Hey Terry, Do Us A Favor and SELL

[Jim Bob]

I wanted to address this one separately.

I’m going assume this question is implying he hasn’t hired an experienced GM so he can control who he brings in. But lets look at the facts, the history of his hires and how things played out.

1) LaFontaine/Murray -> We started the 13-14 season with Regier as GM. Then in November, Pegula impulsively hires Patty as POHO based on a single dinner they had together. Essentially fanboying over him. Patty gets full control of hockey ops and hires Murray to be his GM.

They very quickly start butting heads on the direction of the rebuild/tank approach. Pegula has to step back in and pick a side. He goes with Murray’s vision which leads to Patty’s resignation. We don’t really hear much from Pegula again after that until he fires Murray.

2) Botts -> this is the only GM hire that came from a “normal” search process, with the NHL front office giving him (Pegula )guidance. But as you posted, Pegula was boxed out from being involved during his tenure. We may disgree on what he means by “involved” but we both know this was a thing.

3) Krueger/Adams/“flat management” structure -> somehow Krueger had Pegula convinced he found his McDermott for the Sabres. He was given a lot of front office power but had no relevant GM experience (plus he sucked as a coach). He gets paired up with Adams, who the owner trusts but also has no relevant GM experience.

It was supposed to mimic the Bills set up. It would be funny if it wasn't so disastrous. Yet another macro decision that blew up in Pegula’s face like the LaFontaine hire did.

4) Adams becomes sole GM -> Adams flies down one weekend to meet with the Pegulas in Florida. This was in the middle of the 18gm losing streak. He goes down there to sell them on; (a) firing Krueger, (b) go back to her traditional management structure and (c) on his plan o rebuild the team. He clearly sold them on all 3 things and we’re in year 3 of his plan.

———————————————————————————-

I don’t know how anyone can look at the above and see an owner who is manipulating and controlling things. As opposed to someone who has made a few impulsive and/or stupid decisions because he’s easily talked into things. That’s why I’ve always felt the idea that he is some sort of Machiavellian operator in the shadows to be so ridiculous. He’s an about as slick as tar and is easily led, especially if he is a fanboy of or trusts someone.

It is more than a few impulsive or stupid decisions. He has not made a good decision yet when it comes to the GM or coaching hires in over a decade as owner.

Whether the reason why Pegula has consistently hired rookie GMs, and mostly rookie head coaches, is just that he is really, really bad at identifying quality candidates, he is unwilling to pay top dollar to land a candidate with a proven record, or he wants more input than a person with a resume and options would allow, it doesn't really matter to me.

None of the GMs that Pegula has hired and then fired have as yet been given a second chance.

Lindy Ruff is the last head coach that Pegula fired who has gotten an NHL head coaching job since.

And then you have all the turmoil and turnover you've seen in the PSE/One Buffalo leadership, and it points to that Pegula may have gotten really lucky with the McDermott hire and McDermott pushing for the Beane hire.

Pegula being really, really bad at identifying the right people is the main reason why I think he needs someone with NHL experience, whether that is a POHO or a Senior Advisor, to help him make these decisions. He has proven over the past decade that he is not good at this.

 

[Jim Bob]

How fun, accusations in the form of a question.

This front office has been pretty successful in implementing its plans in all areas since its inception in 2021. This NHL season was its first failure. We both know the failure was due to our top players shitting the bed. Which has f*** all to do with the size of the front office. So not really an argument for your pet theory.

Even lamer is pretending you don’t know why salary is where it is. As if they didn’t tell us about 1000x they were building from within/going with youth. But as each of the young stars have come up for deals, they've been paid. I know you know this but are pretending you don’t.

How come they haven't bought draft picks by being a broker and retaining salary on deals? Why haven't they bought draft picks by taking on LTIR deals?

For a "draft and develop" team, they have left limited, time constrained resources expire without maximizing their utility to improve the team/prospect pipeline.

There has to be a reason for that. I'd love to hear your pet theory on that one.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Yes he would and if he didn’t want to, Gary Bettman would make him.

I don't think Pegula would put any terms on the team staying. I think he would take the money and run. The NHL team is not letting anyone move for a variety of reasons. Sabres have no real leverage unless we get into a serious stadium argument with the lease up in 2027. The only leverage the team could have would be moving into a rink on the Ontario side within their territorial area, but it would have to be built from scratch, and territorial rights at 50 miles don't take you into a large enough population base in Ontario

How come they haven't bought draft picks by being a broker and retaining salary on deals? Why haven't they bought draft picks by taking on LTIR deals?

