Sitting tied for last in the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Kevyn Adams on Monday and replaced him with Jarmo Kekalainen.
“It is a great honor to be named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” Kekalainen, 59, said Monday. “I would like to extend my thanks to (owners) Terry and Kim Pegula for this 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.”
Kekalainen, who has been a senior adviser to the Sabres since May 30, was previously the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013-24, a hiring that made the Finn the first European-born GM in league history.
With Kekalainen at the helm, Columbus made the Stanley Cup playoffs five times, including the organization’s first playoff series win, a first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019. The 2016-17 season saw the Blue Jackets set a team record with 50 wins and 108 points.
“We are not where we need to be as an organization, and we are moving forward with new leadership within our hockey operations department,” Terry Pegula said Monday. “We are dedicated to building an organization that is competitive year after year, and we have fallen short of that expectation.”
A former player for six different teams over 10 seasons, Adams, 51, was an assistant coach for Buffalo from 2011-13 then served in various business roles in the organization before taking over as GM in June 2020 following the firing of Jason Botterill.
“I would like to thank Kevyn for his dedication and loyalty to the Buffalo Sabres,” Pegula said. “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.”
The Sabres (14-14-4, 32 points) have not made the playoffs since 2011. They are tied with the Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators for last place in the Eastern Conference standings.
On a three-game winning streak, the Sabres next face the Philadelphia Flyers at home on Thursday.
