Pierre McGuire hired as Senators’ senior VP of player development

Pierre McGuire will be moving into a new role next season. On Monday, the Senators announced the hiring of the former NHL on NBC analyst as their Senior Vice President of Player Development.

“On behalf of the entire Senators organization, I would like to welcome Pierre McGuire back to Ottawa,” said Senators owner Eugene Melnyk in a statement. “We are excited to add Pierre to our hockey management group. 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.”

Melnyk is high on McGuire, telling the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, “He’s another piece and he’s going to be perfect for everything.”

“I wanted someone that knew as many of the players as possible,” Melnyk added. “That’s one of the key elements is knowing who you’re acquiring. When I say ‘knowing them’ I mean you want to know that player’s, family, friends, who he hangs out with, who influenced him and everything possible to know you’re getting the right person.”

Considering McGuire’s knowledge of NHL players and everything about them, you can see why that fits into what Melnyk was looking for.

Back with a franchise

This isn’t McGuire’s first time working for an NHL team. Before he got into broadcasting, he was a scout for the Penguins and later an assistant coach with Scotty Bowman when Pittsburgh won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. He would move on to the Whalers beginning with the 1992-93 season and worked as an assistant coach, assistant general manager, and head coach. Between 1994  and 1996 he was a pro scout and an assistant in the Senators organization.

This is the culmination of a decade-plus of McGuire seeking employment with an NHL team. He had interviewed in the past for open GM positions with the Canadiens, Coyotes, Penguins, and Wild, among others.

————

Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.