New President of Hockey Operations, Presser @10:30 a.m.

[26CornerBlitz]

Now that the euphoria has calmed a bit there is one thing that concerns me.

 

It's Pegula and when he said *cross pollination* of duties and responsibilities.

 

My hope is that he was just slapping his gums together and having air move over his tongue and teeth. He has finally decided / been convinced to (?) hire a hockey man to run the hockey operations.

 

He had better let Patty run the show for the hockey department and not say one more thing, except I trust you implicitly and I will sign the cheques. If that is not the case, I give Patty 6 months tops.

 

I'm sure that LaFontaine addressed these concerns with Pegula since he previously had the Wang experience during his time with the NYI. No worries.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Must See: Inside Hockey: Pat LaFontaine (extended version) 5:59

 

Video: Inside Hockey: Pat LaFontaine embraces new gig with Sabres

 

Pat LaFontaine was once the face of the Buffalo Sabres and now he's the man in charge.

 

Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman sat down with LaFontaine in his Inside Hockey segment about the former star centre's new role as the Sabres' president of hockey operations.

 

LaFontaine shared his appreciation for the city of Buffalo, the search for the club's next general manager, and his plans for organization.

 

Thanks for posting this. You really find the gems and make it easier for the rest of us.

 

If Pegula keeps his paws off, this man will get the job done. I really believe that.

[PASabreFan]

Now that the euphoria has calmed a bit there is one thing that concerns me.

 

It's Pegula and when he said *cross pollination* of duties and responsibilities.

 

My hope is that he was just slapping his gums together and having air move over his tongue and teeth. He has finally decided / been convinced to (?) hire a hockey man to run the hockey operations.

 

He had better let Patty run the show for the hockey department and not say one more thing, except I trust you implicitly and I will sign the cheques. If that is not the case, I give Patty 6 months tops.

 

Yep, that's the flat management structure Terry has talked about and the idea that no one has a monopoly on hockey IQ. Pat can't be another sideways piece; it has to become more hierarchical. No emperors? OK, but the president is the president. The buck stops there. I like Pat for this job and like the idea of a hockey guy between Terry and his advisers and the hockey department.

 

The team is still the same it was last week, but there is now hope there is light at theend of the tunnel. I'm glad DR is gone because after changing his philosophy of how to build a team 2 years after getting a blank check (after 14 years of thinking what he'd do w/ a blank check) he showed me he's out of his element.

 

For me anyway, it's still a very open question as to whether Regier really supported the 2011 offseason approach, or even the current rebuilding approach. Doesn't really matter, I guess. Either way, Regier looks incompetent.

[Corp000085]

Must See: Inside Hockey: Pat LaFontaine (extended version) 5:59

 

Video: Inside Hockey: Pat LaFontaine embraces new gig with Sabres

 

Pat LaFontaine was once the face of the Buffalo Sabres and now he's the man in charge.

 

Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman sat down with LaFontaine in his Inside Hockey segment about the former star centre's new role as the Sabres' president of hockey operations.

 

LaFontaine shared his appreciation for the city of Buffalo, the search for the club's next general manager, and his plans for organization.

 

Over the past 15 years of changing and sometimes crooked ownership, it is difficult to remember why we are all fans. SHKIII is the reason. To all the younger fans, Knox is like pegula, but an even bigger fan. I believe most of us also bleed bills red, white, and blue; however the bills are a team. The sabres are family. Thank the Knox family for that.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Over the past 15 years of changing and sometimes crooked ownership, it is difficult to remember why we are all fans. SHKIII is the reason. To all the younger fans, Knox is like pegula, but an even bigger fan. I believe most of us also bleed bills red, white, and blue; however the bills are a team. The sabres are family. Thank the Knox family for that.

 

Spot on.

 

The young fans really would not understand that.

 

When they watched that video and see Patty get all choked up they must be wondering why. One of the blessings of being older is not wondering why.

[Hoss]

Must See: Inside Hockey: Pat LaFontaine (extended version) 5:59

 

Video: Inside Hockey: Pat LaFontaine embraces new gig with Sabres

 

Pat LaFontaine was once the face of the Buffalo Sabres and now he's the man in charge.

