Dan Bylsma didn’t know Andrew Allen. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald

Sabres’ Dan Bylsma impressed by goalie coach Andrew Allen

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Dan Bylsma had no previous connection to Andrew Allen before hiring the 38-year-old as goalie coach this week.

“Really word of mouth and had some great recommendations from people in Chicago,” Bylsma said Friday inside the First Niagara Center. “So I got to know him in the last week or 10 days and got him in here a little bit earlier this week.”

Allen, a former pro goalie, spent the last four seasons as the Chicago Blackhawks’ developmental goaltending coach, overseeing the netminders with the AHL Rockford IceHogs. He spent three seasons as St. Lawrence University’s goalie coach and also coached in Japan before joining the Blackhawks.

Bylsma didn’t retain former goalie coach Arturs Irbe, who spent one season in Buffalo.

“I think after we chatted Arturs and I decided to go separate ways,” Bylsma said.

Bylsma’s staff is now complete. He hired Dave Barr and Terry Murray as assistant coaches last month and Dan Lambert earlier this week.

The Sabres, however, still need a coach for the Rochester Americans. That hire could take some time.

“We’re down the road, not close,” Bylsma said.

One thought on “Sabres’ Dan Bylsma impressed by goalie coach Andrew Allen”

  1. Hope that works out. Not sure if it was Irbe’s work, but some pretty sub par goalies played pretty good goal last year. Hopefully they didn’t let go of Sean Burke 2.

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