Sabres announce Jarmo Kekalainen Hired as Senior Advisor

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

Is Terry P as out of touch as it appears? Has he simply become so exasperated with his failed toy that he has given up being emotionally involved and no longer willing to focus his attention trying to make his aberrant franchise into a normal functioning franchise?

I’m not trying to be snarky with these questions. You seem to have some sources and insights into this infected franchise and the odd behavior of this silent owner. My sense is that he has checked out???? Am I off the mark? I hope so. 

I would not say he checked out, he is still very involved and he cares.  Covid was a catalyst that led him to scale back the PSE empire.  He unloaded their bars/restaurants and some other businesses, on the sports side the Sabres took the brunt of the cost cuts leading to Boterill's exit and a massive layoff in Sabreland.   

The Bills are successful and thankfully he supports them full throttle.  We should all thank McDermott and Beane for knowing how to run a football team.  

Adams has since re-built the Sabres FO and he carefully built it back with people that cannot (or will not)  challenge him.  In the past he eschewed the need for senior advisors and more experienced people in the FO ranks.   That changed two seasons ago when he said he would look for an "NHL veteran coach that will hold the players  accountable".  That coach search was nothing more than Terry reuniting with Lindy, a guy he knows and likes (so they say).  

Two more significant items regarding Adams:   

1.  Adams has said Terry is not preventing him to spend to the cap, so he is taking the heat on that. (Although according to Fairburn every roster move gets run by Terry, even the Jokiharju trade for a 4th rounder).  

2.  Adams has now taken on an assistant (Staal) and also brought in a Sr Advisor to report to him (Jarmo).   Adams has prior relationships with both of these men.  Both hires would get little attention on a normal team, but in Buffalo they are significant moves.  

Adams has 1 year left on his contract, a successful year could lead to a move up to a "President of something" position, hopefully out of Hockey Operations but more likely a POHO buffer between Terry and the rest of the FO.  In Jarmo they have a good hockey guy that may be getting a tryout as the next GM.  

It's easy to blame it all on Terry since he is the one truly accountable, but I think we are seeing that Adams inexperience as a GM, highlighted by bad moves and non-moves, has been just as big a factor in the problems surrounding the team.  The later comes as no surprise.   Adams past reluctance to get help in the form of FO senior execs a (common practice in the NHL) could have been initially due to budget constraints, but maybe not entirely.  

So is Terry out of touch?  To a degree yes, it is well documented that he over-estimates his hockey knowledge, and it is exacerbated by his selection of a GM that was on no teams radar as an up and coming NHL Executive.  He and Adams set the strategy that is failing, and its a strategy that no other team use.  

The hope is that Lindy can still coach, and that Jarmo can help them sort out which players/prospects to keep and what roster moves to make. 

Edited June 7 by Pimlach

[Pimlach]

14 hours ago, Taro T said:

Yes.  And they were in 4th place in their division in a WC spot (by points; they were 9th overall in point %age and made the expanded playoffs that season) when the league stopped playing after 70 or so games.  And they won their 1st round series, so the "officially" qualified for the playoffs that year too.

So, wth Zito and without Bobrovsky and Panarin they still made the playoffs.  Wtihout Zito, they've pretty much been the Sabres.

Good intel Taro! 

No doubt that Zito has been very good.   There was probably more going on with C-Bus and you can also assume that Zito learned some things from Jarmo too.  

 

[Thorny]

4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

And so it begins. The tearing down of Jarmo Kekalainen. Surprised it took this long. 

 

 

Do you consider your hobby the sabres or critiquing the fanbase? Actually asking

”the tearing down of Jarmo.” - come on now you are just seeing what you want to see.

You are so damn afraid of actually putting your stake in the ground re: having some small quantum level of expectation that you refuse to even play ball: you won’t even give Jarmo a chance to succeed and maybe fail, wait and see what fans might do if we actually find some level of success. You know if the team succeeds the fans will be happy and credit him. But you also know it may very well never get to that point (as we’ve seen for 14 years) so you are happy gaslighting fans telling them they never WOULD be happy even if success did come - knowing full well it likely won’t come so your theory won’t be tested 

pure troll behaviour - do better, if you have it in you 

Edited June 7 by Thorny

[JohnC]

48 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I would not say he checked out, he is still very involved and he cares.  Covid was a catalyst that led him to scale back the PSE empire.  He unloaded their bars/restaurants and some other businesses, on the sports side the Sabres took the brunt of the cost cuts leading to Boterill's exit and a massive layoff in Sabreland.   

