The Buffalo Sabres season began with the hope of ending their long playoff drought and will end on April 17th with a 14th consecutive year outside of the postseason. There are a number of contributing factors to the club’s struggles, but according to an article in the Athletic that surveyed fans from every NHL club, Sabres owner Terry Pegula is ranked last among the 32 owners.
Almost 4,000 fans and internal evaluations from the Athletic ranked ownership on their willingness to spend, organizational stability, treatment of the fan base, and franchise vision, and in all those categories, Sabres owner Terry Pegula finished at the bottom of the league, which is where his club has finished more times than they would prefer.
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The most alarming aspect is the confidence in ownership and being able to turn things around. Only 4% of those surveyed have a higher level of confidence that things will change for the better, while 61% have less confidence that things will change. According to the article, the Buffalo fanbase was heavily represented and their input was filled with “vitriol”, including calls for Pegula to sell the club, which has been heard from an audible throng of fans at Key Bank Center since the 13-game winless skid in November and December.
The level of frustration is understandable based on the lengthy struggles that Sabres fans have endured. After initial failures with the Buffalo Bills, the hiring of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane has provided stability for the last eight seasons. However, with the NHL franchise, there has been continual turnover in the front office and behind the bench, and Pegula seems to have no interest in hiring a team president or replacing GM Kevyn Adams after five years of failure.
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