The National Hockey League has announced a revised penalty for the Ottawa Senators over the controversial 2021 trade involving forward Evgenii Dadonov.
Instead of forfeiting a first-round draft pick, Ottawa will now pay a $1 million fine, along with a few modified conditions to the original punishment, finally bringing closure to an administrative mistake that has lingered for several years.
Why Ottawa Senators Were Hit With a $1,000,000 Fine
The issue dates back to July 2021, when the Ottawa Senators traded Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights. Ottawa told Vegas and the league that Dadonov hadn’t submitted his 10-team no-trade list on time, suggesting his contract had no restrictions.
However, Dadonov and his agent had actually filed the list in line with the league’s regulations, which meant the clause remained valid. The error only surfaced at the 2022 trade deadline when Vegas tried to move Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks.
The deal was initially processed and approved by the league. But shortly afterward, Dadonov and his agent provided documentation confirming that Anaheim was included on his no-trade list. As a result, the NHL invalidated the trade two days later, giving rise to a significant controversy.
The league later ruled that Ottawa’s failure to properly disclose the clause during the original trade was the root cause of the issue. Initially, the NHL penalized the Senators by forcing them to forfeit a first-round draft pick in either 2024, 2025, or 2026.
However, the decision was later challenged by Senators owner Michael Andlauer, who argued that the error occurred under the team’s previous ownership and management group, including former general manager Pierre Dorion.
Following that appeal, the league reviewed the circumstances and ultimately adjusted the punishment.
Senators’ Modified Penalty
Under the revised ruling, Ottawa will retain its first-round selection, but with several conditions attached:
- The pick will be 32nd overall in the draft
- The Senators cannot trade the selection
- The team is ineligible for the draft lottery with that pick
- Ottawa must also pay a $1 million fine
NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that the Senators had been lobbying the league behind the scenes for quite some time. “The more the league thought about it, the more that hit home. A $1M fine is not nothing, but the Sens for sure are satisfied with this result, getting the 32nd overall pick, and happy to put it behind them and move forward,” LeBrun said.
Senators Ready to Move On
In a statement released after the ruling, Andlauer confirmed the organization will accept the revised decision. “The Senators organization is appreciative the fine money will be directed to the NHL Foundation Canada, to help grow the sport in our country. We consider this matter closed and will have no further comments on the situation,” Andlauer said.
With the modified penalty now finalized, the Senators appear ready to move past the issue and focus on the future.
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