‘Yet I know full well, in buying the Bills and Sabres, the teams of which he was a lifelong fan, he felt he was doing absolutely the right thing for Western New York.’
Archives for June 18, 2020
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams ‘part of the process’ before Jason Botterill’s firing
‘On the first official day of what he calls his “dream job,” new Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams was tasked with firing more than 20 people over the phone in an unprecedented bloodletting of a hockey operations department that was overhauled only three years earlier.’
Job one for Kevyn Adams: Establish his credibility as an NHL GM
‘”I believe you have to earn respect. You earn everything in life,” Adams said during a conference call with The Buffalo News on Wednesday, a day after his stunning appointment to replace Jason Botterill. “For me, starting with the players and the coaching staff and the hockey operations and business staff, it’s about doing things consistently the right way day after day after day and being honest. And having a conversation of substance pointing the right direction, which is focused on winning a Stanley Cup.”‘
West Ellicott Man Forges Relationship With Adams
‘“Kevyn’s always been underestimated, and now he’s holding the Stanley Cup,” Weaver said. “He’s a world champion and a top player in the NHL right now, and he’s a better person than a player.”’
Gordo on the NHL: O’Reilly trade helped doom Botterill in Buffalo
‘While the Blues got the future Conn Smythe Award winner on their Stanley Cup team, the Sabres got little from Berglund, Sobotka and Thompson during the past two seasons.’
The Edmonton Oilers jealous of the Buffalo Sabres rebuild? That is one comment that didn’t age too well
‘Now the Sabres have done what the Oilers did last year: axe the GM.’
Adams looking forward to the challenge ahead of him as general manager in Buffalo
‘”Many of you know that I grew up in Western New York. I wore No. 11 when I started playing hockey because of watching Gilbert Perreault. This is a very special day for me and my family,” Adams said Tuesday afternoon during his introductory Zoom conference call along with the Pegulas and Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger. “I am so excited to start this job, learn from Ralph Krueger and his staff, work side-by-side on a daily basis; and I believe that winning is doing it together. We’re going to move forward. We’re going to be positive. And I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead.”’
An all-time bad day
‘Ownership has been streamlining the operation for more than a year now. The way they handled their game night part-time employees, as well as people who worked full-time in the organization for 20 or 30 years, in the face of a global pandemic the likes of which we’ve never experienced, was an embarrassment.’
With the Sabres, things can always get worse
‘Among the Pegulas’ many flaws as owners is their boundless capacity for insulting their own fans. They once announced they were raising ticket prices on Fan Appreciation Night, then sent the team president out to pick up a fight with reporters at the press conference.’
Thursday’s Rochester Coverage
A day later, former Amerks coach Chris Taylor on his firing: ‘I’m still shocked’ (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Sabres’ decision to fire Amerks coach Chris Taylor looks foolish (Olean Times Herald)