Welcome back to the Ottawa Senators News & Rumors. In this edition, we will look at Pierre Dorion’s name popping back up in the media, but instead of working for a team, he will be joining a Montreal-based radio station. Elsewhere, an update has been given on Linus Ullmark and his injury, and Gabriel Eliasson has been traded to the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts.
Pierre Dorion Goes From NHL Geneal Manager To Radio Co-Host
It was reported that former Senators general manager (GM) Dorion has joined BPM Sports. The show on the radio station called “Le Retour Des Sportifs” is hosted by Martin Lemay, and Dorion is expected to be a regular guest on the show.
Dorion was the GM for the Senators for parts of eight seasons in which the Senators missed the playoffs in all but one of them. His first season as the big boss was the 2016-17 season where the Senators made a memorable trip to the Eastern Conference Final. Since then, the team plummeted in the standings and edured a rebuild longer than many hoped or imagined.
Once the new owner, Michael Andlauer, stepped in, his goal was to re-shape the Senators front office, and the final dagger that led to Dorion’s firing was the team being forced to give up a first-round pick for the outcome of the Evgenii Dadonov trade with the Vegas Golden Knights that Dorion made and allegedly did not report the trade clause included in the deal.
Related: Senators Fire Pierre Dorion: Dadonov, Pinto, Signings & More
Since being fired from the Senators, there hasn’t been much noise around the Dorion. He disappeared from the media, his name didn’t come up for open jobs in the media, he seemingly vanished. Now that he is going to be a regular on-air personality, it will be interesting to hear what stories he has to share from his time in Ottawa.
Ullmark is “100% Ready” to Play After Light Injury
Star goaltender Ullmark met with the media on Wednesday and said that he is 100 percent ready to play, and hopes to play in the Senators’ third preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres, his former team. As the morning skate lines are reported by Bruce Garrioch, goaltender Dustin Tokarski, who is on a professional tryout, is in the starters end, but Ullmark is a full participant in the practice.
Tokarski is in the starter's end but Ullmark is a full participant #Sens
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) September 26, 2024
Ullmark missed the last few practices, and hasn’t played a game in the preseason yet. This was causing some concern among the fanbase, but reports say that Ullmark tweaked something in camp, and played it safe so it didn’t get any worse. The exact injury remains undisclosed, but everything points to Ullmark being fine, and ready to go when called upon, whether it be against the Sabres or further into preseason against another team.
Eliasson Traded To Colts
Senators defensive prospect Eliasson, who was just selected in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, was traded from the Niagra Ice Dogs to the Barrie Colts for a third and 15th-round draft pick. Eliasson participated in the Senators’ rookie camp, and while he didn’t get into any preseason action before being sent to Junior, he got a lot of good experiences.
Eliasson is a 6-foot-7 beast who plays an extremely physical game. The Athletic‘s Scott Wheeler interviewed Eliasson and talked about what makes him such a unique player. (from “What makes the Senators’ Gabriel Eliasson, hockey’s meanest prospect, tick? His critics.”, The Athletic, Sept. 25, 2024)
Among many other things, Eliasson told Wheeler that his biggest asset is his competitiveness. He said that it isn’t just about winning the game, but winning every battle, and that is what drives him to play as physical as he does.
Eliasson isn’t the most productive player on the scoresheet, but with his defending and physicality, he is a player that every team needs. The Colts are getting bigger and meaner, and Eliasson will help the blue line immensely.
The start of the regular season is right around the corner, and there are still lots of moving pieces for the Senators. Check back in next time for all of the latest Senators news and rumors.
