Overview
- Buffalo announced Adams’ dismissal and appointed Kekäläinen to oversee hockey operations effective immediately with no interim tag.
- Pegula said the club is "not where we need to be," ending Adams’ five-plus-year tenure without a playoff berth during the NHL-record drought.
- The change followed days of reported internal deliberations and came after a three-game road-trip win streak with the team still 14-14-4 near the East basement.
- Kekäläinen joined as a senior adviser in May after 11 years leading Columbus and is the NHL’s first European-born general manager.
- An introductory press conference may be delayed due to a family bereavement in Finland, and early decisions include the future of pending UFA Alex Tuch.