For a "draft and develop" team, they have left limited, time constrained resources expire without maximizing their utility to improve the team/prospect pipeline.

There has to be a reason for that. I'd love to hear your pet theory on that one.

Two trade deadlines of doing nothing with cap space doesn't wake people up. They don't get it. This is a team that will sign some deals but be anywhere from $5 M to $10 M under cap. Wait for it again next year.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

I wanted to address this one separately.

I’m going assume this question is implying he hasn’t hired an experienced GM so he can control who he brings in. But lets look at the facts, the history of his hires and how things played out.

1) LaFontaine/Murray -> We started the 13-14 season with Regier as GM. Then in November, Pegula impulsively hires Patty as POHO based on a single dinner they had together. Essentially fanboying over him. Patty gets full control of hockey ops and hires Murray to be his GM.

They very quickly start butting heads on the direction of the rebuild/tank approach. Pegula has to step back in and pick a side. He goes with Murray’s vision which leads to Patty’s resignation. We don’t really hear much from Pegula again after that until he fires Murray.

2) Botts -> this is the only GM hire that came from a “normal” search process, with the NHL front office giving him (Pegula )guidance. But as you posted, Pegula was boxed out from being involved during his tenure. We may disgree on what he means by “involved” but we both know this was a thing.

3) Krueger/Adams/“flat management” structure -> somehow Krueger had Pegula convinced he found his McDermott for the Sabres. He was given a lot of front office power but had no relevant GM experience (plus he sucked as a coach). He gets paired up with Adams, who the owner trusts but also has no relevant GM experience.

It was supposed to mimic the Bills set up. It would be funny if it wasn't so disastrous. Yet another macro decision that blew up in Pegula’s face like the LaFontaine hire did.

4) Adams becomes sole GM -> Adams flies down one weekend to meet with the Pegulas in Florida. This was in the middle of the 18gm losing streak. He goes down there to sell them on; (a) firing Krueger, (b) go back to her traditional management structure and (c) on his plan o rebuild the team. He clearly sold them on all 3 things and we’re in year 3 of his plan.

———————————————————————————-

I don’t know how anyone can look at the above and see an owner who is manipulating and controlling things. As opposed to someone who has made a few impulsive and/or stupid decisions because he’s easily talked into things. That’s why I’ve always felt the idea that he is some sort of Machiavellian operator in the shadows to be so ridiculous. He’s an about as slick as tar and is easily led, especially if he is a fanboy of or trusts someone.

You keep parrotting this as if it is new and it isn't. He has been using buzz words about his management style and how nobody is really in charge over anybody at the top, and his collaboration since the day he bought the Sabres. It was more or less his defense for going around Ted Blacks back and having secret meetings with Darcy.

This isn't new. You are wrong.

The advantage McBeane has (in addition to being better at their jobs) is that they had a nearly 10 year close working relationship before either of them ever met Terry Pegula. Because of that they are able to present a united front compared to other hires in either org.

 

[May Day 10]

I appreciate the commitment, but at this point, there is no defense of Terry Pegula's stewardship of this team. At this time, it is clear he bought them with the intention of being very involved. Greedily, he has driven this thing into the tree over and over again, and has effectively destroyed the franchise. Worse-yet, he refuses to change, and allow a strong-minded President/GM with clout and credibility take over the steering wheel.
You can't just write off the treasure trove of clues as Terry being a 'giddy fan'. I have been through much more, and have been much more intense of a fan as Terry, and if I were to buy the team, I wouldnt be that sort of 'giddy fan'. What makes me giddy is the Sabres succeeding and making me proud to be a fan and resident of Buffalo.

I also question how intense Pegula's fandom really was. Hearing him speak publicly early-on, it was clear he didn't have a strong grasp of hockey or Sabres history other than 1975. I know he was cramming reading in there such as Devellano's book him proudly reciting team building philosophies he learned on interviews. The huge fan origin story made him much more endearing early and he told his financial manager guy (Benson?) that his #1 priority is to be loved by the fans. What better way? I would have done the same thing. I do believe he attended games for a period of his life when he was in Olean.


