(Ottawa) Steve Staios left his position as special advisor with the Edmonton Oilers to join the Ottawa Senators as president of hockey operations.
Michael Andlauer, the new owner of the Senators, made the announcement Friday morning in a press release.
Staios, who is 50 and originally from Hamilton, will report directly to Andlauer.
Pierre Dorion remains the Senators’ general manager heading into the 2023-24 NHL season.
“I am so excited to have Steve join me in Ottawa to lead our hockey operations,” Andlauer said in a press release.
“I have worked with Steve for several years and know he will strengthen our team with his hockey sense, attention to detail, commitment to excellence and enthusiasm for the game and its players. In hockey, you can never accumulate too much talent. Having Steve and Pierre at the head of our hockey department gives us a fantastic team. »
Over the years, Staios notably served as president of the Hamilton Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League, before serving as president and general manager of the team from 2016 to 2022.
During Staios’ tenure with the Bulldogs, the team won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, the league’s playoff championship, on two occasions, in 2018 and 2022.
Staios also received the Jim Gregory OHL General Manager of the Year Award for the 2021-22 season.
In the National Hockey League, Staios worked within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, first as a player development advisor in 2012. Two years later, he was named director of player development. Maple Leafs players.
A former defenseman, Staios also played 16 years in the NHL and appeared in 1,001 games. Between 1996 and 2012, he wore the uniform of six different teams and collected 220 points, including 56 goals.
Staios was a second-round pick, 27th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in 1991.
On the international stage, Staois led Team Canada at the 2019 World Junior Championships and the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
He served as Team Canada’s director of player development at the 2014 World Championships and won gold medals at the 2003 and 2004 World Championships as a player, as well as a silver medal in 2008.