Senators hire Pierre McGuire in senior front office role

OTTAWA -

The Ottawa Senators have hired longtime NHL analyst Pierre McGuire for a senior front office job.

McGuire is a longtime fixture on NHL telecasts, most recently on NBC. The Senators said in a news release that he will work closely with general manager Pierre Dorion and owner Eugene Melnyk. His team title will be senior vice president of player development.

“We are excited to add Pierre to our hockey management group," Melnyk said in a news release. "His experience will be instrumental as we continue to build an elite team. Pierre’s knowledge of the game and its players is highly regarded and I am confident that he will positively assist our team as it progresses to the next level.”

McGuire told reporters on Monday he has long been drawn to Ottawa as a hockey community.

"This is something that I’ve been looking forward to, in terms of joining this family, for a long time,” he said.

McGuire, 59, was an assistant coach with the Senators during the 1995-96 season. He has also coached in Pittsburgh and Hartford at the NHL level, including winning a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1992 as an assistant coach.

Dorion said he and McGuire have had several meetings in the past few weeks, including a four-hour meeting at Mont Tremblant on Sunday. He said McGuire’s TV experience means he brings a neutral perspective.

“Him coming in here with his unbiased views is going to be really helpful for us making proper decisions,” Dorion said, adding that McGuire will be involved in all facets of the organization.

“The more you can surround yourself with high-quality people, high-quality hockey people, it only makes us better,” he said. “Obviously we’re not the biggest staff, so for us to add someone of that quality I think helps us in a lot of departments."

McGuire began his broadcasting career in 1997 on Montreal Canadiens' radio broadcasts before joining TSN in 2002.

Along with his work on NBC and TSN television, McGuire has also been a longtime daily morning guest on TSN 1200 radio.

"When you do the TV job that I’ve had the privilege of doing for over 20 years, you get to see a lot behind the scenes of what works with each organization in the league and what doesn’t work,” he said. "I think that really helps when it comes to the evaluation process of players."