Jason Botterill leaves Penguins to take over as Sabres’ GM
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jason Botterill has no second thoughts over leaving the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins while they are in the midst of yet another playoff run.
The lure of returning to the Buffalo Sabres, an organization with which Botterill ended his playing career, and opportunity to make his mark as a first-time general manager outweighed the close ties he established and two championship teams he helped build over the past 10 years in Pittsburgh.
“It’s emotional, but at the end of the day, it’s not a decision at all,” Botterill said shortly after being hired on Thursday. “I am 100 per cent ecstatic about being here and being part of this organization right now and being back in Buffalo.”
And, the now-former Penguins associate GM joked, he’s still in line to win a third championship ring a day after the Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a 2-0 win over Washington in Game 7 of their second-round series.