Organization alumnus becomes eighth general manager in franchise history
Buffalo Sabres Owner Terry Pegula on Thursday announced the team hired Jason Botterill to be the team's general manager.
"We are very happy to welcome Jason Botterill to the Buffalo Sabres family," Pegula said. "Jason's hockey knowledge, experience drafting and developing players, and his approach to management stood out to us during our interview process. Jason has built a solid reputation as a leader that connects strongly with players and staff around him. We are confident he will have a positive impact within our organization and will help us get to our ultimate goal."
An 11-year veteran of NHL front offices, Botterill joins the Sabres after spending the past 10 seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, where he played an integral role in building the roster of two Stanley Cup champion teams (2008-09 and 2015-16).
In his most recent post as associate general manager, Botterill was involved in scouting, player development, contract negotiations and salary cap management. He also served as general manager of the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from 2009-10 to 2016-17, guiding the team to two division titles and eight consecutive playoff appearances.
Botterill joined the Penguins as their director of hockey administration in July 2007 after serving as a scout for the Dallas Stars in 2006-07. He was later promoted to assistant general manager in 2009 before becoming the associate general manager in 2014.
A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Botterill also developed a championship pedigree during his playing career. He won a gold medal as a member of the Canadian World Junior Championship team in 1994, 1995 and 1996, and was a part of the University of Michigan's NCAA Championship squad in 1996. Botterill later won a Calder Cup in 2001 as a member of the St. John Flames.
Botterill played in the Sabres organization during his final three professional seasons, posting eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 36 games for the Sabres and 100 points (59/41) in 118 games for the Rochester Americans (AHL).