Throughout his ownership, you have seen a lot of constants through general managers and coaches. They all mention "communication" first and foremost as the most important thing. Everyone needs to be free to "share ideas" and "challenge one another". That seems like very thinly veiled code to say ownership gets a seat at the table. You hear most of them mention at one time or another they speak to ownership daily. Kevyn Adams recently mentioned Pegula takes a lot of notes and asks questions during scouting meetings. That isn't normal. What would Lou Lamoriello say to that?

Coaches always speak very passively. Same/similar buzz phrases about developing and learning and growth and communication. This will continue through Granato, and if they need to sacrifice him, I would bet the farm Seth Appert will carry the torch.

The team always seems to over-pursue on former first round picks, and high ones at that. I don't have comparative stats, but it always seems like they prefer USDP products and NCAA players moreso than other teams. Having Granato as the HC may have accelerated that, and I remember Botterill saying some nonsense that he preferred drafting NCAA players over CHL players. The Sabres also seem to acquire 100% for skill. No grit or toughness at all. We had a brief period under Murray where he got some tough players, but they were shipped out post haste. It feels almost like Pegula read that toughness, hitting, and fighting for space do not align with analytics to result in wins. Jeff Skinner is perfect for that.

I know people who were in the organization, and Kim was very involved in many facets, always there, and pretty unpleasant to work with/for. She was the impetus of the LaFontaine drama.

The hiring of Kevyn Adams was the classic drought-era Bills move. Adams was never close to being qualified as a GM. He was just willing to accept this collaborative effort nonsense that is foisted upon any executive they can get in the door. It was very similar to the Garth Snow hire with the Islanders.


These shocking matching extensions that Adams and Granato received for accomplishing nothing is also a clue in how flat the management structure (and how clueless). At this point granato has no answers... yet his extension hasnt even kicked in? And it surely isn't even Adams' call to replace the coach.

Sadly, nothing changes until Pegula is gone. This entire franchise has earned itself a black eye for many reasons (generation of being a bottom feeder, the Eichel treatment, many players coming here to the misery, leaving, succeeding elsewhere, and telling tales of how awful the Sabres are, the treatment of human beings during the pandemic, having a not serious or credible front office, low fan enthusiasm, and now penny-pinching).
My biggest hope is that Jesse retires from tennis and wants a crack at it, and she isn't a simpleton like her old man.


For now, all we can hope for is to snake a wild card spot every once in awhile, with almost no hope of advancing (the makeup of this team has zero shot of prevailing in playoff brand of hockey).



Before anyone strawmans me, I don't think pegula is scouring the waiver wire and making all the draft selections. I do think he has a firm seat at the table though, has his preferences at what he thinks will make the team succeed, and purposely has hired soft and unqualified management to endure his interference.


I really wish I could have a shred of optimism or pride in this franchise. I dearly miss the Sabres. They have been taken from us.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

I was at this game and it has always stuck with me.

Terry's first full sentence to screaming Bills fans was "Ok guys, that's enough". My entire section was like "I am sorry what?" It was a very wet blanket moment.

Watch: Terry Pegula On-field Ceremony

Watch Terry, Kim and the Pegula family be introduced during Sunday's pregame ceremonies, including Terry's speech to the crowd.

www.buffalobills.com

 

[oldgoalie]

I appreciate the commitment, but at this point, there is no defense of Terry Pegula's stewardship of this team. At this time, it is clear he bought them with the intention of being very involved. Greedily, he has driven this thing into the tree over and over again, and has effectively destroyed the franchise. Worse-yet, he refuses to change, and allow a strong-minded President/GM with clout and credibility take over the steering wheel.
You can't just write off the treasure trove of clues as Terry being a 'giddy fan'. I have been through much more, and have been much more intense of a fan as Terry, and if I were to buy the team, I wouldnt be that sort of 'giddy fan'. What makes me giddy is the Sabres succeeding and making me proud to be a fan and resident of Buffalo.

I also question how intense Pegula's fandom really was. Hearing him speak publicly early-on, it was clear he didn't have a strong grasp of hockey or Sabres history other than 1975. I know he was cramming reading in there such as Devellano's book him proudly reciting team building philosophies he learned on interviews. The huge fan origin story made him much more endearing early and he told his financial manager guy (Benson?) that his #1 priority is to be loved by the fans. What better way? I would have done the same thing. I do believe he attended games for a period of his life when he was in Olean.


