BREAKING: Gary Bettman Officially Punishes Canadian Team For Illegal Trade

The National Hockey League dropped the gavel on the Ottawa Senators, announcing a significant penalty for their involvement in an illegal trade that unfolded in July 2021.

The trade in question featured player Evgenii Dadonov, who was initially moved from the Senators to the Vegas Golden Knights. Subsequently, another trade in March 2022 saw Dadonov headed to the Anaheim Ducks. However, this trade was later voided by the league.

As a result, the NHL has decided that the Ottawa Senators will forfeit a first-round draft pick in one of the 2024, 2025, or 2026 Drafts. The specific year in which this forfeiture will occur will be determined by Ottawa within 24 hours of the Draft Lottery for that particular year.

The reason for this punitive measure stems from the irregularities in the trade process. Ottawa's initial trade of Dadonov to Vegas omitted Dadonov's no-trade list, a crucial component in trades. To compound the issue, the Senators claimed that Dadonov had never submitted such a list, which was later proven to be untrue. This led to Vegas unknowingly trading Dadonov to Anaheim, a team included on his no-trade list, resulting in the league's decision to nullify the trade.

The NHL has not issued further comments on this matter, leaving the penalty as a stern reminder of the importance of adhering to trade regulations and guidelines within the league.