Accountability

[Flashsabre]

Pegula has owned this team going on 15 years and is 0 for in making the playoffs.

Not once has he apologized to the fans for this mess or taken any responsibility.

There is the culture right there. Continuous poor hire after poor hire that has damned this organization for a decade and a half. It starts at the top.

I honestly don’t know how he walks around with his head up when he’s been the biggest failure of an owner in NHL history.

I’ve stopped watching the games. If they aren’t serious about being competitive then they don’t get my time anymore.

Edited Tuesday at 08:39 PM by Flashsabre

[DarthEbriate]

Note: They made the playoffs in 2011, losing to Leino and the Flyers, leading to the UFA signing of Leino. Pegula is 1-for-15. However, they have never made the playoffs in a season in which Pegula owned the team at the start of the season.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Why should the players feel they should be accountable?  They have guaranteed contracts and if you get traded you go to a better situation.  Same if you get bought out.  Also the GM isn’t held accountable, the coaches aren’t held accountable and the fans are taken for granted as the value of the franchise rises despite 14 years of failure.  

[inkman]

2 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Pegula has owned this team going on 15 years and is 0 for in making the playoffs.

Not once has he apologized to the fans for this mess or taken any responsibility.

There is the culture right there. Continuous poor hire after poor hire that has damned this organization for a decade and a half. It starts at the top.

I honestly don’t know how he walks around with his head up when he’s been the biggest failure of an owner in NHL history.

I’ve stopped watching the games. If they aren’t serious about being competitive then they don’t get my time anymore.

Has any North American sports team owner or exec ever apologized for having a bad team?  I think you are looking for answers where there ain’t none. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, inkman said:

Has any North American sports team owner or exec ever apologized for having a bad team?  I think you are looking for answers where there ain’t none. 

The White Sox owner after the 2024 baseball season.

[Pimlach]

43 minutes ago, inkman said:

Has any North American sports team owner or exec ever apologized for having a bad team?  I think you are looking for answers where there ain’t none. 

Charlie Jacobs did last year.  The owner of the Bruins, ironically a guy from Buffalo, sent a letter to the Bruins fans. 

https://www.facebook.com/NHLBruins/posts/a-message-from-nhlbruins-ceo-charlie-jacobs/1147449590729769/

Not sure this is an apology exactly, but it was a sincere effort to let their fans know that missing the playoffs one time in over 20 years was unsatisfactory. 

In addition, after the Bruins were booed at a home game the coach said their fans were right to boo and the team deserved it.  Their Captain, Marchand,  said the same thing.   

Quite the contrast from the Sabres players, coach Granato, and Captain Okposo, when this happened in Buffalo.  

Culture is not a throw away word in Boston.  

Edited Tuesday at 11:43 PM by Pimlach

[Flashsabre]

56 minutes ago, inkman said:

Has any North American sports team owner or exec ever apologized for having a bad team?  I think you are looking for answers where there ain’t none. 

The Mets owner did just a couple weeks ago

[mjd1001]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Note: They made the playoffs in 2011, losing to Leino and the Flyers, leading to the UFA signing of Leino. Pegula is 1-for-15. However, they have never made the playoffs in a season in which Pegula owned the team at the start of the season.

That 2011 year is the year he took over the team.  Tehcnically he was owner during those playoffs, but he came on board that season when the coaching staff, roster, everyting was set before he bought them.

He had very little if any input to any part of that team.  Once he started having input and makign decisions, that is when the drought started.

Since his first full season where he actually started making decisions, that is when they haven't made the playoffs since.  So the team hasn't played a full season that he has been in controll and made the playoffs.

Edited yesterday at 12:15 AM by mjd1001

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Why should the players feel they should be accountable?  They have guaranteed contracts and if you get traded you go to a better situation.  Same if you get bought out.  Also the GM isn’t held accountable, the coaches aren’t held accountable and the fans are taken for granted as the value of the franchise rises despite 14 years of failure.  

Well that's just it though isn't it? On other teams players are held accountable. There are veterans that set the level of expectation for the new players and players have to buy in. Cultures live and die with their veteran leadership. The Adams idea of "growing together" is like putting everybody on a ship and saying "Okay guys, figure out how to sail it".  How can a captain be expected to know how to navigate these things when he came in here from a foreign country at the age of 18 and has never experienced winning in the NHL? That's not to say it's his fault in any way, but there simply is little to no veteran leadership on this team and hasn't been for a really long time.

