Rumor: Benning as GM

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

http://72.30.186.176/search/srpcache?ei=UTF-8&p=%22Source%3A+Jim+Benning+To+Be+Named+Buffalo+Sabres+GM%22&fr=sfp&u=http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=%22Source%3a+Jim+Benning+To+Be+Named+Buffalo+Sabres+GM%22&d=1242661062501&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=XkMDWk2-vWXT_ZG7azvgO1wdi6dHY8HE&icp=1&.intl=us&sig=_A939yymCWeXrxDPxaZEVQ--

[Weave]

Anyone else want to click on that link before I do?

[TrueBlueGED]

My guess is you're not willing to pay me enough :lol:

[ubkev]

Yeah, not gonna happen. I'm not clicking it til CB26 provides the link.

[Miller30]

I live on the edge. Here is the content, it's from fansided.com;

 

The Buffalo Sabres are close to naming their first new General Manager in 16 years, and it will be a familiar face to Sabres fans.

 

 

 

Fansided has learned from a source close to the situation  – since confirmed by TSN’s Matt Cade — Boston Bruins assistant general manager Jim Benning is set to become the eighth GM in Sabres history.

 

Benning has been the assistant GM in Boston since 2006, and helped build the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2011.

 

According to the source, Benning had been the number one target of the Sabres since the search for a new GM got underway in mid-November. Buffalo also talked to former Sabres player, and current assistant GM in Pittsburgh, Jason Botterill, but felt that Benning had the experience necessary to help lead a franchise rebuild.  He worked for the Sabres as a scout from 1994-1998, and then became the Director of Amateur Scouting for Buffalo from 1998-2004.

 

Buffalo completely cleaned house in November when Pat LaFontaine took over as the team’s President of Hockey Operations, and subsequently fired former GM Darcy Regier and head coach Ron Rolston.

 

The announcement of the new General Manager is expected to come at some point this week, likely after January 1. Make sure to keep it locked to Fansided.com for more as this story develops.

[bunomatic]

I wouldn't be upset if it was Benning.

[Stoner]

GoBillsinDallas would never give us a skunky link.

[Hoss]

Not that I'm against Benning, but FanSided isn't reliable.

[Hoss]

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie1m

Hearing that BUF search for GM winding down, a few candidates in process of getting 2nd interviews. Could be done within a couple of weeks.

[26CornerBlitz]

@TSNBobMcKenzie

BOS asst GM Jim Benning a strong candidate in BUF but others still in hunt. No final decision made yet but may not be too far off.

[Jsixspd]

 

 

Buffalo completely cleaned house in November when Pat LaFontaine took over as the team’s President of Hockey Operations, and subsequently fired former GM Darcy Regier and head coach Ron Rolston.

 

.

 

Sidebar - so it was Pat who fired Marcy and Ruffton, and not T-Peg? For some reason I thought it was Terry's move - if it was indeed Pat's decision, then my already high level of respect for Pat LaFontaine went up another notch!

[darksabre]

 

 

Sidebar - so it was Pat who fired Marcy and Ruffton, and not T-Peg? For some reason I thought it was Terry's move - if it was indeed Pat's decision, then my already high level of respect for Pat LaFontaine went up another notch!

 

I don't think Pat was involved in either firing.

[26CornerBlitz]

I don't think Pat was involved in either firing.

 

TPegs said at the Big Presser that it was he who informed Darcy that he was relieved of his duties as GM.

[Jsixspd]

I don't think Pat was involved in either firing.

TPegs said at the Big Presser that it was he who informed Darcy that he was relieved of his duties as GM.

 

Thanks, guys for the clarification.

[nfreeman]

It's also quite likely that TP asked PLF what he should do and PLF said it was time to clean house and that it should be done as part of bringing PLF on board.

[Claude_Verret]

It's also quite likely that TP asked PLF what he should do and PLF said it was time to clean house and that it should be done as part of bringing PLF on board.

 

Didn't Pegula say that he asked PLF first to be the GM and Pat told him that he wasn't qualified for the job? I think Pegula made the decision all on his own that it was finally time to clean house.

[darksabre]

Didn't Pegula say that he asked PLF first to be the GM and Pat told him that he wasn't qualified for the job? I think Pegula made the decision all on his own that it was finally time to clean house.

 

Pegula's a big boy. I have no doubt he fired Darcy and Rahn all on his own.

[Robviously]

Pegula's a big boy. I have no doubt he fired Darcy and Rahn all on his own.

Just a few months after questioning if Darcy Regier had ever done anything wrong. And, what, a couple weeks after letting him trade Vanek?

 

We're in the very best of hands here. <_<

[darksabre]

Just a few months after questioning if Darcy Regier had ever done anything wrong. And, what, a couple weeks after letting him trade Vanek?

