Forget about the idea that the Pegulas will sell the Sabres

[LabattBlue]

For those who think the Pegula’s will sell the Sabres in the near future, think again.  I believe the plan is still to build the Bills new stadium in the cobblestone/HSBC Atrium/Perry Projects area, and they will have their little kingdom complete...Sabres, Bills, stadium, arena, harbor center, PSE HQ, Labbatt brew house, 716, etc...

 

Of course from a Sabres fan perspective, none of this is good news.     Any owner who can run a hockey team so poorly over a decade, gives fans NO HOPE that there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by LabattBlue

[Gatorman0519]

I think they are great people.  But just not good at discerning and choosing the right people to run the organization.  Or they are too involved and meddling.  

[Drag0nDan]

10 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

For those who think the Pegula’s will sell the Sabres in the near future, think again.  I believe the plan is still to build the Bills new stadium in the cobblestone/HSBC Atrium/Perry Projects area, and they will have their little kingdom complete...Sabres, Bills, stadium, arena, harbor center, PSE HQ, Labbatt brew house, 716, etc...

 

Of course from a Sabres fan perspective, none of this is good news.     Any owner who can run a hockey team so poorly over a decade, gives fans NO HOPE that there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

 

So we want to go back to the ownership that wouldn't pay players?  Tends to not work either.  

[Cal Naughton Jr]

26 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

For those who think the Pegula’s will sell the Sabres in the near future, think again.  I believe the plan is still to build the Bills new stadium in the cobblestone/HSBC Atrium/Perry Projects area, and they will have their little kingdom complete...Sabres, Bills, stadium, arena, harbor center, PSE HQ, Labbatt brew house, 716, etc...

 

Of course from a Sabres fan perspective, none of this is good news.     Any owner who can run a hockey team so poorly over a decade, gives fans NO HOPE that there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

 

That’s still years away. We can pray that they’ll have a competitive hockey team by then

[Radar]

30 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

I think they are great people.  But just not good at discerning and choosing the right people to run the organization.  Or they are too involved and meddling.  

Agree. I also think they are good people. Also just don't seem to have a clue on how to operate this franchise. The only thing that hasn't changed over this decade of futility is the owners. No place to look anymore for explanation. One thing we've learned you can't simply spend to win.

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by Radar

[SabresBaltimore]

My perspective is the Pegulas are (mostly) well meaning, but incompetent owners. I honestly think they dumb lucked their way into a winning formula for the Bills with Beane and McDermott. I don't have a lot of faith that if/when they need to replace either one of them they will do a good job. We need the equivalent front office for the Sabres and thus far haven't gotten it.
 

I think they really want the Sabres to be a perennial playoff team and win multiple cups. They just don't know how to do it and have spent the last 10 years flailing. Early on it appeared the had too many cronies interfering. I'm not sure if that's still the case, but it maybe salted the land a bit so to speak. Plus covid is making it a lot harder since I think they are much more reliant on ticket sales and concessions than other NHL franchises are.
 

I'm not sure how to fix it, but selling the team likely wouldn't be the solution. It'd probably make it worse since I think the Pegulas do care about the community beyond just their bottom line. Or at least their bottom line has largely been good for the city (albeit not the Sabres record).
 

A lot of owners aren't very good at sports teams. I live in Maryland and the Washington Football team has been awful under Dan Synder. I'm sure there are other examples. Jerry Jones always brings in "top end" talent and you can see how well that has worked out for the Cowboys super bowls since the 90s.

My hope is something of the success with the Bills can finally rub off on the Sabres, but as I said I think it's mostly been dumb luck rather than anything else.

[LabattBlue]

44 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

So we want to go back to the ownership that wouldn't pay players?  Tends to not work either.  

Who said that? 

37 minutes ago, Cal Naughton Jr said:

That’s still years away. We can pray that they’ll have a competitive hockey team by then

I understand a new stadium is at least 5 years away.  I'm just thinking about what their master plan might be.

[Stoner]

Selling is shooting for the stars, the kids taking over is landing on the moon. Or however that old saying goes. (And by kids, I mean the two older kids, who are said to be hockey fans and most likely both Sabres fans.) Would they want to do it? I don't know. If there were to take over operational control, would they be smart enough to not meddle? I also don't know. The hope in this Plan B is that even if they meddled, they would somehow have the hockey sense their parents clearly don't have, and the meddling wouldn't be destructive.

