The Buffalo Sabres have shaken things up in the wake of the team marching out to an NHL-worst record of 4-15-1 by hiring Pat LaFontaine and Ted Nolan and firing head coach Ron Rolston and general manager Darcy Regier.
LaFontaine, who was a star center for the Sabres in the 1990s, will take over as president for the team's hockey operations while Nolan will take his place behind the bench as the interim coach.
"It's interesting how things come full circle," LaFontaine said about taking over for a team he used to play on, via USA Today Sports.
Regier was in charge of the Sabres hockey department since he was hired in 1997, and the soon-to-be 57 year old was responsible for trying to rebuild the franchise, but it would seem that team owner Terry Pegula finally lost patience after the team started out so rocky this season. The Sabres were just coming off of a 3-2 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 Tuesday night at the First Niagara Center.
Buffalo, which has never won a Stanley Cup, is off to the team's worst start in franchise history and Pegula noted it was time for a change.
"My goals for this organization have not changed," said Pegula, according to USA Today.
Rolston, 47, replaced long-time Sabres coach Lindy Ruff after he was fired on Feb. 20 and the Sabres won just nine games in regulation under his leadership and went 26-19-6 overall.
Rolston is replaced by Nolan, 55, who coached the Sabres in the past and won 1996-97 Coach of the Year honors with Buffalo.
"There's no one that can bring a group of players together -and I've seen it first hand - than Ted Nolan," LaFontaine told USA Today.
Nolan hasn't coached behind a bench in the NHL since a two-season stint with the New York Islanders that stretched from 2006-08, and he seemed excited to be taking over the reins.
"We'll compete ... make it an exciting place," Nolan said via USA Today. "There's no words inside me to express how excited I am."
The Sabres haven't made it to the postseason since a first round exit in 2010-11, and haven't gotten out of the first round since 2006-07, but Nolan and LaFontaine will hope to reverse the team's luck one game at a time.
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