The Buffalo Sabres have hired John Davidson as a senior advisor on Monday.
He joins a front office led by general manager Jarmo Kekalainen as well as assistant GMs Marc Bergevin and Josh Flynn.
Davidson has 20 years of experience working in NHL front offices, which includes 18 years as president of hockey operations in stints with the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers. He last served as a senior advisor with Columbus during the 2024-25 season.
“I am excited to join the Buffalo Sabres and look forward to the opportunity to help the organization in any way I can,” Davidson said in a statement. “The momentum in Buffalo is palpable throughout the entire league and the passion from Sabres fans makes this opportunity all the more exciting. I look forward to continuing the relationships with many in the Sabres’ front office and building new ones in this role, all with the goal of contributing to a winning culture. Thank you to Jarmo and the Pegula family for this opportunity.”
The Sabres are coming off a campaign where they broke a 14-year playoff drought, finished first in the Atlantic Division with a 50-23-9 record and made it to the second round of playoffs before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7.
While serving as president of hockey operations in Columbus, Davidson hired Kekalainen as GM of the Blue Jackets in February of 2013.
“I am thrilled to welcome John Davidson to the Sabres as a senior advisor,” Kekalainen said. “John and I have a strong working relationship that we have developed over many years. His experience leading multiple organizations, combined with his player evaluation skills and relationships around the NHL make him a great fit for this role. He will lend his expertise and guidance to all areas within the hockey department as we aim to continue to improve our club.”