Throughout his ownership, you have seen a lot of constants through general managers and coaches. They all mention "communication" first and foremost as the most important thing. Everyone needs to be free to "share ideas" and "challenge one another". That seems like very thinly veiled code to say ownership gets a seat at the table. You hear most of them mention at one time or another they speak to ownership daily. Kevyn Adams recently mentioned Pegula takes a lot of notes and asks questions during scouting meetings. That isn't normal. What would Lou Lamoriello say to that?

Coaches always speak very passively. Same/similar buzz phrases about developing and learning and growth and communication. This will continue through Granato, and if they need to sacrifice him, I would bet the farm Seth Appert will carry the torch.

The team always seems to over-pursue on former first round picks, and high ones at that. I don't have comparative stats, but it always seems like they prefer USDP products and NCAA players moreso than other teams. Having Granato as the HC may have accelerated that, and I remember Botterill saying some nonsense that he preferred drafting NCAA players over CHL players. The Sabres also seem to acquire 100% for skill. No grit or toughness at all. We had a brief period under Murray where he got some tough players, but they were shipped out post haste. It feels almost like Pegula read that toughness, hitting, and fighting for space do not align with analytics to result in wins. Jeff Skinner is perfect for that.

I know people who were in the organization, and Kim was very involved in many facets, always there, and pretty unpleasant to work with/for. She was the impetus of the LaFontaine drama.

The hiring of Kevyn Adams was the classic drought-era Bills move. Adams was never close to being qualified as a GM. He was just willing to accept this collaborative effort nonsense that is foisted upon any executive they can get in the door. It was very similar to the Garth Snow hire with the Islanders.


These shocking matching extensions that Adams and Granato received for accomplishing nothing is also a clue in how flat the management structure (and how clueless). At this point granato has no answers... yet his extension hasnt even kicked in? And it surely isn't even Adams' call to replace the coach.

Sadly, nothing changes until Pegula is gone. This entire franchise has earned itself a black eye for many reasons (generation of being a bottom feeder, the Eichel treatment, many players coming here to the misery, leaving, succeeding elsewhere, and telling tales of how awful the Sabres are, the treatment of human beings during the pandemic, having a not serious or credible front office, low fan enthusiasm, and now penny-pinching).
My biggest hope is that Jesse retires from tennis and wants a crack at it, and she isn't a simpleton like her old man.


For now, all we can hope for is to snake a wild card spot every once in awhile, with almost no hope of advancing (the makeup of this team has zero shot of prevailing in playoff brand of hockey).



Before anyone strawmans me, I don't think pegula is scouring the waiver wire and making all the draft selections. I do think he has a firm seat at the table though, has his preferences at what he thinks will make the team succeed, and purposely has hired soft and unqualified management to endure his interference.


I really wish I could have a shred of optimism or pride in this franchise. I dearly miss the Sabres. They have been taken from us.

RE: the first bolded part: Most people have no idea how "unpleasant".
RE; second bolded part: So do I. A historically very successful (for the most part) organization, completely adrift.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

 

[joshjull]

You keep parrotting this as if it is new and it isn't. He has been using buzz words about his management style and how nobody is really in charge over anybody at the top, and his collaboration since the day he bought the Sabres. It was more or less his defense for going around Ted Blacks back and having secret meetings with Darcy.

This isn't new. You are wrong.

The advantage McBeane has (in addition to being better at their jobs) is that they had a nearly 10 year close working relationship before either of them ever met Terry Pegula. Because of that they are able to present a united front compared to other hires in either org.

I’m 100% correct and quite honestly you’re lost.

1) Krueger is the ONLY Sabres head coach ever given a ton of management powers by Pegula and only reported to the him. That never happened with any other coach we’ve had. It’s also not something that happens in this day and age in the NHL either. The only reason Pegula thought of it is because he already had a similar successful set up with the Bills.

2) The Black/Regier example you gave is completely irrelevant. They were both part of management and neither was a coach.

It was more or less his defense for going around Ted Blacks back and having secret meetings with Darcy.

What is this fairytale based on?

Black was President of the Sabres, not of hockey ops. He was the business side of things. Regier ran hockey ops as GM. Thats why he, not Black, got fired when Patty was brought in as POHO. So with that division of labor between the two (Black/Regier) What subject would even generate these “secret meetings”?

I also want to point out the absurdity of suggesting Pegula would need to “go around” anyone to have “secret meetings” with anyone else in the organization. Owners can talk to whoever they want in the organization’s hierarchy whenever they want. They don’t need to notify anyone they are doing so or ask anyone for permission. You have the power dynamics of this situation backwards

 

[May Day 10]

I recall something about the Pegulas and someone else freezing out Ted Black at some league meetings or something just before his firing.

