The Buffalo Sabres sent their coach and general manager packing and Wednesday brought back ex-coach Ted Nolan to try to salvage their 2013-14 NHL season.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula fired both general manager Darcy Regier and head coach Ron Rolston on Tuesday night and on Wednesday named former Sabres great Pat LaFontaine as president of hockey operations and Nolan as interim head coach.
The move comes just after the Sabres edged the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in a shoot out on Tuesday to avoid matching the worst home start in NHL history.
Nevertheless the Sabres are just 4-15-1 and have the fewest points in the NHL with nine.
"I just decided," Pegula said of the changes. "Sometimes you get to the point where a change is needed. Darcy Regier had a heckuva run with the Buffalo Sabres."
Rolston was in his first season as the full-time head coach. He took over on an interim basis last February after Lindy Ruff was sacked.
Nolan was Buffalo's head coach for two seasons from 1995-97 before Ruff had his stellar run of 15 years as head coach.
Nolan guided the Sabres to a record of 73-72-19, taking a team that finished fifth in its division in 1995-96 to first place the following year.
Regier took over as Sabres' general manager in 1997 and decided not to renew Nolan's contract. Nolan, 55, didn't find another NHL head coaching job until 2006-07 with the New York Islanders, where he spent two seasons.
Overall, Nolan has a record of 147-140-19-21 as an NHL head coach. He has been coaching the Latvian national team since 2011 and will still guide the European nation at the Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia, in February.
"It's great to be back," Nolan said. "Hopefully, I can bring some credibility back to this organization."
Source: DSG
