Amid growing fan resentment toward the franchise, the Buffalo Sabres have made a major move.
The Sabres have fired general manager Kevyn Adams and promoted Jarmo Kekalainen to the job. The former Columbus Blue Jackets GM was hired as a senior adviser by the Sabres in May.
The Sabres sit tied for last in the Eastern Conference at 14-14-4.
“We are not where we need to be as an organization, and we are moving forward with new leadership within our hockey operations department,” Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in a statement. “We are dedicated to building an organization that is competitive year after year, and we have fallen short of that expectation.”
Pegula added in the statement that Kekalainen’s hiring comes as “the result of an extensive search process in which Jarmo stood out as our top choice for the senior advisor position.”
The Sabres are at risk of missing the playoffs for a 15th straight year, the longest active drought in the league.
Adams, who grew up in the Buffalo area and had a 540-game NHL playing career, was hired in 2020 after the team fired Jason Botterill. Previously working in a business job for the Sabres, Adams got the top hockey gig at the same time as the Sabres cut their scouting staff in the midst of the pandemic.
Fans have been dissatisfied with the GM’s performance, chanting ‘Fire Adams’ often at Key Bank Center this season and last. Adams was heavily criticized by fans and local media after a press conference last December in which he cited Buffalo’s lack of palm trees and high taxes as challenges facing the franchise. He also said Buffalo was not a “destination city right now”, another line that did not go over well with the fan base.
Adams made a significant move at last season’s trade deadline, shipping Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators in a multi-player deal that saw Josh Norris come to Buffalo. But while Cozens helped the Senators qualify for the playoffs, Norris played just three games with the Sabres before his season ended because of injury. This year, he also suffered an injury in the season opener and has appeared in just six games.
Adams becomes the fourth GM to be let go by the Sabres since the Pegula family bought the team in 2011.
Kekalainen served as general manager of the Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2024, overseeing the team’s most successful era. His most notable moves included the trade for Artemi Panarin and the recruitment of Johnny Gaudreau in free agency.
“It is a great honour to be named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” Kekalainen said in a statement. “I would like to extend my thanks to Terry and Kim Pegula for this opportunity. I am humbled to be the steward of this team and look forward to experiencing the passion that Sabres fans bring to every game.”