People talk about Tage's comments and again, it's not all on him, but the comment is flawed and wrong. It's so called positivity and "I don't want to dwell on the past" and "it's only 3 games" and that's just loser talk. The comments should all be we sucked, I sucked, we have to work harder and be better. The so called leaders have to lead on the ice and drag others into the fight, but there's literally no fight in this team. Ruff has no answers because they simply aren't doing what he tells them to do. He can't coach these players as a group. I don't think anyone can. They've assembled a bunch of guys who just play for their money and don't care. The standard should be about winning but in Buffalo it's "who cares, I can just get traded away and then care if I have to". 

[zow2]

The losing culture since Terry has owned the team runs so deep, it’s a massive job to pull out of it.  The guys who score goals here up and leave or get traded and you can’t backfill those goals.  Good free agents will never come here.  The D and goaltending has been lousy for years,,, this year ok so far. But can’t score. 

[PerreaultForever]

Another thing I don't understand is this statement that Kulich "might get scratched" and he has to be better. He's a 21 year old kid. Why is he being publicly shamed? Ya, he has not been good, but he's a 21 year old kid. They never did this to Quinn or Peterka or Cozens. Not this early. Not like this. You really think that's how you build a culture where players want to be here? If I'm Kulich I'm heading the Peterka route first chance I get. 

and just to be clear, I'm not saying that he shouldn't be scratched, just that they shouldn't have announced it as he might be. 

[Demoted]

I blame the fans that still go to the games and still have season tickets.

Edited yesterday at 07:51 AM by Demoted

[Archie Lee]

The two words used to support the change from Granato to Ruff, were accountability and structure. 

Accountability starts at the top. Pegula and Adams have shown no willingness to take accountability for what is happening. 

As for structure. It is structure that is supposed to prevent 11 game losing streaks. It is structure that is supposed to allow you to survive a period of injuries. A team that is well-coached and has a good structure, can fall back on that structure to survive through difficult stretches where there are injuries or the puck just isn’t going in the net. Lindy Ruff simply does not coach a successful, repeatable, structured brand of hockey. Ruff being brought in to install structure, was a giant red flag. The Devils had a bad spate of injuries in 23-24, but had they been a team that played with structure they would not have gone from being one of the league’s best teams to one of the worst.  

Edited yesterday at 01:45 PM by Archie Lee

[JP51]

14 hours ago, inkman said:

Has any North American sports team owner or exec ever apologized for having a bad team?  I think you are looking for answers where there ain’t none. 

I agree, I have never heard an owner apology, but honestly not looking for one.. I like what Charlie Jacobs did after 1 year in a row of not being in the playoffs...  We all know this is never happening with Pegula, all we will get is a snarky GM blaming the fans for impatience, talking about Palm trees and taxes and telling that we should be happy to just be here.

 

Edited yesterday at 01:20 PM by JP51

[LGR4GM]

I don't give a damn if Terry writes a letter. 

[Carmel Corn]

Pegula simply doesn’t care….despite anything we hear from the team otherwise (blah-blah stuff from GMKA).

[SwampD]

15 hours ago, inkman said:

Has any North American sports team owner or exec ever apologized for having a bad team?  I think you are looking for answers where there ain’t none. 

Yes. The owner of the Panthers sent a letter to the STHs after the season was over, right before they got good.

51 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I don't give a damn if Terry writes a letter. 

I do.

[inkman]

15 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The White Sox owner after the 2024 baseball season.

 

14 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Charlie Jacobs did last year.  The owner of the Bruins, ironically a guy from Buffalo, sent a letter to the Bruins fans. 

https://www.facebook.com/NHLBruins/posts/a-message-from-nhlbruins-ceo-charlie-jacobs/1147449590729769/

Not sure this is an apology exactly, but it was a sincere effort to let their fans know that missing the playoffs one time in over 20 years was unsatisfactory. 

In addition, after the Bruins were booed at a home game the coach said their fans were right to boo and the team deserved it.  Their Captain, Marchand,  said the same thing.   

Quite the contrast from the Sabres players, coach Granato, and Captain Okposo, when this happened in Buffalo.  

Culture is not a throw away word in Boston.  

 

14 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

The Mets owner did just a couple weeks ago

 

1 hour ago, JP51 said:

I agree, I have never heard an owner apology, but honestly not looking for one.. I like what Charlie Jacobs did after 1 year in a row of not being in the playoffs...  We all know this is never happening with Pegula, all we will get is a snarky GM blaming the fans for impatience, talking about Palm trees and taxes and telling that we should be happy to just be here.