The Bills are successful and thankfully he supports them full throttle.  We should all thank McDermott and Beane for knowing how to run a football team.  

Adams has since re-built the Sabres FO and he carefully built it back with people that cannot (or will not)  challenge him.  In the past he eschewed the need for senior advisors and more experienced people in the FO ranks.   That changed two seasons ago when he said he would look for an "NHL veteran coach that will hold the players  accountable".  That coach search was nothing more than Terry reuniting with Lindy, a guy he knows and likes (sothey say. 

Two more significant items regarding Adams:   

1.  Adams has said Terry is not preventing him to spend to thecap, so he is taking the hot on that. (Although according to Fairburn every roster move gets run by Terry, even the Jokiharju trade for a 4th rounder).  

2.  Adams has now taken on an assistant (Staal) and also brought in a Sr Advisor to report to him (Jarmo).   Adams has prior relationships with both of these men.  Both hires would get little attention on a normal team, but in Buffalo they are significant moves.  

Adams has 1 year left on his contract, a successful year could lead to a move up to a "President of something" position, hopefully out of Hockey Operations but more likely a POHO buffer between Terry and the rest of the FO.  In Jarmo they have a good hockey guy that may be getting a tryout as the next GM.  

It's easy to blame it all on Terry since he is the one truly accountable, but I think we are seeing that Adams inexperience as a GM, highlighted by bad moves and non-moves, has been just as big a factor in the problems surrounding the team.  The later comes as no surprise.   Adams past reluctance to get help in the form of FO senior execs a (common practice in the NHL) could have been initially due to budget constraints, but maybe not entirely.  

So is Terry out of touch?  To a degree yes, it is well documented that he over-estimates his hockey knowledge, and it is exacerbated by his selection of a GM that was on no teams radar as an up and coming NHL Executive.  He and Adams set the strategy that is failing, and its a strategy that no other team use.  

The hope is that Lindy can still coach, and that Jarmo can help them sort out which players/prospects to keep and what roster moves to make. 

Terrific analysis that is fair and objective and corresponds to what most of us believe to be the case. I will drink an extra glass of vino to salute you. 

[Pimlach]

8 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Terrific analysis that is fair and objective and corresponds to what most of us believe to be the case. I will drink an extra glass of vino to salute you. 

[Flashsabre]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

I would not say he checked out, he is still very involved and he cares.  Covid was a catalyst that led him to scale back the PSE empire.  He unloaded their bars/restaurants and some other businesses, on the sports side the Sabres took the brunt of the cost cuts leading to Boterill's exit and a massive layoff in Sabreland.   

The Bills are successful and thankfully he supports them full throttle.  We should all thank McDermott and Beane for knowing how to run a football team.  

Adams has since re-built the Sabres FO and he carefully built it back with people that cannot (or will not)  challenge him.  In the past he eschewed the need for senior advisors and more experienced people in the FO ranks.   That changed two seasons ago when he said he would look for an "NHL veteran coach that will hold the players  accountable".  That coach search was nothing more than Terry reuniting with Lindy, a guy he knows and likes (so they say).  

Two more significant items regarding Adams:   

1.  Adams has said Terry is not preventing him to spend to the cap, so he is taking the heat on that. (Although according to Fairburn every roster move gets run by Terry, even the Jokiharju trade for a 4th rounder).  

2.  Adams has now taken on an assistant (Staal) and also brought in a Sr Advisor to report to him (Jarmo).   Adams has prior relationships with both of these men.  Both hires would get little attention on a normal team, but in Buffalo they are significant moves.  

Adams has 1 year left on his contract, a successful year could lead to a move up to a "President of something" position, hopefully out of Hockey Operations but more likely a POHO buffer between Terry and the rest of the FO.  In Jarmo they have a good hockey guy that may be getting a tryout as the next GM.  

It's easy to blame it all on Terry since he is the one truly accountable, but I think we are seeing that Adams inexperience as a GM, highlighted by bad moves and non-moves, has been just as big a factor in the problems surrounding the team.  The later comes as no surprise.   Adams past reluctance to get help in the form of FO senior execs a (common practice in the NHL) could have been initially due to budget constraints, but maybe not entirely.  

So is Terry out of touch?  To a degree yes, it is well documented that he over-estimates his hockey knowledge, and it is exacerbated by his selection of a GM that was on no teams radar as an up and coming NHL Executive.  He and Adams set the strategy that is failing, and its a strategy that no other team use.  

The hope is that Lindy can still coach, and that Jarmo can help them sort out which players/prospects to keep and what roster moves to make. 

