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DETROIT – The Ottawa Senators left no stone unturned in their search for a new chief executive officer and now it’s up to Jim Little to lead the business side of the operation.

A former executive with Shaw Communications, Little, 55, has already started in his role and Senators’ owner Eugene Melnyk wants him to help lead the team off the ice to help improve the attendance at the Canadian Tire Centre and the club’s corporate base.

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Speaking in a telephone interview with Postmedia from the club’s offices in Ottawa, Melnyk told this newspaper he hired a firm to do an extensive search to find the right person for the job. The list started with 220 candidates and the top four people who were up for the title were interviewed during two days of meetings in Las Vegas when the Senators visited in October.

Melnyk was impressed with the depth of experience that Little brings to the table.

Of the four finalists, two were already working in senior executive positions with NHL teams and Little was hired after talks with the top two after meetings in San Diego. Since December, Little has been working in a consultant’s role for the Senators and has moved to Ottawa from his home in Montreal.