Anyways, that is another example of this dysfunctional ownership group floundering around and can do no good. They dumped Ted Black, who was almost universally liked, who engaged with fans, took a lot of beatings on behalf of management, and saw a lot of ideas put into action. They installed Russ Brandon, who was reviled by Bills fans. That ended pretty well too.

That move pretty much coincides with the moment that it seems that the organization stopped caring about its fans and season ticket holders. The double-duty COO was invented. Fan engagement went away, and we still see that today with this Pete Guelli character.

It sounds like madness. Public/fan opinion about the organization, management, players, the arena is cratering. People are tuning out. But they hire a COO who has to share time with a $2 Billion dollar NFL team who has started the transition to a $1.5 billion stadium, with a clean slate of many things that need attention.
Not to mention a Sabres lease expiring within the next year or 2, and a heavy lift with arena upgrades/maintenance needed.

I would guess it will still feel like the Sabres are on the ever-lasting backburner.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

I recall something about the Pegulas and someone else freezing out Ted Black at some league meetings or something just before his firing.

Anyways, that is another example of this dysfunctional ownership group floundering around and can do no good. They dumped Ted Black, who was almost universally liked, who engaged with fans, took a lot of beatings on behalf of management, and saw a lot of ideas put into action. They installed Russ Brandon, who was reviled by Bills fans. That ended pretty well too.

That move pretty much coincides with the moment that it seems that the organization stopped caring about its fans and season ticket holders. The double-duty COO was invented. Fan engagement went away, and we still see that today with this Pete Guelli character.

It sounds like madness. Public/fan opinion about the organization, management, players, the arena is cratering. People are tuning out. But they hire a COO who has to share time with a $2 Billion dollar NFL team who has started the transition to a $1.5 billion stadium, with a clean slate of many things that need attention.
Not to mention a Sabres lease expiring within the next year or 2, and a heavy lift with arena upgrades/maintenance needed.

I would guess it will still feel like the Sabres are on the ever-lasting backburner.

Terry just pulled out of the Americans/Blue Cross lease today.

I have gone back and forth on if Terry will or will not sell and whether the NHL will or will not leave Buffalo. For the most part I think Buffalo keeps a team at the very least.

But every time Terry pulls money from the team, or doesn't keep up with the upkeep of the arena, or refuses to make good hockey decisions because he doesn't want to pay Granato I have to wonder what his plans are.

Amerks owner wants out of running Blue Cross Arena — at least for now

The group notified the city last week that it does not want to continue with the original 15-year deal but will run the arena through April 2025.

www.wxxinews.org

This summer the Sabre released this statement.

RA is affiliated with Sabres and Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula who last summer dissolved parent company Pegula Sports and Entertainment. At the time, a company spokesperson said the shift would "not affect the day-to-day operations here in Rochester,” and that the plan was to "continue to oversee operations of the arena and all the teams under the Pegula ownership will continue to operate as their own entities similarly to how they have been.”

Then less than a year later pulled out of the agreement and said:

A spokesman later confirmed there would be "no change in ownership or the affiliations," adding the teams "will be unaffected and will remain in Rochester."

 

[Selanne00008]

Let me ask a different question. Why WOULDN'T Terry want to sell?

Is it bragging you own TWO pro sports team from where you're from?

Do the Sabres break even from a yearly revenue stand point but keep building equity for a future sale?

Is it stubbornness and ego to not be able to let go?

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Let me ask a different question. Why WOULDN'T Terry want to sell?

Is it bragging you own TWO pro sports team from where you're from?

Do the Sabres break even from a yearly revenue stand point but keep building equity for a future sale?

Is it stubbornness and ego to not be able to let go?

You need to find a buyer who would be acceptable to the NHL. That might not be so easy, but I assume he’s at least had some feelers out over the past few years.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

Let me ask a different question. Why WOULDN'T Terry want to sell?

Is it bragging you own TWO pro sports team from where you're from?

Do the Sabres break even from a yearly revenue stand point but keep building equity for a future sale?

Is it stubbornness and ego to not be able to let go?

I would guess that it is a combination of pride, feeling like he can fix it, and the fact that he has had nearly a 5x return on his original purchase. He bought it for $189M and some reports have the team at $900M+.

