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Yeah - if it is false. I don't know, despite all his talk of 'character' - how much I trust Pegula It's like with Eichel - a report surfaces that Eichel is pushing for Bylsma to be fired - a day later - Bylsma is fired. And we're all supposed to believe - "Oh, it's just a coincidence." Maybe it is? But much like Ryan's firing, it was mishandled.

If that's the logic, and what he's hinting at with his 'character' talking point, then Terrance Pegula wouldn't retain PATRICK Kane, either. Which would be tantamount to insanity. LEAVE THOSE DECISIONS to the hockey people, Terry. And don't fire the hockey people because they don't YES MAN you on issues unrelated to on-ice performance. IF this is Pegula's rational, this team is going NOWHERE! Seriously

Kim Pegula spoke to Murray separately? Really? I hadn't read this - I wonder why? She brings nothing to the table at all - hockey was always Terry's thing anyway. The skuttlebutt is, however, that she and her inner circle were involved in LaFontaine's departure.

This was basically Pegula dissembling and spouting verbal diarrhea. We learned next to nothing. There were only a couple good questions - and he basically wouldn't answer them - like - less than a year ago he gave Murray a costly extension contract - what had changed? Pegula wouldn't speak to specifics on anything; just 'character' - yeah, that could be any and everything! The rest of the questions were ineptly conceived, I thought. I didn't hear these questions; Who was responsible for Bylma's hire? Murray or Pegula? - I've yet to see it asked or answered. WHO is leading the search for GM? Is that person or persons selected? If not, why fire them now? What will Russ Brandon's role as President of the Club be in the search? How do Brandon's role and responsibilities contrast with Shanahan's role in rebuilding the Maple Leafs? No guarantee he'd answer them - but c'mon - at least ask some GOOD questions - these are sports media guys - and they had a day to prepare.

Yup. When does the newness wear off, and the excuses for the Pegulas repeated blunders end? This is 2017 - not 2011. They've owned the Sabres for going on 6 1/2 years now.

Also, it looks like there's been no growth or improvement in the Pegula's ownership style. That's mirrored by the continued losing records of the teams they own. At the rate they're going - they could have 60 years and go nowhere. Rocky Wirtz took over from his old man - a team that had been in the cellar for years and the old man was content to keep it there - within 2-3 years, they went from a 60-70 pt team to a powerhouse. So this notion that endless years of experience by the owner are required - is nonsense. All the owner need do is hire the right key Czar and write checks, and stay out of operations.

The team had good players when Pegula took over. The team had bad players when Pegula took over. We lost good players, we added good players. We lost bad players, we added bad players. I haven't seen a net improvement over the baseline that Pegula inherited.

C'mon - within a day after the report surfaced that Eichel was pushing for Bylsma's firing, Bylsma is fired. So it makes Eichel's denials in that regard ring pretty darn false! That's my complaint - lack of intestinal fortitude - IF a person does something, they need to take ownership and accountability. Don't deny it, if it's true - own up to it! If Eichel can't do that, then he's NOT a leader! IF Eichel WAS pushing for Bylsma's firing and he denies it, that's a lack of character. And as ESPN pointed out yesterday, whether it's all just a coincidence or not, the Pegulas have sent a message, nationally, that a 20 year old is at the helm of a major corporation, a position he lacks the experience, knowledge, and weight of management authority to be in. Again, more disastrous ham handed timing by the Pegulas - much as with Ryan's firing.

I would have gone the Bob Kraft route - hire the very best people, and leave them the hell alone, and enjoy the limelight in my private booth when my team wins games and championships. We saw right from the very start that Pegula was no Bob Kraft - from the Sabres' own videos in 2011 he rolled up his shirt sleeves and involved himself in daily meetings/conferences with Regier and Sabres leadership - he was apparently always the 900 lb gorilla in the room. I bet that didn't change with Murray either. We've seen with this team and the Bills - the Pegulas involve themselves in decisions that they have no qualifications, other than good intent, to make. I've used the analogy - and I'll continue to do so - the Pegulas are that middle age couple who take up gardening together as a hobby - these teams are their garden - someplace to experiment and tinker and fill the idle hours their vast wealth provides them. And now Pegula has a club president - Brandon - who is nothing more than a figurehead and has no more ability than Pegula himself to steer the club in the right direction. I see nothing positive in the dual firing - because there's no one on board, that I can see, with the qualifications to move the team forward with the GM selection, HC selection, etc. At least Rocky Wirtz, when he took over the Hawks from his father, had grown up in the business and knew Hockey. Pegula and Brandon are know-nothings. That's a good point - however - Steinbrenner had already enjoyed success with the Yankees and had turned them into a championship team again, after the CBS years. I wished the Pegulas were more like George - deadwood like Whaley and Brandon would have long ago been shown the door! Unlike the Boss, Pegulas have not had any success to date with their teams. Not one of their teams have earned an above .500 record for a season. That's what makes this concerning.

