After just over five seasons as the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, Kevyn Adams has been relieved of his duties. He will immediately be replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen, who will become the full-time general manager, not simply an interim replacement.
The Sabres currently sit 14-14-4 in the standings, last in the Atlantic Division, and well on their way to missing the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season.
“Kevyn Adams has been relieved of his duties as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” said Sabres owner and president Terry Pegula via statement. “I would like to thank Kevyn for his dedication and loyalty to the Buffalo Sabres. He has been a reliable presence, and we are appreciative of his enduring care and commitment. I personally wish him and his entire family all the best.”
“We are not where we need to be as an organization, and we are moving forward with new leadership within our hockey operations department. We are dedicated to building an organization that is competitive year after year, and we have fallen short of that expectation.”
Adams was promoted into the role of general manager following the firing of Jason Botterill in 2020. Adams’ tenure began by replacing head coach Ralph Krueger with Don Granato in his first season, eventually bringing in former coach Lindy Ruff to man the team once again.
His tenure has been known largely for trading disgruntled stars to better situations. That includes Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers, Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers, and J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth.
Kekalainen, meanwhile, had already been with the organization as a senior advisor since May. Kekalainen had been the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets for 11 seasons before his 2024 firing. They reached the playoffs five times during his tenure after making the playoffs just once in their prior 12 years of existence.
“It is a great honor to be named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” Kekalainen said. “I would like to extend my thanks to Terry and Kim Pegula for the opportunity. I am humbled to be the steward of this team and look forward to experiencing the passion that Sabres fans bring to every game.”
