and his brother Dale currently operate the most successful junior team in the London Knights. I’d love to see him as Ottawa’s Head Scout but I doubt he accepts that job.
Honorable Mentions: Marc Bergevin (LA Kings), Brandon Pridham (Toronto Maple Leafs), John Chayka (Formerly Arizona Coyotes), John Ferguson Jr (Boston Bruins), Emilie Castonguay (Vancouver Canucks), Ray Whitney (NHL Development of Player Safety), Dave Nonis (Calgary Flames), Patrick Roy (Free Agent), Ron Hextall (Free Agent)
Who Will Be the Next GM of the Ottawa Senators?
I’ve mentioned 10 names not including Steve Staios himself. The least probable situation is that Staios will keep the GM title of the Ottawa Senators long-term. There are so many people who could be considered legitimate candidates, it was hard to keep it to 10 people. I would not be surprised if more than 20 people would be interviewed for the job. At the end of the day, I’d like to see either Ryan Bowness, Mathieu Darche or Eric Tulsky as the General Manager of the Ottawa Senators.
If you’d like to read my most recent piece about the Evgenii Dadonov debacle, click here. You can find more of my hockey content on Twitter @Jake_Larivire
Featured Image: Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
