BUFFALO – Former Boston Bruins winger Milan Lucic, whose ferocious open-ice hit in 2011 concussed goalie Ryan Miller and made him public enemy No. 1 in these parts, has joined the Sabres as a pro scout.
His hire was one of six the Sabres announced Tuesday. This is general manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s first offseason running the team.
Lucic, 38, recently retired from playing after spending last season with the Fife Devils, an Elite Ice Hockey League team based in Scotland.
He played 1,117 NHL games over 17 seasons, mostly with the Bruins. He last played in the big leagues early in 2023-24. He took an indefinite leave of absence that season after being arrested on suspicion of assault and battery on a family member. Prosecutors later dropped a domestic violence charge.
The other hires are below.
– South Buffalo native Tim Kennedy, who spent the last five years as a development coach, has been named director of player development.
Kennedy, 40, replaces Adam Mair, who was let go last year after being charged with felony DUI for allegedly driving under the influence and crashing his car with children in it.
Kennedy, a former forward, played 162 NHL games, including 79 with the Sabres.
– Stacy Roest has been named director of player personnel and GM of the Rochester Americans.
Roest spent 12 years in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization serving in various front office roles, including director of player personnel, director of player development, assistant GM and GM of the AHL Syracuse Crunch.
He joined the Sabres last season as a pro scout. He replaces Jason Karmanos, who was fired shortly after Kekalainen took over in December, as Amerks GM.
Roest, 52, a former forward, played 244 NHL games.
– Neil Komadoski, 44, has been named assistant director of pro scouting.
He spent the last 15 years as a pro scout for the Vancouver Canucks.
– Former NHL agitator Jarko Ruutu, who bit Sabres enforcer Andrew Peters in 2009 as a member of the Ottawa Senators, has been named European development coach.
Ruutu, 50, played 652 NHL games. He served as a development coach under Kekalainen with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
– Former NHL tough guy has Derek Dorsett has named forward development coach.
Dorsett, 39, played 515 NHL games. He also served as a development coach under Kekalainen in Columbus.