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Senators hire one of the most controversial GMs in NHL history
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Senators hire one of the most controversial GMs in NHL history

Sens fans aren't gonna like this!

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HockeyFeed

Embattled NHL general manager and Stanley Cup champion Peter Chiarelli is back, baby!

The man who brought you hits like 'Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson' and 'The $42 million Milan Lucic contract' is back for another spin, this time with the Ottawa Senators.

Sens insider Brent Wallace is reporting that the team has added Chiarelli to its staff and that Chiarelli has ties to new team owner Michael Andlauer.


Astute fans may recall that Chiarelli actually started his NHL career with the Senators way back in 1999. Chiarelli had dabbled as a player agent before joining the Sens, but rose through the ranks with the team to the role of Assistant General Manager for two years (2004-2005). It was his work with the Sens that earned him an interview with the Boston Bruins in 2006 for the general manager position. The rest, as they say, is history.

Without rehashing all of Chiarelli's history, he had some ups and downs with the Bruins but ultimately helped lead them to a Stanley Cup championship in 2011. He then moved on to take on the job as GM of the Edmonton Oilers, where his results were much less mixed. In short, the Chiarelli Era was a disaster in Edmonton. From trading away Taylor Hall for peanuts, to signing Milan Lucic to a ridiculous contract, everything Chiarelli did in Edmonton just seemed doomed from the start. Personally, I think he stalled the development of this current Oilers squad by at least a couple years. It also doesn't help that Ken Holland hasn't done much better though, either.

In any case, Chiarelli is back in Canada now after a brief stint with the St. Louis Blues' management staff. It remains to be seen how much influence he has over the team, but seeing as how he has a cushy relationship with the new owner and incumbent GM Pierre Dorion is perpetually on the hot seat, things could get interesting. Just imagine Chia trading Tim Stutzle one for one for Logan Stanley and then inking Ryan Reaves to a $50 million deal... yikes!

Source: Brent Wallace