today. Here are 10questions that you, the Buffalo sports fan, may hope to have answered.
1. Why did you fire Lindy Ruff?
Just kidding. Had to do that one. Pegula, the owner of the Bills and Sabres, hasn't given a hockey centric news conference in 3 1/2 years, so there jerseys wholesale are some lingering questions.
The hell with Rex. I still waiting for the Pegulas to explain the decision to fire Lindy Ruff who was here eight times longer. John Vogl compiled a thorough list of candidates for both coach and GM here:
Well known names abound as Sabres search for GM, coach
2. What's the deal with this Eichel business?How much pull does he really have in the organization?
After a report Wednesday Wholesale Jerseys that Jack Eichel wouldn't want to re sign in Buffalo if Bylsma remainedthe Sabres' coach, Eichel's agent, Peter Fish, went above and beyond the call of duty to deny the report to anyone would listen. Vogl even scored an exclusive interview with Eichel himself, who said he thought his end of year meeting with Bylsma went well.
But after Thursday's news, Eichel's role in the situation is wholesale authnetic jerseys at least curious. "As for Jack Eichel and agent Peter Fish? Their denials seem pretty hollow now," Harrington wrote.
Mike Harrington: With Tankmaster gone, a hockey czar is what Sabres need
3. Will you hire a director of hockey operations? What management structure do you envision for the Sabres?
With the Bills, coach Sean McDermott and general manager Doug Whaley both report directly to Pegula. It was the same way with Rex Ryan. But at the Sabres, Bylsma was under Murray, who reported to Pegula.
Is that the way Pegula sees this working out? Does he plan to hire anyone else to oversee the hockey side of things? . perhaps an autocratic ruler?
Mike Harrington's Hot Read: Pegulas need to hire hockey czar, then get out of way
4. What made you fire Murray in addition to Bylsma?
Pegula may not give a straight answer on this, but it's worth asking. Players seemed to tire of Bylsma at times this year, which, along with poor results, brought his job security into question. But firing Murray was a much bigger surprise. What happened?
Bucky Gleason wrote about that topic here.
Bucky Gleason's Hot Read: Sabres' problems start at the top
5. Are you worried about how many people you have fired?
When you're a billionaire, maybe doling outseverance pay of a couple million bucks doesn't mean that much to you. Buteven putting the money aside, the volume of people the Pegulas have cast aside is troublesome. The Bills and Sabres have shownfive coaches, two GMs and two presidentsthe doorsince 2013, and another coachquit.
Maybe the money isn't important to them, but what about their reputation and the way they're viewed nationally? Terry Pegula usually acts like thatisn't an issue, butin a matter of months he has fired two coaches after only two years on the job. That's not a lot of leeway.
Mark Gaughan compiled a comprehensive timeline of the Pegula ownership, and it's not pretty.
Timeline: The Turbulent Reign of Terry Pegula
6. From your view, what went wrong for the Sabres?
It better be a stronger answer than "injuries." Jobs were lostover this.
Might also be worth asking, were the firings based more on the lack of on ice success orthe way the organization was being run? Pegula's response could be telling.