BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Sabres have fired General Manager Kevyn Adams and promoted Jarmo Kekäläinen from senior advisor to the role of General Manager.
In June 2020, the Sabres promoted Adams from Senior Vice President of Business Administration to the role of General Manager after parting ways with former general manager Jason Botterill.
Under Adams, the Sabres have been unable to snap one of the longest postseason droughts (14 years) in all of North American sports, despite years of high draft picks and plenty of cap space on a year-to-year basis.
“Kevyn Adams has been relieved of his duties as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” Pegula said. “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.
I have named Jarmo Kekäläinen as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres and he will be overseeing hockey operations, effective immediately. The hiring of Jarmo was the result of an extensive search process in which Jarmo stood out as our top choice for the senior advisor position. 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.”
WATCH: Buffalo Sabres fire General Manager Kevyn Adams, promote Jarmo Kekäläinen from senior advisor to GM
Under former head coach Don Granato, Buffalo was one point away from snapping their playoff drought streak. However, Adams fired Granato in April of 2024 and hired Lindy Ruff to replace him after previously being let go by the New Jersey Devils.
In May 2025, the Sabres hired Kekäläinen, the former Columbus Blue Jackets GM, to serve as a senior advisor, adding a wealth of experience to general manager Adams’ front-office staff.
“It is a great honor to be named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres. 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.”
Buffalo currently sits in last place in the Atlantic Division, tied for last in the Eastern Conference, and six points back of a would-be wild card spot.
