BUFFALO – The Sabres have fired assistant coaches James Patrick and Kevyn Adams, according to multiple reports.
It was believed new Sabres coach Ron Rolston, whose interim tag was removed Tuesday, would make some changes to his staff.
The reports state assistant Teppo Numminen will stay on. The status of goalie coach Jim Corsi is unclear.
Other than one year playing in Europe, Patrick has been a Sabres player or coach since 1998-99. The 49-year-old former defenseman, a top aid of former coach Lindy Ruff, started coaching in 2006-07.
The team bypassed Patrick and named Rolston interim coach when Ruff was fired Feb. 20, however. Patrick could end up at Ruff’s next stop.
Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Adams, who retired in 2008, was promoted from player development coach prior to the 2011-12 season to replace Brian McCutcheon. Adams grew up in Clarence.
The Sabres, fresh off a 12th-place finish a second straight season out of the playoffs, have a myriad of problems as they begin a rebuilding phase.
Their special teams – the power play ranked 29th overall and the penalty killing 26th – are terrible. Alleged franchise defenseman Tyler Myers has suffered a stunning regression since a dynamic rookie season in 2009-10. Franchise cornerstones Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek could be dealt this offseason.
The list goes on.
Rolston said Tuesday he would like to name his coaching staff in the next week.
Chadd Cassidy could be promoted from Rochester to fill one of the vacancies. Rolston brought Cassidy with him to the Americans as an assistant from the Team USA development program.
Cassidy took over the AHL club when the Sabres promoted Rolston on Feb. 20, leading the Amerks to the playoffs.
Like Rolston, Cassidy has no NHL playing experience, however. Patrick and Adams played a combined 1,820 games. Adams won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2005-06.
Numminen and Corsi both played in the NHL.
I’m hoping someone who was a former Sabres player gets a nod as one of the assistants. Peca would be a great special teams coach. I’m almost 100% sure the Cassidy gets the other nod.
I’m not sure why Numminen is staying on? Defense has been pretty bad ever since he joined the coaching ranks.
Adams had absolutely no business behind that bench. Patrick was in charge of the defense and penalty kill and need we repeat that record again? His system was outdated. The same system Detroit’s D’s uses and watch how much trouble they have getting the puck out of their zone. Ruff ruined many players. He wasted so many talented kids in trying to turn them into someone they weren’t. Regier has done an above average job on so many pics and trades. These kids just haven’t been coached.
I’m so sick of all the former Sabres. They’re a bunch of losers.