Written By: Ken Hawkins (a.k.a. khawk)

The Ottawa Senators held a press conferece on Wednesday to announce that Pierre Dorion had resigned his role as GM. To say that Pierre Dorion had an unusual tenure as GM would be a serious understatement, especially given the perpetual eccentricity of former owner Eugene Melnyk, and the extent of the burn-down rebuild the team undertook. However, once news broke that the Ottawa Senators would have to forfeit a 1st round pick as compensation for the Evgeni Dadonov trade, the fate of Pierre Dorion was effectively sealed. In the interim, GM duties will fall to Steve Staios as the team begins to search for a new full-time GM.

For many, the legacy of Pierre Dorion will be that of a very capable minor-league scout who was out of their depth at the GM level, and left to put out a seemingly endless series of tire fires. It would be wrong not to acknowledge the quality of the team's drafted core of Tkachuk, Stutzle, Chabot, and Sanderson, or the very stable team cap structure that should allow an excellent young hockey team to exist in Ottawa for the next decade. However for every positive step Dorion took, there was always a setback looming around the corner to erode the professional reputation of the team. And there was always a sense of inevitability as to when the new ownership would replace such a polarizing figure, who if only by association was a constant reminder of the previous regime.

If there is a silver lining in the situation, it's that accountability has finally reared its head back in Ottawa. For several years major off-ice distractions had been almost as frequent as on-ice wins, and the question always seemed to be at what point would enough be enough. That question was answered today, and it's clear that the ownership group isn't afraid to act. This also sends a clear message to DJ Smith, who now must operate without executive-level protection and try to correct the team's underwhelming 4-4-0 start. Personally, I'm not certain that DJ will survive the coming stretch of 3 games vs. TBL, LAK, and TOR, but even if he does expect the leash to be uncomfortably short, with viable replacements already being actively considered.

What are your thoughts on the departure of Dorion? Please feel free to comment below, and as always thanks for reading!

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