The Buffalo Sabres on Sunday made their first front-office hires under new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, adding Marc Bergevin as associate GM and Josh Flynn as assistant GM.
Bergevin, 60, served as GM of the Montreal Canadiens from 2012 to 2021, making the playoffs six times and reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2021. He most recently worked as a senior advisor for the Los Angeles Kings.
He began his post-playing career working for the Chicago Blackhawks, first as a scout before moving up to director of player personnel and assistant GM. He won the Cup in his player personnel role in 2010.
Bergevin, a former defenseman, played 1,191 NHL games over 20 seasons.
Flynn, 43, worked alongside Kekalainen with Columbus Blue Jackets, first serving as director of hockey administration before being promoted to assistant GM.
“Marc Bergevin and Josh Flynn bring a wealth of unique experience and perspective, and I am excited to add them to the Buffalo Sabres organization,” Kekalainen said in a statement. “Adding both to an already strong group adds versatility and helps us continue to build a well-rounded hockey operations staff. Marc has firsthand experience as an NHL general manager and a track record as a strong talent evaluator at the highest level. His insight will be invaluable as we continue to identify and develop talent throughout the organization.
“Josh’s strength lies within salary cap management, analytics, contract negotiations, and scouting. Having worked alongside him in Columbus for many years, I know that his attention to detail and nuanced understanding of league processes will help to enhance how we support our broader organization.”
The Sabres on Saturday fired Jason Karmanos, former GM Kevyn Adams’ associate GM.
Kekalainen, 59, replaced Adams on Monday.