The Ottawa Senators have fired CEO Jim Little less than two months after hiring him to the position.
The team announced the surprising move in a short statement Wednesday, saying, “The decision was made as a result of conduct inconsistent with the core values of the Ottawa Senators and the National Hockey League.”
Little was hired Jan. 10 and touted in a statement as “part of our long-term strategy to redevelop and rebuild.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about Little’s firing Wednesday as the league’s GM meetings wrapped up.
“It’s not what you think, or what would be suggested,” Bettman said. “I generally don’t comment on club personnel decisions, but it’s not one of the things we were discussing at the board meeting in December [after Flames coach Bill Peters resigned following admission to using racial slurs]. It has more to do with internal operations.”
Bettman said he’s not worried about the Senators’ pattern of staying in the news.
“Eugene Melnyk has been an owner in good standing for 15 years at least, maybe 20,” Bettman said. “Teams sometimes go through cycles, for a variety of reasons. But I am not one who overreacts or is concerned when a team’s performance Is less than the people of that community would like to see. I know Eugene is passionate about the game, passionate about the team. It wasn’t that long ago that the team was a game away from the Stanley Cup Final. It’s sports. It’s really easy to criticize and second-guess, and it’s harder to do.”
The team did not disclose any details about Little’s conduct, and Little has not publicly commented.