Kevyn Adams Fired as Sabres GM, Who Was Hired as Replacement?

Amid a 14-14-4 start to the season, the Buffalo Sabres decided that it's time for a change.

The Sabres announced on Monday that general manager Kevyn Adams has been fired after five-plus seasons. Jarmo Kekäläinen was named his replacement.

"Kevyn Adams has been relieved of his duties as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres," Sabres owner and president Terry Pegula said in a statement. "I would like to thank Kevyn for his dedication and loyalty to the Buffalo Sabres. 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. We are not where we need to be as an organization, and we are moving forward with new leadership within our hockey operations department. We are dedicated to building an organization that is competitive year after year, and we have fallen short of that expectation."

A native of Kuopio, Finland, Kekäläinen was the first European GM in NHL history, spending nearly 12 seasons as general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2024 before being hired as a senior advisor for the Sabres in May. He will now take over all aspects of Buffalo's hockey operations.

"It is a great honor to be named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres," Kekäläinen 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."

The Sabres rank last in the Atlantic Division and are in the midst of a 14-year playoff drought, which is an NHL record. In five years under Adams, the team never finished higher than 20th in the standings, and he was subjected to "Fire Adams!" chants at home games this season.

It will now be up to Kekäläinen to rebuild the foundation in Buffalo. The Sabres have won their last three games and will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers (16-9-6).