GM Kevyn Adams Relived of His Duties, Replaced By Jarmo Kekäläinen

Photo Credit: Sabres.com 

The Buffalo Sabres announced Monday afternoon that longtime general manager Kevyn Adams has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately. Senior advisor Jarmo Kekäläinen will take over the role, team owner Terry Pegula confirmed in a press release.

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

Adams served as Sabres GM for six seasons but failed to guide the team to the playoffs, extending Buffalo’s league‑long 14‑year postseason drought. With the Sabres currently sitting last in the Atlantic Division and consistently hovering around the .500 mark, Pegula determined that a change could no longer wait.

Fan frustration has been building for many months. “Fire Adams” chants have echoed through KeyBank Center during losses, and the team notably chose not to introduce Adams alongside other staff members during October’s home opener, anticipating a hostile reaction. Last season, fans even brought inflatable palm trees to games after Adams remarked that Buffalo’s lack of palm trees – and high taxes – made it difficult to attract high-end players.

Rumours of a potential shake‑up began late last week after Matthew Fairburn and Tim Graham of The Athletic reported that the Sabres were having “internal discussions” about Adams’ future. The expectation was that no decision would come until the team wrapped up its six‑game road trip, which concluded Sunday with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Then on Monday morning, Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that he was hearing considerable “noise” surrounding Adams’ job security.

A few hours later, that noise became reality.

Kekäläinen, formerly the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, joined the Sabres last June as a senior advisor. The 59‑year‑old Finn was the NHL’s first European‑born GM and spent 11 seasons running the Blue Jackets before being dismissed in February 2024.

During his tenure in Columbus, the Blue Jackets reached the playoffs five times and set franchise records with 50 wins and 108 points in 2016-17. Kekäläinen also held front‑office roles with the St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators, served as GM of Jokerit in Finland’s top league, and worked extensively with the Finnish national program.

“It is a great honour to be named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” Kekäläinen said. “I am humbled to be the steward of this team and look forward to experiencing the passion that Sabres fans bring to every game.”

While a new voice with deep hockey experience brings hope, it also raises a familiar question: is this finally the turning point? The Sabres have cycled through five general managers since their playoff drought began in 2013, yet none have managed to push the team over the hump.

Is Kekäläinen the solution Buffalo has been searching for, or just another bandage on a much deeper wound?