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Senators expected to ask permission to talk with Blackhawks’ assistant Kevin Dineen, per report

The Ottawa Senators are expected to ask permission from the Chicago Blackhawks to speak with the team’s assistant Kevin Dineen for its head coaching job, according to the Ottawa Sun.

Dineen, 52, has served as the Hawks’ assistant the past two seasons. Prior to joining the Hawks, he coached three seasons for the Florida Panthers and six as the head coach of the AHL’s Portland Pirates. He also coached Canada’s women’s team to gold at the 2014 Sochi Games and the the U18 team to bronze in the same year.

The Senators are familiar with Dineen, who played the 1999-2000 season in Ottawa. Daniel Alfredsson, the Sens’ senior advisor of hockey operations, played with Dineen that season.

There are other coaches on new general manger Pierre Dorion’s radar:

New GM Pierre Dorion, who has already interviewed former Wild coach Mike Yeo, at least, has a still-growing list of candidates. It’s no secret that Marc Crawford and Guy Boucher, both of whom have been a head coach in the NHL and most recently in Switzerland, are on his list.

Dorion is also expected to talk with Gatineau Olympiques coach Benoit Groulx, who has won three championships in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and a gold medal at the world juniors.

While he is lauded as a very good bench boss, working against Groulx is the fact that he has not coached in the NHL. Dorion dismissed the possibility of promoting Luke Richardson from Binghamton for that reason. And while he is considered an up-an-comer in the coaching ranks, Sheldon Keefe also lacks NHL experience.

On Wednesday during the Hawks’ end-of-season press conference, coach Joel Quenneville said he anticipates the entire coaching staff return next season.

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