And it is easy for us to forget Kim’s situation and the emotional toll and time that takes on him.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

And it is easy for us to forget Kim’s situation and the emotional toll and time that takes on him.

I, as most everyone, am sympathetic to his tough family situation. But it should be acknowledged that right from the start of his ownership he has made a lot of perplexing decisions that has anchored this franchise to the bottom of the heap.

Being preoccupied with a serious family situation should have been a greater reason to find competent staff to guide the franchise. He did the opposite. Not trying to be mean-spirited but I wish he would sell. 

Edited June 7 by JohnC

[Weave]

6 hours ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

 

How the hell did that show up as a quote of mine?  

[Weave]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Do you consider your hobby the sabres or critiquing the fanbase? Actually asking

”the tearing down of Jarmo.” - come on now you are just seeing what you want to see.

You are so damn afraid of actually putting your stake in the ground re: having some small quantum level of expectation that you refuse to even play ball: you won’t even give Jarmo a chance to succeed and maybe fail, wait and see what fans might do if we actually find some level of success. You know if the team succeeds the fans will be happy and credit him. But you also know it may very well never get to that point (as we’ve seen for 14 years) so you are happy gaslighting fans telling them they never WOULD be happy even if success did come - knowing full well it likely won’t come so your theory won’t be tested 

pure troll behaviour - do better, if you have it in you 

Some folks look in the mirror and hate what they see so much they have to lash out at the people like them.

[John Tucker]

Maybe he can bring Olivier with him.  If we ain't gonna win, at least bring some entertainment

[Flashsabre]

Adams: “Hey Rick Dudley you just won back to back Cups. Do you want to come home to Buffalo and work directly for me? Hello….Hello…. We have Seth Appert lined up as next coach….Hello”

[JohnC]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:06 PM, Pimlach said:

Slick people know how to take advantage of the loopholes. Officer asks the stopped driver have you been drinking. The driver says yes. How much did you drink? I only had one glass of wine, and I spilled a lot of it. Okay, that sounds reasonable. Here's your license back and drive carefully. Thank you officer. I want you know to that I support the men in blue. 😄

[tom webster]

On 6/7/2025 at 2:12 PM, JohnC said:

I, as most everyone, am sympathetic to his tough family situation. But it should be acknowledged that right from the start of his ownership he has made a lot of perplexing decisions that has anchored this franchise to the bottom of the heap.

Being preoccupied with a serious family situation should have been a greater reason to find competent staff to guide the franchise. He did the opposite. Not trying to be mean-spirited but I wish he would sell. 

The “he’s made a lot of perplexing decisions “ is still a problem for me. Firing JBOT and hiring Adams was really the only decision that came out of nowhere. There’s no doubt that his decisions haven’t worked and led to abysmal failure but until he promoted Adams all his hires had been vetted and most recommended by the NHL’s management team. Even Lafontaine, who seemed spontaneous was being advocated for by the league.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Really hoping he brings some common sense and a better direction to this team. Love the Stahl hiring as well. Credibility is seriously lacking here. Time for the adults to build a team that can win!!!

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

The “he’s made a lot of perplexing decisions “ is still a problem for me. Firing JBOT and hiring Adams was really the only decision that came out of nowhere. There’s no doubt that his decisions haven’t worked and led to abysmal failure but until he promoted Adams all his hires had been vetted and most recommended by the NHL’s management team. Even Lafontaine, who seemed spontaneous was being advocated for by the league.

I agree with you that the KA hire was an odd and inexplicable hire that has set back this franchise and not allowed it to move forward. The main reason that KA was hired was that he presented the owner with a rebuilding plan that was cheaper. That was the appeal and reason why he was hired.

It’s not unusual that even someone with an impressive resume simply doesn’t work. You then move on in this highly turnover business. There is no rational reason for his retention after five years of less than mediocre work. The onus is on the stubborn owner for this faltering franchise.

[shrader]

2 hours ago, tom webster said:

The “he’s made a lot of perplexing decisions “ is still a problem for me. Firing JBOT and hiring Adams was really the only decision that came out of nowhere. There’s no doubt that his decisions haven’t worked and led to abysmal failure but until he promoted Adams all his hires had been vetted and most recommended by the NHL’s management team. Even Lafontaine, who seemed spontaneous was being advocated for by the league.

And his NHL-recommended hires failed miserably.  His advisor, the NHL failed him.  Hopefully Jarmo is finally the right advisor.

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

And his NHL-recommended hires failed miserably.  His advisor, the NHL failed him.  Hopefully Jarmo is finally the right advisor.

