Bryan Murray giving up GM duties with Ottawa Senators: Report
Bryan Murray announced last May that this would be his final season as Ottawa Senators general manager, but there was always the possibility that it wasn’t.
He had an option to remain in the GM’s chair for the last year of his contract; and having fought through nearly two dozen chemotherapy treatments for Stage 4 colon cancer so he could continue to work in the NHL, the notion that he’d stay on wasn’t outlandish.
But as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun first reported, Murray is giving up the role and moving upstairs into a senior advisory role. He was promoted to GM in 2007, but spent decades in the NHL in other roles.
“After 35 years, it’s time to step aside and have a different role with the organization,” said Mrray.
Assistant GM Pierre Dorion will take the reins.
From Garrioch:
Dorion, an Ottawa native, is in his ninth season with the Senators and has spent 20 years working in the NHL.
He was the club’s director of player personnel before being elevated to the position of assistant GM along with Randy Lee in 2014. Lee will stay in his role as assistant GM and you can expect that his duties will be expanded.
Dorion worked as an amateur scout with the Montreal Canadiens for 11 seasons and spent two years with the New York Rangers before coming to Ottawa.
Dorion will have some heavy lifting to do, rather quickly. Owner Eugene Melynk has already issued the “nobody is safe!” edict from on high, and Murray said his conversations with Melnyk reveal that everything from “player development to on-ice product” is in play.
Typically, we favor someone coming in from outside the organization to perform an audit or, in some cases, an autopsy. NHL teams are a hell of a lot more hesitant to do so, which is why the chain of succession often has an assistant GM ascending to the big job.
While we have our doubts about this tradition, there’s also significant evidence that it can work: See MacLellan, Brian with the Washington Capitals, an assistant GM many of us assumed would be more of the same but who has shown an impressive lack of loyalty to old guard players and an aggressive approach to player personnel.
He also was the fortunate beneficiary of Barry Trotz, one of the best coaches in the NHL, becoming available and choosing Washington. Wonder if Dorion will have the same luck with Claude Julien if Boston cuts ties?
Of course, this ultimately depends on the willingness of Ottawa ownership to spend some dough, and we know the score there; and the autonomy Dorion will have with Murray still involved.
As for Murray … what a run. Murray coached 1,239 games in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Ottawa Senators, winning 620. He won the Jack Adams in 1984 and was behind the bench for the Sens’ run to the Cup Final in 2007. He was also the general manager for the Wings, Panthers and Ducks.
A straight shooter and a guy with boundless knowledge, wisdom and love for this game. Glad to hear Murray will remain in the Senators braintrust, for himself and the franchise.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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