An NHL team will forfeit its first-round draft pick

The Ottawa Senators have forfeited their first-round draft pick, as announced by the National Hockey League (NHL).

The NHL confirmed that the trade involving Russian hockey player Dadonov from Vegas to Anaheim fell through due to Ottawa's fault. It was revealed that Dadonov's contract contained a clause prohibiting trades to ten different teams within the league, including Anaheim. This condition remained in Dadonov's contract even after he had been traded to Vegas in July 2021, but Ottawa did not notify the league.

The league stated that the club will lose a draft pick in one of the upcoming drafts in 2024, 2025, or 2026. Ottawa has the discretion to choose the season in which they won't fulfill their draft pick. Additionally, it has been disclosed that the club has decided to release their general manager, Pierre Dorion, following this situation.

While Ottawa did not incur financial losses, the imposed penalty is considered significant. Typically, teams select the most promising young players in the first round of the draft.

This is the second scandal for Ottawa this season. At the end of October, forward Shane Pinto was disqualified for 41 games by the NHL for sports betting.