Pegula learned the wrong lesson.  "The NHL" recommended Botterill and Zito (and others I assume).  He chose Botterill.  My guess is he chose Botterill because Botterill was the anti-Murray; refined, respectful, presentable in public (oh, and the 3 World Junior Gold Medals!).  Zito is more of an Alpha, even a bit intimidating to look at.  Rather than come away from that and conclude he simply made the wrong choice, Pegula concluded that he was steered in the wrong direction. 

Agreed on Jarmo. He wouldn't be my choice, but a step in the direction of normal.

[tom webster]

2 hours ago, shrader said:

And his NHL-recommended hires failed miserably.  His advisor, the NHL failed him.  Hopefully Jarmo is finally the right advisor.

Which is why his supporters, and there are some left, will tell you is why he went rogue with his last hire.

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

I agree with you that the KA hire was an odd and inexplicable hire that has set back this franchise and not allowed it to move forward. The main reason that KA was hired was that he presented the owner with a rebuilding plan that was cheaper. That was the appeal and reason why he was hired.

It’s not unusual that even someone with an impressive resume simply doesn’t work. You then move on in this highly turnover business. There is no rational reason for his retention after five years of less than mediocre work. The onus is on the stubborn owner for this faltering franchise.

As I responded previously, I’m not defending the decision, I think Adams should be gone, but his past experiences seem to have lead him to this illogical decision.

[JohnC]

7 minutes ago, tom webster said:

 

As I responded previously, I’m not defending the decision, I think Adams should be gone, but his past experiences seem to have lead him to this illogical decision.

I'm not sure who was the main initiator was for the Jarmo hiring, TP or KA, but I like it. It seems to me that outside eyes are very often better at seeing things than taking an insular approach. And to a lesser extent, the hiring of Staal, even if it is for a lower consultant position, adds an outside perspective to the team and in evaluation other players in the league.  

[shrader]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

Pegula learned the wrong lesson.  "The NHL" recommended Botterill and Zito (and others I assume).  He chose Botterill.  My guess is he chose Botterill because Botterill was the anti-Murray; refined, respectful, presentable in public (oh, and the 3 World Junior Gold Medals!).  Zito is more of an Alpha, even a bit intimidating to look at.  Rather than come away from that and conclude he simply made the wrong choice, Pegula concluded that he was steered in the wrong direction. 

Agreed on Jarmo. He wouldn't be my choice, but a step in the direction of normal.

Yes, I should modify my original statement. The advisor itself didn’t fail, but for whatever reason, that advisor-advisee relationship failed. That needs to be fixed. There’s nothing left for me to say at this point other than “hopefully it works”. I can’t do anything about it and I’m not going to invest any extra energy into worrying about it. 

[inkman]

4 hours ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

Really hoping he brings some common sense and a better direction to this team. Love the Stahl hiring as well. Credibility is seriously lacking here. Time for the adults to build a team that can win!!!

What’s to like about the Staal hire?  He quit or never bothered to show up here as a player? Did that endear him to you? 

[shrader]

6 minutes ago, inkman said:

What’s to like about the Staal hire?  He quit or never bothered to show up here as a player? Did that endear him to you? 

In terms of the job itself, that doesn’t really matter at this point. He didn’t choose to be here back then, but he did this time. 
 

But still, the hiring does absolutely nothing for me… nothing positive or negative. He has no experience and he’s pretty much just a blank page at this point. It could go anywhere. 

[JustOutsideChicago]

Knowing that Jarmo has the Zito connection, I wonder if he has relationships with anyone else in that front office. Wouldn’t mind prying someone from the Panthers. 

[Mr. Allen]

28 minutes ago, shrader said:

In terms of the job itself, that doesn’t really matter at this point. He didn’t choose to be here back then, but he did this time. 
 

But still, the hiring does absolutely nothing for me… nothing positive or negative. He has no experience and he’s pretty much just a blank page at this point. It could go anywhere. 

I don’t think he’s here to help us.   We’re here to help him.  I think Adams is just helping his buddy get his end of playing career started.  

[JustOneParade]

45 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm not sure who was the main initiator was for the Jarmo hiring, TP or KA, but I like it. It seems to me that outside eyes are very often better at seeing things than taking an insular approach. And to a lesser extent, the hiring of Staal, even if it is for a lower consultant position, adds an outside perspective to the team and in evaluation other players in the league.  

If it was KA .... he must feel he has infinite job security. Can you imagine going to your boss after 5 years of futility (at best) on the job and telling him/her 'I need help'?