Bettman Calls Pegula “A Terrific Owner”

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Sure. But in a proper rebuild you support and build around the young star talent with veterans with some miles left that are also true leaders.  You don't trade for troublemakers that teams are dumping.   Inexperienced GMs like Murray and Boterill did many things wrong.  Adams is proving to be even worse.  

If this season is like the last one there is no reason that we will see Adams or Ruff next season.  They should be replaced, not moved up in the organization.  

Terry has to find a relevant, respected, and capable GM, open the wallet and get out of the way.  Another poor season means blow it up and restart once again.  

Ya, he does, fully agree, but he won't. 

Ruff will be fired (possibly kept in an advisory role) by Christmas. Appert will be named interim head coach. Sabres will play loose and open and do a little better and interim tag will be removed in the off season just like it was with Granato. 

Adams will be fired or possibly elevated into a different role and Jarmo will be given the GM job. Everyone will remain where they are, chairs are shuffled, no extra pay outs and the impression of a new era. Terry will still sit in on meetings and meddle and maybe even more as he decides to "fully commit to the Sabres" or some other spin. That's my prediction. Not what I'd do, but that's my prediction in what Terry will do. 

[bunomatic]

Lets be honest here. For Bettman if you are part of the 1% i.e. a billionaire, you are the man. In Pegulas case he can’t get out of his own way and he puts his trust in yes men. Certainly not in alphas who have proven they know their way around this league and have had success.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Anybody super wealthy is a terrific owner for Bettman. Let's be real. 

Anybody who's team usually loses so the other owners are happy is a terrific owner for Bettman.

And they probably make more $ with a horrible team than any other market in the States would make if they had a horrible team.

What's for a Commissioner not to like?

[PerreaultForever]

29 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Anybody who's team usually loses so the other owners are happy is a terrific owner for Bettman.

And they probably make more $ with a horrible team than any other market in the States would make if they had a horrible team.

What's for a Commissioner not to like?

No, I don't think they care about win/lose. All he cares about is franchise value and that's what the owners care about as well. It's all tv contracts and revenue streams for Bettman. Who wins is irrelevant. They can pivot the narrative quickly if someone surprises. 

[Dr. Who]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

No, I don't think they care about win/lose. All he cares about is franchise value and that's what the owners care about as well. It's all tv contracts and revenue streams for Bettman. Who wins is irrelevant. They can pivot the narrative quickly if someone surprises. 

All the same, no one is as predictable as a dead man. And investors like predictable. The Sabres are a sure thing that way. Even the fans of the Sabres are more and more like ghosts who are forced to think about events decades in the past if they want to recall a time when the team had a semblance of hope.

[Big Guava]

Terrific at losing

[mjd1001]

10 hours ago, Big Guava said:

Terrific at losing

There is a case to be made that no individual owner has owned a team this long and done such a poor job with it. 

There's a really strong case that he is the worst owner in the history of a major professional sport in recent memory in North America. 

 

[SwampD]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

There is a case to be made that no individual owner has owned a team this long and done such a poor job with it. 

There's a really strong case that he is the worst owner in the history of a major professional sport in recent memory in North America. 

 

If he blew it all up today (fire Adams and all the coaches) I would back him. At least it would show me he cares. And there might be a hope to salvage the season, however small. Maybe I’m overreacting a bit after 2 games, but it just looks like if they do nothing and try to ride this out it could get even worse.

Worst. Owner. Ever.

Sell the team, Terry.

[Big Guava]

2 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

There is a case to be made that no individual owner has owned a team this long and done such a poor job with it. 

There's a really strong case that he is the worst owner in the history of a major professional sport in recent memory in North America. 

 

As good as a job he is doing with the Bills now is as bad as he is doing with the Sabres.

[Mr. MVP]

22 hours ago, Taro T said:

Anybody who's team usually loses so the other owners are happy is a terrific owner for Bettman.

And they probably make more $ with a horrible team than any other market in the States would make if they had a horrible team.

What's for a Commissioner not to like?

That’s a really good point.  Let the smaller market teams line Buffalo lose so the bigger market teams can make the NHL lots and lots of more money. 

[sabremike]

On 10/11/2025 at 4:12 PM, PerreaultForever said:

Ya, he does, fully agree, but he won't. 

Ruff will be fired (possibly kept in an advisory role) by Christmas. Appert will be named interim head coach. Sabres will play loose and open and do a little better and interim tag will be removed in the off season just like it was with Granato. 

Adams will be fired or possibly elevated into a different role and Jarmo will be given the GM job. Everyone will remain where they are, chairs are shuffled, no extra pay outs and the impression of a new era. Terry will still sit in on meetings and meddle and maybe even more as he decides to "fully commit to the Sabres" or some other spin. That's my prediction. Not what I'd do, but that's my prediction in what Terry will do. 

Appert makes Granato look like Al Arbor in comparison. He is so awful that there is zero chance of any dead cat bounce when he gets the job.

[Believer]

20 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

There's a really strong case that he is the worst owner in the history of a major professional sport in recent memory in North America. 

This has been mostly ignored by the national media.

My guess is this will be a national storyline shortly and creep into commentary about any losing franchise in any major sport.

Look for an SNL skit at some point. Bring back Martin Short as Ed Grimley, put a pair of skates on him, give him a stick, with instructions from the locker room to beat Pegula like a dusty rug.

Edited 6 hours ago by Believer

[Weave]

2 minutes ago, Believer said:

This has been mostly ignored by the national media.

My guess is this will be a national storyline shortly and creep into commentary about any losing franchise in any major sport.

Look for an SNL skit at some point. Bring back Martin Short as Ed Grimley, put a pair of skates on him, give him a stick, with instructions from the locker room to beat Pegula like a dusty rug.

Its the NHL. American sports media won’t care enough to even be aware, let alone make a national story of it.

[inkman]

41 minutes ago, Believer said:

This has been mostly ignored by the national media.

My guess is this will be a national storyline shortly and creep into commentary about any losing franchise in any major sport.

Look for an SNL skit at some point. Bring back Martin Short as Ed Grimley, put a pair of skates on him, give him a stick, with instructions from the locker room to beat Pegula like a dusty rug.

This is laughable.  Nobody cares about the NHL, let alone the worst franchise in that sport.  The Sabres are going to toil away in nothingness for eternity or at least until they leave Buffalo.  

[thewookie1]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

This is laughable.  Nobody cares about the NHL, let alone the worst franchise in that sport.  The Sabres are going to toil away in nothingness for eternity or at least until they leave Buffalo.  

Cool it with your obsession over wanting the Sabres to leave Buffalo