Same Team. Different Leader. Huge Results.

Full disclosure: I’ve been a Buffalo Sabres fan for as long as I can remember.

My dad took me to games when I was a little kid, and Sabres hockey has been in my blood ever since. Nothing against the Bills — I love them — but for me, it has always been hockey.

Growing up in Buffalo, our neighborhood was packed with kids my age. We played street hockey constantly. I was the goalie. My gear was… let’s call it creative. A baseball glove. A catcher’s chest protector. Sometimes a mask. We used a tennis ball, not a puck.

And I had the coolest goalie pads on the block, because my dad worked for a company that manufactured foam products.

Hockey wasn’t just something we watched. It was our life.

In fourth grade — early 80s — the Sabres had a home playoff game in the afternoon (which still feels like a scheduling crime). My friends and I snuck a portable AM radio into class. One single corded earpiece ran up my sleeve so I could listen during class without my teacher, Ms. Yesney, noticing. (She noticed). But dang we were creative (right Mark Anzalone and Tim Cardinal?!).

All of this is to say: yes, I am a huge fan of this team.

Which is why the last 14 years have been… painful.

A Franchise Spinning Its Wheels In The Sand

The Buffalo Sabres have been in the middle of a 14-year playoff drought (just happens to the longest in NHL HISTORY!) Multiple head coaches. Multiple general managers.Endless “rebuilds.” New systems. New players. New promises.

None of it has worked!!

Here’s the part that has always baffled the fans:The same person owns the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills.

One franchise is a gold standard. Perennial playoff team. A reigning MVP quarterback. Stability. Identity. Confidence.

The other? Lost. Frustrated. Drifting.

By December of this year, the frustration boiled over. Home crowds were chanting for the owner to sell the team — and for the GM to be fired.

Now let's breathe for a second....in with the love...and out with the jive...

Imagine being a player in that locker room.Your fans have lost faith.The person in charge has lost the community. Everyone knows it.

How motivated would you be?

Then Something Changed

On December 9th, the Sabres were on game four of a six-game road trip.

They had lost the first three.They were losing again.

And then… they came back and won.

They won the next two games as well — a three-game road win streak that felt different. When they returned to Buffalo, something fans had waited a long time for finally happened.

They fired the GM.

What followed was nothing short of remarkable.

The Sabres won 10 games in a row, tying the longest win streak in franchise history.Since December 9th, they’ve gone 16–3–1, making them the hottest team in the NHL over that stretch.

Same roster. Same players. Different leader.

As of today, they’re sitting in a playoff spot.

Yes, there’s a lot of season left. But still… wow.

The Leadership Lesson

This is the part that matters beyond hockey.

A team that is not inspired, trusted, or motivated by its leadership cannot be expected to perform at its peak.

The new GM came in and demanded excellence.He made it clear nobody’s job was safe — including the head coach’s. Expectations were reset. Accountability returned. Energy shifted.

And the results were immediate.

This wasn’t about talent. It wasn’t about a new system. It wasn’t even about strategy.

It was about leadership. Same people. Different environment. Completely different outcomes.

Final Thought

Whether you’re leading a hockey team, a business, a nonprofit, or a classroom — leadership isn’t a background role. It’s the climate.

And when the climate changes, everything changes.

Now excuse me while I cautiously believe again.

If you want that kind of shift for your organization, I help teams build trust, communicate better, and perform under pressure — using practical, playful, and highly effective workshops. No new hires required. No trades needed. Just better leadership and a healthier team environment. If your team has the talent but not the momentum, let’s see what’s possible.

Let's Go Buffalo!!!