 

 

12 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Yes. The owner of the Panthers sent a letter to the STHs after the season was over, right before they got good.

I do.

Do y’all read the thread or just really enjoy dunking on me?  JFC. 

[Goldseatsaud]

2 hours ago, JP51 said:

I agree, I have never heard an owner apology, but honestly not looking for one.. I like what Charlie Jacobs did after 1 year in a row of not being in the playoffs...  We all know this is never happening with Pegula, all we will get is a snarky GM blaming the fans for impatience, talking about Palm trees and taxes and telling that we should be happy to just be here.

 

They have pride there. The will rebuild in one year there too

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Yes. The owner of the Panthers sent a letter to the STHs after the season was over, right before they got good.

I do.

You care if Terry gets a flunky to write some chat gpt "sorry we'll be better letter" after 15 years? 

Ok, I don't but sure. 

[JP51]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

 

 

 

 

Do y’all read the thread or just really enjoy dunking on me?  JFC. 

Dude, I am so not dunking on you... I said I agreed no one apologized...  and I liked what the Bruins (CEO not owner did) to take accountability... there was no apology in that letter... and I said I wasnt looking for an apology, just someone to step up... but I never even disagreed with you.

32 minutes ago, Goldseatsaud said:

They have pride there. The will rebuild in one year there too

Agreed, you could tell that the Bruins took it personal, screw that apology crap... own it... make it better.... where Kevyn was looking for a Palm tree and a golf course.

Edited yesterday at 04:15 PM by JP51

[Goldseatsaud]

It’s like the Steelers one bad season and right back up. It must be the uniform! Lol

[inkman]

10 minutes ago, JP51 said:

Dude, I am so not dunking on you... I said I agreed no one apologized...  and I liked what the Bruins (CEO not owner did) to take accountability... there was no apology in that letter... and I said I wasnt looking for an apology, just someone to step up... but I never even disagreed with you.

Agreed, you could tell that the Bruins took it personal, screw that apology crap... own it... make it better.... where Kevyn was looking for a Palm tree and a golf course.

No worries. I’ve long advocated that I don’t need to hear anything Pegula and Adams have to say.  It’s their actions that are meaningful but in lieu of things actually happening, I’m unsure what to turn to.  Their words are meaningless, their actions speak volumes.  Unless there aren’t any of note. Maybe inaction is the communication method.  Ugh. Wake me up from this nightmare. 

Edited yesterday at 04:24 PM by inkman

[JP51]

1 minute ago, inkman said:

No worries. I’ve long advocated that I don’t need to hear anything Pegula and Adams have to say.  It’s their actions that are meaningful but in lieu of things actually happening, I’m unsure what to turn to.  Their words are meaningless, their actions speak volumes.  Unless there aren’t any of note. Maybe inaction is the communication method.  Ugh. Wake me up from this nightmare. 

That is also true...  and I 100% agree...  I just make it a point to never disparage a post... because honestly, I am so jaded at this point other perspectives are actually refreshing to me and further I dont think any one is wrong in their thoughts because none of us really know... I wanted to make sure you didnt think I was disrespecting yours... sounds like it so... all good! 🙂 

[Thorny]

3 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

The two words used to support the change from Granato to Ruff, were accountability and structure. 

Accountability starts at the top. Pegula and Adams have shown no willingness to take accountability for what is happening. 

As for structure. It is structure that is supposed to prevent 11 game losing streaks. It is structure that is supposed to allow you to survive a period of injuries. A team that is well-coached and has a good structure, can fall back on that structure to survive through difficult stretches where there are injuries or the puck just isn’t going in the net. Lindy Ruff simply does not coach a successful, repeatable, structured brand of hockey. Ruff being brought in to install structure, was a giant red flag. The Devils had a bad spate of injuries in 23-24, but had they been a team that played with structure they would not have gone from being one of the league’s best teams to one of the worst.  

Have mentioned that many times before - no one seems to want to claim the drought. This thinking was always fraught with peril early on, as no matter how much Adams and co wanted to pretend they could operate as if the 9 years of failure hadn’t happened, and institute their long build, the malaise of losing and low expectations and winning not being the focus had already infected the organization and fans.

never mind the fact that Adams and co. now *are* the drought - Adams upon missing this year will have equaled the amount of misses by Botterill and Murray *combined*. 

the entire approach was always ridiculously hubristic