Buffalo Sabres Owner and President Terry Pegula announced today that he has relieved Kevyn Adams of his duties and named Jarmo Kekäläinen as the next general manager.
“Kevyn Adams has been relieved of his duties as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” Pegula said. “I would like to thank Kevyn for his dedication and loyalty to the Buffalo Sabres. He has been a reliable presence, and we are appreciative of his enduring care and commitment. I personally wish him and his entire family all the best.
“We are not where we need to be as an organization, and we are moving forward with new leadership within our hockey operations department. We are dedicated to building an organization that is competitive year after year, and we have fallen short of that expectation.
“I have named Jarmo Kekäläinen as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres and he will be overseeing hockey operations, effective immediately. The hiring of Jarmo was the result of an extensive search process in which Jarmo stood out as our top choice for the senior advisor position. Jarmo has distinguished himself over the last eight months, and his experience, professionalism, and drive speaks for itself. I am looking forward to him leading our organization to the next level.”
Kekäläinen was previously named senior advisor for the Buffalo Sabres on May 30, 2025 before being promoted to general manager. He will oversee all aspects of the Sabres’ hockey operations. The 2025-26 season will mark his first in the role and 28th working in an NHL front office.
“It is a great honor to be named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres,” Kekäläinen said. “I would like to extend my thanks to Terry and Kim Pegula for this opportunity. I am humbled to be the steward of this team and look forward to experiencing the passion that Sabres fans bring to every game.”
A native of Kuopio, Finland, Kekäläinen spent parts of 12 seasons as general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2024, becoming the first European-born general manager in NHL history. During his tenure, Columbus reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs five times, set a franchise record with 50 wins and 108 points in 2016-17, and captured the organization’s first playoff series win with a first-round sweep of Tampa Bay in 2019.
Prior to his time in Columbus, Kekäläinen held executive roles with the St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators, serving in positions that included assistant general manager, director of amateur scouting, director of player personnel, and European scout. With St. Louis, he oversaw seven draft classes that produced 32 NHL players, including 12 who went on to play more than 500 NHL games. He also spent three years as general manager of Jokerit in Finland’s top professional league and worked with the Finnish national team program.
Kekäläinen played collegiately at Clarkson University and professionally in Finland and Sweden before transitioning into management.
