The Athletic Fan Rankings of NHL Owners

[Brawndo]

The Athletic released its annual fan rankings of the 32 NHL Owners. 
 

Only one received a F by the fans. 
 

From the article 

It’s a sad state of affairs in Buffalo right now. This season is the franchise’s 14th consecutive out of the playoffs, the NHL’s longest drought in history and one that doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon.

The Sabres were voted dead last in every category in our survey by a large margin and 61 percent of fans said their confidence in ownership was lower than a year ago. Buffalo fans filled our survey en masse, with more entries than every franchise except Minnesota, and the hundreds of responses were filled with vitriol. Many were pleas for the owner to sell the team.

 

Things are about as bad as they can get in Buffalo.

Fan perspective: “He seems averse to hiring GMs and coaches with actual NHL experience and makes abrupt hiring and firing decisions. The franchise still appears to have a haphazard plan for putting together a winning roster. Part of this is that there is no team president or other executive with NHL experience to guide these decisions.”

“His entire ownership tenure has been a disaster. He used to have competition as the worst owner in the league in Eugene Melnyk and Alex Meruelo, now he is the last one of those remaining.” 

“Hockey Heaven he said. Instead, Terry Pegula’s ownership has put Buffalo in Hockey Hell.”

 

[bunomatic]

I would have enjoyed responding to this fan ranking of the Sabres ownership. I agree with everything in this article. Terry Pegula is the absolute worst owner in the nhl. Just do better or get out of town.

[Brawndo]

 

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

We'd have to double the Sabres score to rank above the 31st place team. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

This isn’t a surprise is it? The team stinks and is a reflection of the organization created by the owner.  

I doubt this fan poll will cause TP to change course.  

[Flashsabre]

Just a ton of National negative media about the Sabres lately. Good

[mjd1001]

9 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

This isn’t a surprise is it? The team stinks and is a reflection of the organization created by the owner.  

I doubt this fan poll will cause TP to change course.  

He might just 'dig in his heels' so to speak and become more defiant.  Appologies to anyone over 70 on this forum (I'm not there yet but like everone getting older, our daughter certainly likes to remind me I sometimes act 'old'), but as the saying goes....with most older people..... tell them they aren't doing something well or they can't do someting without help and see their reaction.  Most of the time, its not productive or good.

Honestly, I don't think a survey like this gets much attention from him, and if he did see it I don't think he does anything different. But i DO think in the rare instance where it would impact him, it might be more of a reaction of "I'll show them! I'm going to do things my way and no one can tell me what to do"  rather than "wow, I didn't know things were so bad, maybe I should change course."

Edited 6 hours ago by mjd1001

[shrader]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

Fan perspective: “He seems averse to hiring GMs and coaches with actual NHL experience and makes abrupt hiring and firing decisions. The franchise still appears to have a haphazard plan for putting together a winning roster. Part of this is that there is no team president or other executive with NHL experience to guide these decisions.”

 

Like Ted Nolan, Dan Bylsma, Ralph Kruger, and Lindy Ruff.  It's not so much about hiring inexperience as it is about them wondering around aimlessly.  Of course fans are going to be upset, but often they don't really know what they're talking about either.

[DarthEbriate]

25 minutes ago, shrader said:

Like Ted Nolan, Dan Bylsma, Ralph Kruger, and Lindy Ruff.  It's not so much about hiring inexperience as it is about them wondering around aimlessly.  Of course fans are going to be upset, but often they don't really know what they're talking about either.

One of these is not like the others.

The other issue with the coaching is that for every retread (Nolan/Ruff), there's a Rolston or Krueger or (at least at the NHL level: Granato). I'd also extend the inexperience to the assistants like bringing in Appert with no NHL experience. It all reeks of either nostalgia or cheapness instead of the original stated purpose for existence of winning a Stanley Cup.

[inkman]

Is this bad?  🤣

[GASabresIUFAN]

I’d love to know why 4% of the people have more confidence in TP now vs a year ago?  Was it the better product on the ice?  Was it the improved facilities?  Was it his visit to the team in Montreal? 

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

B U T B U T....

T H E S O L U T I O N I S W I T H I N T H I S R O O M

[ska-T Palmtown]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Is this bad?  🤣

Let it not be lost that The Athletic ranked them LOWER than the fans (by 0.02 - which is within "rounding error", but STILL!)

[HumanSlinky39]

5 hours ago, Brawndo said:

 

Yikes.

[spndnchz]

[DarthEbriate]

The grade should not be F, but rather EEE.

Until the owner publicly states the purpose of the team is to win the Stanley Cup again (and puts money/resources/coaching into it), this team is on efficient, economic, and Empty.

Edited 1 hour ago by DarthEbriate

[inkman]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

The grade should not be F, but rather EEE.

Until the owner publicly states the purpose of the team is to win the Stanley Cup again (and puts money/resources/coaching into it), this team is on efficient, economic, and Empty.

Please put less stock in what these people say.  In the end it just doesn’t matter.  Only their actions matter. 

[Demoted]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

Is this bad?  🤣

Wow, Who are the 4% that have a higher confidence in the owner? Maybe there is a +-4% margin?

Edited 28 minutes ago by Demoted

[kas23]

2 minutes ago, Demoted said:

Wow, Who are the 4% that have a higher confidence in the owner? Maybe there is a +-4% margin?

It’s like a Putin election win. You got to throw a few votes in for the other guy just for optics. 

[LTS]

2 hours ago, Palm Trees And Taxes said:

B U T B U T....

T H E S O L U T I O N I S W I T H I N T H I S R O O M

Just remember... Pegula was in the room when he said it.  Even if the solution begins with him selling the team, he's part of the solution.