[Thorner]

Meddling? Who said meddling? Sign me up for meddling! 

The Pegulas don't meddle they pull every string. 

[Stoner]

Michael Pegula, Buffalo-born, is 42 and lives in Los Angeles. He was (still is?) an assistant coach at USC. In 2018-19, he was a coach for Orange County Hockey 18U AA. He played in the ACHA for one season in 06-07 (College of the Canyons). His Instagram account says he owns a fitness business, coaches the Jr. Ducks, and is a personal trainer, podcast co-host and actor. In a Buffalo News story when Terry bought the team (no one mentioned Kim as co-owner at the time), Mike was described as a "compulsive Sabres follower." At quick glance, there isn't mention of the Sabres in his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Let's crowd-source this.

Next up, Laura. Her dad said in 2011 she'd make everyone in "this room" (the arena atrium) look like Moscow Dynamo fans by comparison, she's such a big Sabres fan.

[nucci]

7 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Michael Pegula, Buffalo-born, is 42 and lives in Los Angeles. He was (still is?) an assistant coach at USC. In 2018-19, he was a coach for Orange County Hockey 18U AA. He played in the ACHA for one season in 06-07 (College of the Canyons). His Instagram account says he owns a fitness business, coaches the Jr. Ducks, and is a personal trainer, podcast co-host and actor. In a Buffalo News story when Terry bought the team (no one mentioned Kim as co-owner at the time), Mike was described as a "compulsive Sabres follower." At quick glance, there isn't mention of the Sabres in his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Let's crowd-source this.

Next up, Laura. Her dad said in 2011 she'd make everyone in "this room" (the arena atrium) look like Moscow Dynamo fans by comparison, she's such a big Sabres fan.

I don't want a fan to run the team.....unless it's me

[triumph_communes]

Sell the team and they leave Buffalo for Quebec. Don’t get why people think it’s a way out 

[Scottysabres]

4 minutes ago, nucci said:

I don't want a fan to run the team.....unless it's me

PA, would you be so kind as to start up the "Fire Nucci" thread?

Thanks.

😄

[Stoner]

41 minutes ago, nucci said:

I don't want a fan to run the team.....unless it's me

I don't want him or his sister to "run" the team either. I want them to be smart CEOs. But if Pegulas running the team is inevitable, I'd take them over who runs it now.

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, SabresBaltimore said:

My hope is something of the success with the Bills can finally rub off on the Sabres, but as I said I think it's mostly been dumb luck rather than anything else.

I don't follow the Bills close enough to know, but somebody who does should start a thread contrasting and comparing the 2 organizations from their low points forward. The differences might provide some real answers. 

[Curt]

11 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't follow the Bills close enough to know, but somebody who does should start a thread contrasting and comparing the 2 organizations from their low points forward. The differences might provide some real answers. 

I think they just got lucky and hired a good GM/coach combo.  Before that, they made brutally bad hires for the Bills too.

[mjd1001]

I don't really want/need them to sell the team.  I think as owners they have made mistakes, bad hires, etc that led to how good the team is.  All I'd want is for them to hire the right people, direct their management to not take any 'shortcuts' and get out of the way of hockey operations.

[nucci]

9 minutes ago, Curt said:

I think they just got lucky and hired a good GM/coach combo.  Before that, they made brutally bad hires for the Bills too.

They actually hired the coach first. It was McDermott who brought in Beane

[Kruppstahl]

3 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Sell the team and they leave Buffalo for Quebec. Don’t get why people think it’s a way out 

You really think Terry Pegula would move the team out of WNY?   

I do not.

I do think it is possible he would sell, especially because of the Bills.

The Sabres organization is not in good health and it couldn't have gone any worse from a competitiveness perspective so far.

It is probably a long shot, but I do remain hopeful Pegula will say "enough" and narrow it down to only Bills ownership.

If he did that, I think he would definitely try to make sure he was selling to the right person.  Someone committed to Sabres hockey staying in Buffalo.