If he holds onto the Sabres another 10 years that could be nearly $2B (in theory). However they likely have to win some hockey games for that to happen.

 

[Selanne00008]

I would guess that it is a combination of pride, feeling like he can fix it, and the fact that he has had nearly a 5x return on his original purchase. He bought it for $189M and some reports have the team at $900M+.

If he holds onto the Sabres another 10 years that could be nearly $2B (in theory). However they likely have to win some hockey games for that to happen.

Well, they say an investment (in the market?) should double every 6 years I believe is the phrase.

So if it is worth 900M, it would be 1.8B in 6 years if he just sold and invested into a CD at 6%! Sell Terry Sell!!! lol

 

[joshjull]

It is more than a few impulsive or stupid decisions. He has not made a good decision yet when it comes to the GM or coaching hires in over a decade as owner.

Whether the reason why Pegula has consistently hired rookie GMs, and mostly rookie head coaches, is just that he is really, really bad at identifying quality candidates, he is unwilling to pay top dollar to land a candidate with a proven record, or he wants more input than a person with a resume and options would allow, it doesn't really matter to me.

None of the GMs that Pegula has hired and then fired have as yet been given a second chance.

Lindy Ruff is the last head coach that Pegula fired who has gotten an NHL head coaching job since.

You’re essentially just repeating what I said about his shitty hires to run the team. Then sprinkling in blame for the coaches. There is no evidence he hired the coaches directly.

And then you have all the turmoil and turnover you've seen in the PSE/One Buffalo leadership, and it points to that Pegula may have gotten really lucky with the McDermott hire and McDermott pushing for the Beane hire.

He did get lucky with McD and Beane. It reminds me of Ralph Wilson getting lucky with one of his cheap hires (Polian). That led to a lot of good football for many years. We went back to sucking once his people were gone from the Bills front office.

Pegula being really, really bad at identifying the right people is the main reason why I think he needs someone with NHL experience, whether that is a POHO or a Senior Advisor, to help him make these decisions. He has proven over the past decade that he is not good at this.

I agree but the job title doesn’t matter.

 

[joshjull]

How come they haven't bought draft picks by being a broker and retaining salary on deals?

Adams said they’ve tried but it didn’t work out (between the other two teams). So unless he’s lying, they did try to use that.

Why haven't they bought draft picks by taking on LTIR deals?

For a "draft and develop" team, they have left limited, time constrained resources expire without maximizing their utility to improve the team/prospect pipeline.

There has to be a reason for that. I'd love to hear your pet theory on that one.

I don’t know. It certainly hasn’t impacted their ability to build one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. Maybe it was as simple as that, they didn't need to.

But for the sake of this discussion, let’s say it was because Pegula said he didn’t want to spend money on players not playing. The two types of transactions you mentioned wouldn’t do anything to help us make the playoffs last year or this one. Nor did it effect our attempt to build a great prospect pool. If you’re going to argue his ownership meddling hurt our playoff chances or hurt us generally. This is a pretty pointless argument for that. Assuming it’s even true.

I’m guessing you brought these up to imply Pegula is cheap. Which is a weird angle to take in a discussion about his impact over the entirety of his ownership for two reasons. (1) The vast majority of his ownership he’s spent on ton on shitty rosters/front offices. (2) There is a legit hockey reason for the payroll being where it is.

 

[joshjull]

Let me ask a different question. Why WOULDN'T Terry want to sell?

Is it bragging you own TWO pro sports team from where you're from?

Do the Sabres break even from a yearly revenue stand point but keep building equity for a future sale?

Is it stubbornness and ego to not be able to let go?

He loves the Sabres and is naively optimistic.

Though stubbornness and ego are probably a part of it as well.

 

[joshjull]

Terry just pulled out of the Americans/Blue Cross lease today.

I have gone back and forth on if Terry will or will not sell and whether the NHL will or will not leave Buffalo. For the most part I think Buffalo keeps a team at the very least.

But every time Terry pulls money from the team, or doesn't keep up with the upkeep of the arena, or refuses to make good hockey decisions because he doesn't want to pay Granato I have to wonder what his plans are.

Amerks owner wants out of running Blue Cross Arena — at least for now

The group notified the city last week that it does not want to continue with the original 15-year deal but will run the arena through April 2025.

www.wxxinews.org

This summer the Sabre released this statement.


Then less than a year later pulled out of the agreement and said:

They didn’t pull out of the lease.

