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The National Hockey League is offering the Ottawa Senators a slight reprieve on a penalty imposed after the team failed to tell the Vegas Golden Knights about a player’s no-trade clause in 2021.
Ottawa was going to have to forfeit its first-round draft pick in this year’s entry draft, having passed on its option to do so in 2024 or 2025 in favour of taking defencemen Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler.
The Senators were disciplined after Vegas traded Evgenii Dadonov to Anaheim, only for Dadonov to use his no-trade clause to block the deal.
On Thursday, the NHL announced the Senators will instead get the 32nd overall pick, which is the final pick of the first round, and will have to pay a $1-million fine.
The NHL said Ottawa asked it to reconsider because the team now has a different owner in Michael Andlauer and general manager in Steve Staios.
Pierre Dorion, the general manager in 2021, resigned the day the penalty was announced.
“After due and thorough consideration, the League has decided that a modification of the original penalty is warranted,” said the NHL.
“We fully accept the modified sanctions the league has imposed today,” Senators owner Michael Andlauer said in a statement. “We are grateful for the league and commissioner keeping an open mind on this issue and modifying the penalty.”
Ottawa cannot trade its 32nd overall pick. If the Senators miss the playoffs, they will still be part of the league’s lottery to award draft positions, but if it’s drawn the process will start over.
The league said the $1-million fine will be handed over to the charity NHL Foundation Canada.