 

We're in the very best of hands here. <_<

 

I don't ever want my owner publicly tipping his hand on inside dealings.

 

I also think the Vanek trade was a good move, so I'm not mad about the firing coming post trade. In fact it may have been timed that way to get one last good trade out of Darcy before he was canned. One for the road...

[Two or less]

Not that I'm against Benning, but FanSided isn't reliable.

 

It's irrelevant if FanSided is a reliable site or not, i don't care. Is Mike Straw reliable? I know he's been trying to be a Buffalo-insider for few years now. Anyone know if he's reliable or not?

[Robviously]

I don't ever want my owner publicly tipping his hand on inside dealings.

 

I also think the Vanek trade was a good move, so I'm not mad about the firing coming post trade. In fact it may have been timed that way to get one last good trade out of Darcy before he was canned. One for the road...

Inside dealings? He was 100% on board with Darcy and his "suffering" plan all summer long. It wasn't an act when Pegula challenged Schopp and the Bulldog to name on thing Regier had ever done wrong; he really thought that was a spectacular point to make.

 

And if he has no faith in the guy, why is he letting him trade Vanek? It was apparently critical that the Sabres remove him mid-season, but it didn't matter if he made a huge trade? (How does Pegula know it's going to be one last good trade? Aren't you firing him mid-season because he doesn't make good trades?)

 

The Vanek trade is a giant question mark. We don't know if Moulson is staying (he's UFA and actually older than Vanek) and we have no idea when those draft picks are going to be. It *might* be a great trade or it might amount to almost nothing.

 

Like I said when it happened, it's completely on PLF to bring some competence to this organization now.

[Jsixspd]

I don't ever want my owner publicly tipping his hand on inside dealings.

 

 

I have to give T-Pegs credit for realizing it was a mistake to retain Regier, and correcting it.

 

He's also probably a good employer to work for. He doesn't appear to throw people under the bus, and seems to give loyalty to his employees.

[sicknfla]

 

Inside dealings? He was 100% on board with Darcy and his "suffering" plan all summer long. It wasn't an act when Pegula challenged Schopp and the Bulldog to name on thing Regier had ever done wrong; he really thought that was a spectacular point to make.

 

And if he has no faith in the guy, why is he letting him trade Vanek? It was apparently critical that the Sabres remove him mid-season, but it didn't matter if he made a huge trade? (How does Pegula know it's going to be one last good trade? Aren't you firing him mid-season because he doesn't make good trades?)

 

The Vanek trade is a giant question mark. We don't know if Moulson is staying (he's UFA and actually older than Vanek) and we have no idea when those draft picks are going to be. It *might* be a great trade or it might amount to almost nothing.

 

Like I said when it happened, it's completely on PLF to bring some competence to this organization now.

 

Good post. He bought into the entire tank idea and then crumbled to the pressure of what it truly felt like to be the laughing stock of the league. I will never give props to TP for anything he has done with this situation. Mishandled from the get go.

[darksabre]

 

Inside dealings? He was 100% on board with Darcy and his "suffering" plan all summer long. It wasn't an act when Pegula challenged Schopp and the Bulldog to name on thing Regier had ever done wrong; he really thought that was a spectacular point to make.

 

And if he has no faith in the guy, why is he letting him trade Vanek? It was apparently critical that the Sabres remove him mid-season, but it didn't matter if he made a huge trade? (How does Pegula know it's going to be one last good trade? Aren't you firing him mid-season because he doesn't make good trades?)

 

The Vanek trade is a giant question mark. We don't know if Moulson is staying (he's UFA and actually older than Vanek) and we have no idea when those draft picks are going to be. It *might* be a great trade or it might amount to almost nothing.

 

Like I said when it happened, it's completely on PLF to bring some competence to this organization now.

 

I won't make a counter argument because your view is entirely reasonable. I just disagree with most of what you have said here.

[Iron Crotch]

I have to give T-Pegs credit for realizing it was a mistake to retain Regier, and correcting it.

 

He's also probably a good employer to work for. He doesn't appear to throw people under the bus, and seems to give loyalty to his employees.

 

I agree. And, T-Pegs' explanation of why it took him so long to remove Darcy actually makes a great deal of sense to me. Terry is an oil guy and far from an NHL insider. He was quoted as saying he simply didn't know how to go about finding a new GM. I can buy that. If I found myself suddenly in a new industry where I knew no one, I think it'd be difficult for me to figure out who to hire and not to hire. So I give TP credit for recognizing that he needed a "hockey guy" - an insider - to help him make hockey-related decisions. Hence PLF's role as head of hockey operations.