It's a good thing Pegula never let LaFontaine finish his plan. Maybe we'd be in a really good place right now, instead of setting up permanent residence at the bottom of the Atlantic Division? BTW - TP - perfect initials for this situation.

My concern is that all the firings - Bills and Sabres - have given the Pegulas a rep as erratic, inept, meddling owners that don't give a plan a chance to work, and their teams are not the place for quality people to seek employment. Terry Pegula is not a man to be trusted - he says he hates firings - but his track record clearly shows otherwise.

Wow, the once all-powerful Hawks swept in the first round. Who woulda thunk it? Nashville and Pittsburgh both looking strong.

Well, I don't believe Pegula; he's not exactly an open and honest chap; look at the contradictory and conflicting stories around Rex Ryan's firing; he provided different accounts of the firing. He also says he doesn't like to fire people - do you believe that too? He's fired, what, NINE HCs in a few years time? And why would we want a president of the hockey club that's as useless as tits on a bull in a scenario like this? Contrast Brandon to Shanahan - who would YOU rather have running a club where both the GM and HC are gone? Which of those gentlemen are better qualified to provide consul and advice on moving the team forward to ownership? IF the only thing that Pegula needed was snake oil, then Russ Brandon is the man to turn to. But in this situation? LOL

His involvement in football operations stretches back further than this; When Levy left he assumed the post of GM - and was responsible for the horrible Nix/Gailey era of fail. The last thing Pegula should have been doing was extending Brandon's tendrils throughout his nascent sports empire - why on earth name a guy with zero hockey experience as Sabres President? Especially a guy with a long history of horrible football decisions?

ESPN's Burnside already commented on this earlier today - He said the Pegulas need to make it crystal clear to the entire league that a 20 year old kid is, in fact, NOT running this team if they want to have any hope of attracting quality coaching/managers/players. Even if Eichel wasn't the reason, the Pegulas need to hammer that home; and make it 110% clear that Eichel is NOT driving the train! And the team needs a real president like Shanahan, not some Peter-Principle clown like Russ Brandon. Brandon is totally useless now, in a situation where the GM and HC posts are both vacant.

If Murray was the chief and head of the Bylsma Fan Club, and couldn't see how bad the team was doing under Bylsma, then he needed to go. Great - 2 wasted years - 3 if you include Murray. Back to square one. Hockey Heaven, or Hockey Hell?

Yep, thinking the same thing. Murray kept defending Bylsma's inane 'system' too.

Bylsma yes - but Murray??? Shocking! I don't know that Bylsma was Murray's fault - maybe it was? Maybe Murray backed the wrong horse? Maybe he really WAS a Dan Bylsma supporter? Murray had already made a lot of mistakes though.... all those toxic contracts for low performing d-players was the worst.

WOW!!!!!

I'm surprised at this - I'd think they'd still be really missing Bylsma's seasoned hand at the con, and look like a ship without a captain. They didn't seem to miss him last year, or this year. It's funny....

Tim never promised Eichel a rose garden though.

If Eichel isn't at the very least an Alternate Captain for 2017-18, it will be a HUGE slight to Eichel! McDavid - they have already given him a C, and next year will be his second season with the C. If Bylsma is still making those decisions, and leaves Eichel letterless, and leaves the A on someone like One Goal Gorges, expect the locker room friction to increase.

If I were the coach, I'd tear out all that posh crap in the locker rooms that T-Peg foolishly lavished a bunch of listless millionaires with 6 years ago, and have those guys sitting on orange crates - and make it crystal clear they're demonstrating orange-crate worth on the ice - shape up or you'll be sittin' on 'em all season. Well, I didn't see it - it seemed from the posts here he was really mad about the question. If he wasn't, it's a non-issue.

Oh you know what? Murray can @#$% himself - getting mad about a question like that is childish. If he isn't mature enough to understand this is one of the biggest stories regarding the Sabres, then he doesn't belong in the room. He could just state - "I'm sorry, I have nothing new to report - wished I did" and leave it at that. His irritable gruff tough talking schtick which apparently is a media acceptable substitute for basic competency is getting pretty old and stale.

I always call it the Thruway. Maybe more of a Rochester thing?