Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) - When the Sabres new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen spoke on Tuesday, he said some decision on his staff will come quickly and he has stayed true to his word. On Sunday he announced the hiring of former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin to be the Sabres associate GM and Josh Flynn as assistant general manager.
In a prepared statement Kekalainen said,
“Both Marc Bergevin and Josh Flynn bring a wealth of unique experience and perspective, and I am excited to add them to the Buffalo Sabres organization. Adding both to an already strong group adds versatility and helps us continue to build a well-rounded hockey operations staff. Marc has firsthand experience as an NHL general manager and a track record as a strong talent evaluator at the highest level. His insight will be invaluable as we continue to identify and develop talent throughout the organization.
“Josh’s strength lies within salary cap management, analytics, contract negotiations, and scouting. Having worked alongside him in Columbus for many years, I know that his attention to detail and nuanced understanding of league processes will help to enhance how we support our broader organization.”
Bergevin has spent the past 5.5 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings as a senior advisor. He also spent nine years leading the Canadiens as their general manager.
After being drafted in the third round of the 1983 NHL draft by the Chicago Black Hawks he made the team in the 1984-85 season. He retired in 2003-04 with the Vancouver Canucks. He also played for the New York Islanders, Hartford Whalers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins. That spans 1,191 NHL games for the defenseman.
He has won the Stanley Cup once in 2010 with Chicago as their director of player personnel. He also served as an assistant coach, scout and assistant GM with the Hawks.
Kekalainen is very familiar with Flynn as he worked with him when he was the GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The things that Flynn did for the Blue Jackets are the exact same things assistant general manager Mark Jakubowski has been doing for the Buffalo Sabres.
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On Nov. 28, Jake Allen shutout the Sabres 5-0 in Buffalo. He’ll be back in net Sunday. He’s 10-7-0 with a 2.49 goals against and .912 save percentage.
Brian Koziol and me at 6:45 after the Buffalo Bills game against the Cleveland Browns.