- Buffalo hired John Davidson as a senior advisor on Monday
- The 73-year-old spent 18 seasons running hockey ops for St. Louis, Columbus and the Rangers
- Read below for what Davidson brings and his history with GM Jarmo Kekalainen
The Buffalo Sabres added a heavy hitter to their front office.
Buffalo hired John Davidson as a senior advisor on Monday. The 73-year-old has spent 20 years working in NHL front offices, including 18 seasons as president of hockey operations for the Blues, Blue Jackets and Rangers.
The team made it official Monday afternoon:
Davidson reunites with a familiar name in Buffalo. He hired Jarmo Kekalainen as Columbus general manager back in February 2013, and the two spent years building the best stretch of hockey the Blue Jackets have ever had.
Kekalainen talked about bringing his old partner aboard.
“I am thrilled to welcome John Davidson to the Sabres as a senior advisor. 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.”
The resume backs it up. Davidson took over a 57-point Blues team and turned it into a 108-point contender across six seasons in St. Louis. He did the same kind of work in Columbus, where the franchise went from 65 points the year before he arrived to four straight playoff appearances and a franchise-record 108 points in 2016-17.
He also served as Columbus interim GM in 2023-24 during his second run with the club, then as a senior advisor there in 2024-25. His arrival gives Buffalo three people with GM experience in the building, joining Kekalainen and assistant Marc Bergevin.
As for Davidson, he explained what drew him to Buffalo.
“I am excited to join the Buffalo Sabres and look forward to the opportunity to help the organization in any way I can. The momentum in Buffalo is palpable throughout the entire league and the passion from Sabres fans makes this opportunity all the more exciting.”
The Sabres have been among the busiest teams this offseason, re-signing Peyton Krebs to a four-year extension as part of a long run of summer moves. Davidson gives Kekalainen another set of eyes he already knows and trusts.
