Ted Nolan Fired by Sabres: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Buffalo Sabres finished the 2014-15 NHL season with fewer points than any other team. That poor performance came with consequences.  

The team announced Sunday that it fired head coach Ted Nolan after the team amassed 54 points and just 23 victories.

Nolan just wrapped up the second year of his second tenure with the organization. He coached Buffalo between 1995-1997 and took over again in 2013. During those four years, the 57-year-old compiled a 113-159-19 record, taking the Sabres to the playoffs in 1997.

He released a statement regarding the news on Monday, per WGR 550 in Buffalo: 

"

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kim and Terry Pegula, Pat Lafontaine, my coaches and the Sabres management, players, medical, training, arena and public relations staff for all of their support over the past two seasons. Above all, I want to thank the fans and the beautiful people of Buffalo!   THANK YOU BUFFALO!!!  Yours in spirit, Ted.

"

Nolan didn't exactly inherit a strong team back in 2013. Buffalo won 21 games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and 39 games the year before.

Both the Sporting News' Jesse Spector and Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski felt that Nolan was almost doomed to fail right from the start and should get another shot in the league:

Jeremy White of WGR Sports Radio 550 in Buffalo countered that the Sabres will look to hire a coach who will be better suited to lead the next phase of the team's rebuild:

Given his past experience in the league, Nolan will likely get another job, even if he has to wait a little bit to get it. Not many could've turned Buffalo into a winner, so few will hold his poor record there against him.

Meanwhile, the Sabres will hope that whomever they hire next will be able to take the franchise forward.