Sabres name Botterill general manager

Jason Botterill is the new general manager of the Buffalo Sabres.

The longtime executive joins the Sabres after 10 seasons in various roles with the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping the club win the Stanley Cup in 2009 and 2016.

He's the eighth GM in Sabres history, succeeding Tim Murray, who was fired along with head coach Dan Bylsma last month. Botterill, 40, becomes the NHL's second-youngest GM behind 27-year-old John Chayka of the Arizona Coyotes.

He most recently served as the Penguins' associate GM, which involved scouting, player development, contract negotiations, and salary cap management. He also occupied the GM role with Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, guiding Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since 2009-10.

“Jason’s hockey knowledge, experience drafting and developing players, and his approach to management stood out to us during our interview process," Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in the announcement.

"Jason has built a solid reputation as a leader that connects strongly with players and staff around him. We are confident he will have a positive impact within our organization and will help us get to our ultimate goal.”

Botterill finished his playing career with the Sabres organization in 2004-05, appearing in 36 NHL games over two seasons from 2002 to 2004 and notching 37 goals with the AHL's Rochester Americans in 2002-03.