Buffalo Sabres announce separation of business operations from NFL’s Buffalo Bills

Pegula Sports & Entertainment, which controls both the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, announced Monday that it will separate the business operations of the two teams.

In a statement released on Monday, the Sabres said the move will allow “each respective organization to focus singularly on their efforts.”

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that Terry Pegula has been named Sabres president.Pegula Sports & Entertainment will be separating resources between the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, allowing each respective organization to focus singularly on their efforts.More… pic.twitter.com/exfS772EBV

The Sabres have been owned by oil and gas billionaire Terry Pegula, 72, and his wife Kim, 54, since 2011. The Pegulas subsequently purchased the Bills in 2014, beating out the likes of Donald Trump and Jon Bon Jovi with a $1.4 billion cash bid.

In the release on Monday, the Sabres announced that Terry Pegula will serve as team president, a role he also currently occupies with the Bills.

“We are thankful for the work and effort so many individuals have put into PSE over the years, but feel it is the right time for them to return home to separate organizations,” Terry Pegula said. “We feel that now is the right time to dissolve PSE and allow everyone to focus solely on their respective organization.

“It is a great time to be a Buffalo sports fan and we have a tremendous amount of confidence that this restructuring will allow our businesses to continue to elevate with our teams,” Pegula continued.

The Pegulas purchased the Sabres in February 2011. The Sabres qualified for the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs but have not reached the postseason since, with their active 12-year drought also being the longest in NHL history.

The Sabres have had a relatively quiet offseason, with their most notable unrestricted free agent signings being a pair of defensemen in Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson. But they have numerous players set to become RFAs after the 2023–24 season, including Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Casey Mittelstadt.

After finishing near the bottom of the NHL standings for many years, the Sabres narrowly missed qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs after posting a 42–33–7 record with 91 points in 82 games.