Former Oilers General Manager Peter Chiarelli is reportedly joining the Ottawa Senators

It looks like Peter Chiarelli is heading back to where it all began.

Brent Wallace mentioned during Monday’s edition of Coming In Hot that Chiarelli will likely be a part of the Ottawa Senators’ front office under its new ownership group led by Toronto businessman Michael Andlauer.

Born in Nepean, Ontario, just west of Ottawa, Chiarelli got his start in the NHL as part of the Sens’ legal department after graduating from law school at the University of Ottawa. He spent five years as the organization’s Director of Legal Relations before being promoted to Assistant General Manager ahead of the 2004-05 season. 

After the Sens went 52-21-9 and reached the Eastern Conference Final during the 2005-06 season, Chiarelli was hired to become the General Manager of the Boston Bruins.

Chiarelli took over the role from Interim General Manager Jeff Gorton, who drafted Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic, and Brad Marchand, traded for Tuukka Rask, and signed Zdeno Chara over the course of four months. Gorton moved back into an Assistant General Manager role but Chiarelli fired him following the 2007-08 season and Jim Benning moved into the position.

Over the next few years, Chiarelli augmented Boston’s young core with veteran additions through trade and free agency, such as Mark Recchi, Andrew Ference, Nathan Horton, Dennis Seidenberg, and Chis Kelly. In 2010-11, the Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games to win their first Stanley Cup since 1972.

Chiarelli was fired by the Bruins after the team missed the playoffs in 2014-15 but he didn’t stay out of a job very long. Nine days after being fired, Chiarelli was hired by the Edmonton Oilers to be their President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. The Oilers had just missed the playoffs for the ninth year in a row but some luck at the draft lottery netted them the golden ticket at the Connor McDavid sweepstakes.

After missing the playoffs in McDavid’s rookie year to push the drought to 10 seasons, Chiarelli made his stamp on the Oilers in the summer of 2016. He traded 2010 first-overall pick Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenceman Adam Larsson and signed Milan Lucic to a seven-year contract worth $42 million.

The Oilers finished the 2016-17 season with a 47-26-9 record and made the playoffs for the first time since their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006. They beat the San Jose Sharks in six games in the first round but were edged out by the Anaheim Ducks in seven games in the second round.

That wound up being the high point of Chiarelli’s time in Edmonton. The Oilers struggled and missed the playoffs in 2017-18 and Chiarelli was fired in February of the 2018-19 season as the team was again on track to miss out. Since then, Chiarelli has worked for the St. Louis Blues as a Senior Advisor and as their Vice President of Hockey Operations.

It’s not yet known which role Chiarelli will have with the Senators, who are currently led by General Manager Pierre Dorion.