Former Oilers defenceman Steve Staios becomes Senators interim GM
Former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Steve Staios was named interim GM of the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday afternoon.
This came shortly after it was reported that the current GM Pierre Dorian had resigned. It also followed the NHL ruling that the Senators would have to forfeit a first-round draft pick after failing to communicate the terms of forward Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause when they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knight in 2021.
This caused the Golden Knights to trade the Russian forward to the Anaheim Ducks in 2022 despite Dadonov having the Ducks on his no-trade list. The trade was eventually voided by the league.
Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion has resigned after eight seasons with the team. Steve Staios will take over on an interim basis. pic.twitter.com/dpGcVwKNCF
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 1, 2023
Staios was initially hired by the Senators over the summer as their president of hockey operations. The hiring resulted in Staios leaving the Oilers organization, where he was working as a special advisor.
“I will now look after the day-to-day operations as well as continue to look at the big picture,” said Staios in a press conference following the announcement. “I have a great staff and support around me. I’m looking forward to empowering them to take on more of a role and responsibility.”
There are deep connections between Staios and new Senators owner Michael Andlauer. The pair worked together in the Ontario Hockey League when Staios was working as the GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs, a team that Andlauer also owns.
The fact that there is an interim tag attached to Staios’ new GM job indicates that this is probably not a permanent role for the 50-year-old. Instead, the team will most likely conduct a search for a more permanent candidate.
A name that has been connected to the Ottawa GM job is former Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli. Chiarelli has not been an NHL GM since he was fired by Edmonton in 2019. He is currently the vice president of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues.
As we've been hearing, Peter Chiarelli is a name making the rounds as a possible GM replacement in Ottawa.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) November 1, 2023
Staios played over 1,000 NHL games over the course of a 16-year career. Eight of those years were spent playing for the Oilers between 2001 and 2010. Through 573 games with the Oilers, he scored 35 goals and 146 points. His reliable defensive play earned him the nickname “steady Steve” among the Oilers faithful.
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