This opt out is specific to the operation and management of the arena

The notified the city they were pulling out of running the facility. Reading the article, it looks like a negotiating tactic in regards to projects to improve the arena and the area around it.

And officials later added that they had "not closed the door on continuing to manage and operate the arena," and that talks continue.

They’re still open to running it.

 

[Reddawg]

He loves the Sabres and is naively optimistic.

Though stubbornness and ego are probably a part of it as well.

Also his net worth is up like $3B since he bought the Bills ten years ago, so he's not remotely hurting for coin. He has no realistic motivation to sell the team he always wanted.

 

[TehDoak]

He loves the Sabres and is naively optimistic.

Though stubbornness and ego are probably a part of it as well.

essentially, someone from the WGR Whiner line bought the team and is in over their head.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Adams said they’ve tried but it didn’t work out (between the other two teams). So unless he’s lying, they did try to use that.

I don’t know. It certainly hasn’t impacted their ability to build one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. Maybe it was as simple as that, they didn't need to.

But for the sake of this discussion, let’s say it was because Pegula said he didn’t want to spend money on players not playing. The two types of transactions you mentioned wouldn’t do anything to help us make the playoffs last year or this one. Nor did it effect our attempt to build a great prospect pool. If you’re going to argue his ownership meddling hurt our playoff chances or hurt us generally. This is a pretty pointless argument for that. Assuming it’s even true.

I’m guessing you brought these up to imply Pegula is cheap. Which is a weird angle to take in a discussion about his impact over the entirety of his ownership for two reasons. (1) The vast majority of his ownership he’s spent on ton on shitty rosters/front offices. (2) There is a legit hockey reason for the payroll being where it is.

If you think Pegula is maximizing his opportunities, you are living in a dream world. Can we win under the cap and not maximize spending? Yes. But it's a disadvantage, and every advantage matters. Is he entitled to turn a profit and limit spending, yes. But he said money didn't matter. He mocked the previous owner, who did save the team. He is the one who said I will dig another well. He chopped his spending. He owns this. I don't care if he made dumb decisions like Leino in past.

 

[MOGlLNY]

essentially, someone from the WGR Whiner line bought the team and is in over their head.

Yes

 

[Jim Bob]

Adams said they’ve tried but it didn’t work out (between the other two teams). So unless he’s lying, they did try to use that.

I don’t know. It certainly hasn’t impacted their ability to build one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. Maybe it was as simple as that, they didn't need to.

But for the sake of this discussion, let’s say it was because Pegula said he didn’t want to spend money on players not playing. The two types of transactions you mentioned wouldn’t do anything to help us make the playoffs last year or this one. Nor did it effect our attempt to build a great prospect pool. If you’re going to argue his ownership meddling hurt our playoff chances or hurt us generally. This is a pretty pointless argument for that. Assuming it’s even true.

I’m guessing you brought these up to imply Pegula is cheap. Which is a weird angle to take in a discussion about his impact over the entirety of his ownership for two reasons. (1) The vast majority of his ownership he’s spent on ton on shitty rosters/front offices. (2) There is a legit hockey reason for the payroll being where it is.

I am confused because the actions of the Sabres franchise since the firing of Botterill and the hiring of Adams on a number of fronts seem to be at odds with claims that Pegula made when he bought the team with regards to how it would be run under his ownership.

How things are run with the Sabres also seem to conflict with how the Bills are run currently.

The Bills have also been significantly more successful as of late. Maybe that is just coincedence. Maybe not.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

They didn’t pull out of the lease.


The notified the city they were pulling out of running the facility. Reading the article, it looks like a negotiating tactic in regards to projects to improve the arena and the area around it.



They’re still open to running it.

Rochester will be accepting RFP's because the previous lease holder (Terry Pegula) no longer agrees to operate the arena and they need to find a replacement. Split hairs all you want, but that is the current situation.

When he dissolved PSE he told the city that basically it was only a change in naming and business structure and that they would continue to manage BCA. Then a few months later it did change nad Rochester is now accepting RFP's.

He keeps re-writting the rules.

He agreed to maintain KBC and has done the bare minimum. People have been having water dripping on them for years. Per the manufacturer the scoreboard should have been replaced years ago. It is well passed its life expectancy. Now he doesn't want to hold up his end of the bargain?

Pegula isn't the devil, but he is the worst owner in NHL history, and much worse than any of his predecessors in Buffalo or Rochester. Your need to be a constant Pegula apologist is odd.