 

 

 

 

[thewookie1]

17 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't follow the Bills close enough to know, but somebody who does should start a thread contrasting and comparing the 2 organizations from their low points forward. The differences might provide some real answers. 

While the Pegulas botched their first attempt at a HC hire for the Bills (which is honestly understandable based on Rex Ryan's defensive prowess coupled with what was then a great Bills defense) they set out to find a new coach. I'm not 100% sure if it was purely luck or if they had learned somewhat from their many Sabres coaches what to look for. Essentially they ended up with a coach, who while not perfect, holds all the ingredients the Sabres too could use in a head coach. McDermott is stern yet fair, a player's coach yet not to a degree which he's buddies with everyone but that team trusts in his decision making and that he has their best interest in mind. Additionally while conservative by nature, seems very open to new ideas and a willingness to aggressive play. Not to mention the competitive approach among the players fostered through a culture that is enforced and practiced by the group at large. Additionally bringing in Beane was a literal coup for the organization. Again he is business-like but definitely has a competitive edge to him and shows willingness to both play the short and long game simultaneously. Even when he screws up, you still feel confident that he's doing his due diligence and desires the Bills to have Super Bowl Rings. As such the Pegulas have mostly kept out of their business in terms of decision making yet there is a definite trust between them. Kim Pegula gets to be a darling of the NFL ownership and the team continues an upward climb.

 

The Sabres have certainly become a headache for them as it seems like everyone they hire is either inept or unwilling to play with others. My best guess is that they are desperately hoping Kevin Adams can be a loyal yet still competent GM who can handle the job as their faith in the NHL's suggestions and behavior has been outright terrible. 

[dudacek]

4 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Michael Pegula, Buffalo-born, is 42 and lives in Los Angeles. He was (still is?) an assistant coach at USC. In 2018-19, he was a coach for Orange County Hockey 18U AA. He played in the ACHA for one season in 06-07 (College of the Canyons). His Instagram account says he owns a fitness business, coaches the Jr. Ducks, and is a personal trainer, podcast co-host and actor. In a Buffalo News story when Terry bought the team (no one mentioned Kim as co-owner at the time), Mike was described as a "compulsive Sabres follower." At quick glance, there isn't mention of the Sabres in his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Let's crowd-source this.

Next up, Laura. Her dad said in 2011 she'd make everyone in "this room" (the arena atrium) look like Moscow Dynamo fans by comparison, she's such a big Sabres fan.

I don't know if this is a good idea.

I'm pretty sure Michael is @pi2000

😜

[Radar]

I like KA. I like RK. I like TP. I'm not sure any of them is competent at their position. Of the three, only Adams am I still unsure of. RK seen enough and also TP. They both have lost my confidence at this point.

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Sell the team and they leave Buffalo for Quebec. Don’t get why people think it’s a way out 

Just as an aside, what happens to a player's NMC if an entire franchise moves? 

[Gatorman0519]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

I think they just got lucky and hired a good GM/coach combo.  Before that, they made brutally bad hires for the Bills too.

And strangely the coach brought the GM with.  McDermott is an A plus character and he knew Beane was a wizard and I suspect he sold Terry on him. We got lucky indeed as it never works this way.  McDermott really was the sole catalyst for the whole success.  Terry needs to find the NHL McDermott.

Edited March 1, 2021 by Gatorman0519

[Brawndo]

5 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Michael Pegula, Buffalo-born, is 42 and lives in Los Angeles. He was (still is?) an assistant coach at USC. In 2018-19, he was a coach for Orange County Hockey 18U AA. He played in the ACHA for one season in 06-07 (College of the Canyons). His Instagram account says he owns a fitness business, coaches the Jr. Ducks, and is a personal trainer, podcast co-host and actor. In a Buffalo News story when Terry bought the team (no one mentioned Kim as co-owner at the time), Mike was described as a "compulsive Sabres follower." At quick glance, there isn't mention of the Sabres in his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Let's crowd-source this.

Next up, Laura. Her dad said in 2011 she'd make everyone in "this room" (the arena atrium) look like Moscow Dynamo fans by comparison, she's such a big Sabres fan.

You might want to look deeper into the relationship or lack there of with the oldest son