Kevyn Adams watched the Buffalo Sabres’ first playoff run in 15 years with pride.
The team’s former general manager, dismissed in mid-December, told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic that as a boyhood fan of the team, it was a thrill to see them back in the postseason.
“It’s my hometown,” Adams said. “I grew up as a Sabres fan. I was sitting in the oranges with my dad as a kid. I understand what the team means to the fan base in Buffalo, and I’m just so proud to see the success the team had. I spent 16 years in the organization. I got hired by Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff and started in player development back in 2009.”
A native of nearby Clarence, NY, Adams became the team’s general manager in 2020 and built much of the roster that finished atop the Atlantic Division on 109 points. It was Adams who pulled the trigger on the deals of Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights and Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers. He was also responsible for the drafting of the likes of Owen Power, Zach Benson and Konsta Helenius among others. Adams also retained players with the signings of Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and Mattias Samuelsson to long-term deals.
“We had to really come up with a plan on how we were going to set up the organization for sustainable success,” Adams said. “What I’m really proud of is that we came up with a plan and stuck to it. You know, draft, develop, retain, and when we were really young, we let those players get the reps. Don’t block their development. And then when the team was ready to be more mature, make some strategic trades and sign some UFA guys.”
Despite the fruits of his labour blooming this spring, Adams concedes that his reign was also filled with the mistakes, the kind he hopes to learn from in his next job whenever that may come.
“For me, it’s always about trying to be as transparent and honest with how we were doing things and help the fans understand what our plan was and why,” Adams said. “But yeah, as I’ve gone over everything the last couple of months, there’s certainly things that I’d say, ‘Next time when I’m in that chair and in that chair position, I might do them differently.’”
Adams interviewed for the Vancouver Canucks’ managerial vacancy that ultimately was filled internally by Ryan Johnson, but he remains keen on getting back to work.
“I can’t wait to get back at it in that next chapter,” Adams said. “I really believe I have a lot to go give and a lot to offer. I’ve learned a lot.”
Prior to getting into management, Adams appeared in 540 NHL games across 11 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Phoenix Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. A centre, Adams notched 59 goals and 77 assists. He was a member of the Hurricanes team that won the Stanley Cup in 2006.