 

Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman sat down with LaFontaine in his Inside Hockey segment about the former star centre's new role as the Sabres' president of hockey operations.

 

LaFontaine shared his appreciation for the city of Buffalo, the search for the club's next general manager, and his plans for organization.

 

Also said in this interview: LaFontaine is willing to trade Miller BEFORE a new GM is hired if teams call.

[LTS]

There's no doubt that the Rolston thing was another fiasco. But the time to clean house was right after last season.

 

Again, Sabres leadership was wrong and seemingly all the fans were right about what was going on in this franchise. That's disturbing. This franchise is alarmingly amateur. And right now it's really all on LaFontaine to provide some semblance of competence to this team.

 

The right time is always some time. It's easy to say when it is especially when events unfold in a manner that support your theory. However, at the time the decisions are being made there are a multitude of possible endings and it's not so cut and dry.

 

This franchise has been through hell over the past two decades. It suffered the loss of its founding family, it suffered through a scandalous and criminal leadership, it was rescued from bankruptcy by an investor who rebuilt the team to viability but wasn't quite willing to let the contracts commit his money too long term. It was bought buy a long time fan of the team who is known for his dedication to his people.

 

Leadership isn't firing someone every time there is a mistake. Sometimes you see something in someone and you hope they can find it too. So you bring in people to help them and give them guidance. In the end, it's a few too many bad decisions and you end up in this situation.

 

And sometimes it's works out.

 

I think it's insane to think there was no plan. There was plan to win with the core they had. Unfortunately it seems that all 3 components weren't a good fit. So this is the aftermath. All of what has come before is gone and they start again. They do it because that's all they can do.

 

Unless everyone wants to them quit trying.

[nfreeman]

The right time is always some time. It's easy to say when it is especially when events unfold in a manner that support your theory. However, at the time the decisions are being made there are a multitude of possible endings and it's not so cut and dry.

 

This franchise has been through hell over the past two decades. It suffered the loss of its founding family, it suffered through a scandalous and criminal leadership, it was rescued from bankruptcy by an investor who rebuilt the team to viability but wasn't quite willing to let the contracts commit his money too long term. It was bought buy a long time fan of the team who is known for his dedication to his people.

 

Leadership isn't firing someone every time there is a mistake. Sometimes you see something in someone and you hope they can find it too. So you bring in people to help them and give them guidance. In the end, it's a few too many bad decisions and you end up in this situation.

 

And sometimes it's works out.

 

I think it's insane to think there was no plan. There was plan to win with the core they had. Unfortunately it seems that all 3 components weren't a good fit. So this is the aftermath. All of what has come before is gone and they start again. They do it because that's all they can do.

 

Unless everyone wants to them quit trying.

 

Good post.

[LGR4GM]

Also said in this interview: LaFontaine is willing to trade Miller BEFORE a new GM is hired if teams call.

He said he would trade a player off the roster if there was a good deal. He never actually said "I am willing to trade Miller before a new gm is hired"

[Robviously]

The right time is always some time. It's easy to say when it is especially when events unfold in a manner that support your theory. However, at the time the decisions are being made there are a multitude of possible endings and it's not so cut and dry.

 

This franchise has been through hell over the past two decades. It suffered the loss of its founding family, it suffered through a scandalous and criminal leadership, it was rescued from bankruptcy by an investor who rebuilt the team to viability but wasn't quite willing to let the contracts commit his money too long term. It was bought buy a long time fan of the team who is known for his dedication to his people.

 

Leadership isn't firing someone every time there is a mistake. Sometimes you see something in someone and you hope they can find it too. So you bring in people to help them and give them guidance. In the end, it's a few too many bad decisions and you end up in this situation.

 

And sometimes it's works out.

 

I think it's insane to think there was no plan. There was plan to win with the core they had. Unfortunately it seems that all 3 components weren't a good fit. So this is the aftermath. All of what has come before is gone and they start again. They do it because that's all they can do.

 

Unless everyone wants to them quit trying.

I'll take issue with both parts in bold.

 

1. It's easy to say when events unfold to support your theory but seemingly everyone was saying Pegula needed to clean house long before the first 20 games of this season. That was practically the headline for this message board from all of last season.

