Phil Housley lasted two seasons with the Sabres. ©2019, Hickling Images

Sabres fire coach Phil Housley

BUFFALO – The Sabres fired Phil Housley this afternoon, less than a day after the team completed a disappointing season in which it fell from first overall in late November to sixth in the Atlantic Division.

Even as the Sabres stumbled and lost their grip on a playoff spot early in the winter, it seemed like Housley would return for a third season unless the team totally imploded down the stretch.

Well, the Sabres fell apart, losing 16 of 17 games before winning their final two outings. That two-game winning streak marked the first time they won back-to-back games since Dec. 11 and 13.

After their 10-game run ended Nov. 29, the Sabres finished the season an abysmal 16-33-8, compiling the fewest wins and points in the league, just 40.

As the season dragged on, the Sabres kept regressing. In March, they went an awful 2-12-2. Opponents shut them out five times, including three straight games in the middle of the month.

By then, it seemed like Housley’s job was in jeopardy. Surly fans kept calling for his dismissal.

Following a wretched 31st-place finish a year ago in which they mustered only 62 points in Housley’s first season, the Sabres went 33-39-19 overall this year, a 14-point improvement.

Fresh off a season widely considered the worst in franchise history, the Sabres became the second team in NHL history to have a 10-game winning streak and miss the playoffs, joining the 2016-17 Philadelphia Flyers.

Overall, the Sabres went 58-84-22 under Housley, winning just 35 percent of their games.

Stay tuned for more updates. Sabres general manager Jason Botterill will address the media at 4:30 p.m. With Housley gone, the heat is now on Botterill. If he botches his next hire, he likely won’t get another chance.

The Sabres next coach will be their sixth in barely six years. That, of course, is not healthy for any organization. The Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since 2011, the NHL’s longest drought.

Hiring Housley in June 2017 to replace Dan Bylsma was lauded. Less than two years ago, thanks to a successful run as an assistant with the Nashville Predators, Housley was the NHL’s hottest coaching candidate.

After the Predators lost in the Stanley Cup final, Botterill, who had just taken over as GM, quickly scooped up Housley, whose defense in Nashville played fast.

In addition to his coaching credentials, Housley was coming back to Buffalo, where he spent the first seven seasons of his Hall of Fame career as a defenseman.

Now, 22 months after he returned, Housley is gone.

So who could be on Botterill’s radar?

Botterill could stay within the organization. While Rochester Americans coach Chris Taylor has never been behind an NHL bench, he has enjoyed a solid two-year run with the Sabres’ AHL affiliate.

Botterill and Taylor are friends from their days as teammates with the Sabres and Amerks. Taylor is popular with his players and has coached in the AHL in some capacity since retiring in 2011.

Botterill developed as an executive with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won Cups in 2009 and 2016 after promoting Bylsma and Mike Sullivan from the AHL.

Since Housley was a first-time head coach, Botterill might want to pursue a more experienced candidate.

Joel Quenneville, who won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks before getting fired Nov. 6, will be hotly pursued by some teams with a vacancy. The Florida Panthers reportedly want him badly.

Alain Vigneault, who sat out this season after the New York Rangers fired him a year ago, has a successful history over 16 seasons. He led the Vancouver Canucks to the Cup final in 2011 and the Rangers in 2014.

Todd McLellan, who was fired by the Oilers on Nov. 20, enjoyed a strong run with the San Jose Sharks before stumbling during his tenure with in Edmonton.

Todd Richards, who has coached the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild, is now an assistant with the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning. Richard coached Pittsburgh’s affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to the Calder Cup final in Botterill’s first season with the Penguins.

4 thoughts on “Sabres fire coach Phil Housley”

  1. Bring in some Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott for a few weeks in the off-season, even if they don’t know that ice is just frozen water they gotta be better than How’smanyL’s and Botchitall

  2. It was obvious that Phil lost out on getting his message through ! However, the players must shoulder the bulk of the responsibility ! For whatever reasons they refused to implement Housley’s system with consistency and grit! This falls on them! For the amount of money they are making and the privilege of playing the game they enjoy and recognizing the special talent they’ve been blessed with, they should be grateful for the opportunity to play in the NHL! Furthermore, they should be cognizant of the long-suffering Sabres ‘ fans who continue to support them!
    Reflecting on all this, they should be giving 110% every shift of every game!
    Shalom ! Fr Pat Ipolito

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