Sabres fire Kevyn Adams, promote Kekalainen to GM

The Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Kevyn Adams, the organization announced Monday.

Jarmo Kekalainen, who joined the franchise as a senior adviser in May, was promoted as Adams' replacement. He assumes the position on a full-time basis.

"We are not where we need to be as an organization, and we are moving forward with new leadership within our hockey operations department," Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in a statement. "We are dedicated to building an organization that is competitive year after year, and we have fallen short of that expectation. ...

"Jarmo has distinguished himself over the last eight months, and his experience, professionalism, and drive speaks for itself. I am looking forward to him leading our organization to the next level."

Adams joined the organization as an assistant coach in 2011 and had served as GM since June 2020. Under his watch, the Sabres surpassed the 90-point mark just once, when they finished with 91 points in 2022-23. However, they missed the playoffs that year by one point. Adams' Sabres teams finished no higher than 20th in the NHL during any of his five full seasons in charge.

Buffalo hasn't reached the postseason since 2011 and last won a playoff round in 2007. The team finished 14th in the Eastern Conference last season and is currently tied with the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets for the fewest points (32) in the East after a 14-14-4 start to this campaign.

Kekalainen, 59, was the Blue Jackets' GM for over a decade. He led Columbus to five playoff appearances and the first two playoff series wins in franchise history before being fired in February 2024.

"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 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."