 

2. The franchise hit its low point with bankruptcy in the last 20 years but 1993 - 2013 also accounts for half of the banners in our rafters at this point, including our only Presidents Trophy. We came within 2 wins of winning the Cup in 1999 and were the best team in hockey in 2006. We also had the best coach we've ever had for most of that span. The 2002-2003 team was bad, but only bad enough that we drafted 5th overall in 2003. We were never the worst team in hockey, even during our "trip to hell."

 

He said he would trade a player off the roster if there was a good deal. He never actually said "I am willing to trade Miller before a new gm is hired"

He didn't say that quote but the hypothetical was about Miller and he responded that, yes, he's willing to make trades if the right deal comes along even before the new GM is in place. I think that's pretty interesting. Sounds like he and Kevin Devine are unofficially acting as GM until we have one.

[Hoss]

 

He said he would trade a player off the roster if there was a good deal. He never actually said "I am willing to trade Miller before a new gm is hired"

 

While responding to a question about Ryan Miller.

[bunomatic]

I think at this point potentially anyone is on the table. If the right deal comes along.

[Hoss]

I think at this point potentially anyone is on the table. If the right deal comes along.

 

Pretty much. I think they COULD trade anybody on the team, but Hodgson, Girgensons, Risto and Zadorov would take the world the trade so those guys are pretty much considered untouchable I'd assume.

[LTS]

I'll take issue with both parts in bold.

 

1. It's easy to say when events unfold to support your theory but seemingly everyone was saying Pegula needed to clean house long before the first 20 games of this season. That was practically the headline for this message board from all of last season.

 

2. The franchise hit its low point with bankruptcy in the last 20 years but 1993 - 2013 also accounts for half of the banners in our rafters at this point, including our only Presidents Trophy. We came within 2 wins of winning the Cup in 1999 and were the best team in hockey in 2006. We also had the best coach we've ever had for most of that span. The 2002-2003 team was bad, but only bad enough that we drafted 5th overall in 2003. We were never the worst team in hockey, even during our "trip to hell."

 

 

Yes, there were quite a few people calling for that change. And there were others who were not... the threads from last two years certainly demonstrate the battle of the Storm Cloud and the Kittens.

 

I don't disagree with your commentary on the banners. I think your point actually underscores the entire problem. The team showed success and yet showed failure. So, given that history with that coach it takes a bit of time to recognize that fit hit the shan. They looked at 2006 and said.. why not again? We have the pieces. Look at Pominville now.. thriving away in Minnesota. Perhaps the introduction of Pegula gave the core hope that Regier would be gone but when it didn't happen they decided to stop playing as hard. Ruff lost them.. eventually all the pieces were changed for something new.

 

Good discussion. :)

[Robviously]

There's no doubt that the Rolston thing was another fiasco. But the time to clean house was right after last season.

 

Again, Sabres leadership was wrong and seemingly all the fans were right about what was going on in this franchise. That's disturbing. This franchise is alarmingly amateur. And right now it's really all on LaFontaine to provide some semblance of competence to this team.

I remembered typing this and I wanted to go back to see some of the posts from when the announcement was made.

 

I guess the random way the Sabres decided to clean house -- not during the off-season but in the middle of #Blueprint -- was a bad sign after all.

 

This is the least faith I've ever had in the team and its future. Even during the bankruptcy stuff, I figured we'd eventually get a new owner and move from there. But right now we just have aggressively incompetent leadership.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Now that the euphoria has calmed a bit there is one thing that concerns me.

 

It's Pegula and when he said *cross pollination* of duties and responsibilities.

 

My hope is that he was just slapping his gums together and having air move over his tongue and teeth. He has finally decided / been convinced to (?) hire a hockey man to run the hockey operations.

 

He had better let Patty run the show for the hockey department and not say one more thing, except I trust you implicitly and I will sign the cheques. If that is not the case, I give Patty 6 months tops.

 

Me too, Rob.

 

Me too.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

Also said in this interview: LaFontaine is willing to trade Miller BEFORE a new GM is hired if teams call.

[Jsixspd]

Well, that pretty much kills the nonsensical rumor that PLF was so enraged by the trading of Miller that he picked up his marbles and went home.