Sabres captain Brian Gionta 'shocked' by housecleaning

Buffalo Sabres captain Brian Gionta had one word to describe the firing of general manager Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma on Wednesday.

“Shocked,’’ he said. “Obviously, I worked close with Dan and Tim, both great guys who poured their heart into the team. It’s tough to see. At the same time, it shows this organization wants to win and we want to win now. I’m excited for the future if I’m part of it.’’

The question is will he be?

Gionta, 38, is a free agent who just completed his third season with the Sabres. Murray signed the highly respected 15-year NHL veteran from Greece and Aquinas Institute before the start of the 2014-15 season to be a leadership presence through what was sure to be a difficult rebuilding phase.

The Sabres finished last in the NHL with 54 points for a second consecutive season Gionta’s first season in Buffalo, improved to 81 points in 2015-16 after the acquiring stars Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane and Jack Eichel, then slid back to 71 points this season, 17 points out of a playoff spot.

Pegula seeks established GM to instill discipline in Sabres

Murray was with the club 3 ½ seasons and Bylsma two. Owners Terry and Kim Pegula have now launched a search for their replacements and Terry Pegula addressed the media at KeyBank Center Friday morning.

For personal and professional reasons, Gionta, who won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils and also captained the Montreal Canadiens, is hopeful he can re-sign with the club. Murray expressed strong interest in bringing Gionta back but without Murray in his corner, it’s impossible to predict how this will play out.

“It’s a business, pro sports, I’ve been around and I know how it works,’’ said Gionta, who spoke Thursday night at the Rochester Press-Radio dinner where he received the prestigious Major Don Holleder Award. “But my views haven’t changed. I’d love to see this through. I think there is potential with the team and I’d love to be part of that, but at end of the day it’s on the new management team and ownership to see what direction that is.’’

Terry Pegula discusses Sabres changes

Murray, who worked tirelessly putting Buffalo’s roster back together, elected to stand pat on many fronts this season as his team finished 33-37-12 while being outscored by 36 goals. He made no moves after Eichel hurt his ankle and missed 21 games to start the year, didn’t fire Bylsma when his team needed a spark and was still in contention, and the trade deadline was uneventful.

Gionta, who could have been moved for a future draft pick, said Murray was justified in letting the team as constructed finish the year to see if a winning culture good take root.

“It’s easy to say, ‘Tim should’ve made these moves, should have made that,’ ‘’ Gionta said. “Those moves have to (be there) one, and two they have to be right for the team and organization for the future. That was his job to make sure he wasn’t sacrificing any of that for the short term. I think he did a great job and turned this team around. This year was obviously a huge stall, but with that being said, his draft picks, those will be down the road and his impact will be felt maybe a few years out.’’

As for Bylsma, who won a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh with superstar Sydney Crosby, Gionta said he felt everyone bought into his style and accepted his message “for the most part.’’ He said all players have to be held accountable. Blaming the coach is an easy excuse and firing the coach isn’t always the answer, he said.

“I’ve been around the game a long time, been through a lot of coaching changes,’’ Gionta said. “They take the fall but it’s on the players and players feel the responsibility for that.’’

Gionta also addressed Eichel, the team’s 20-year-old star forward who is at the center of the firestorm. A report this week said Eichel would not sign a contract extension as long as Bylsma remained as coach. Eichel and his agent denied that to The Buffalo News and said he wanted to remain a Sabres player for a long time.

“Lot of stuff came down yesterday, some unfair criticism his way,’’ Gionta said of Eichel. “He’s a great guy in the room, great teammate, he wants to do everything to win and he’s a young kid maturing. I think he feels a lot of the pressure for what he is, the face of the franchise at 19, 20 years old who is supposed to come in and revive the entire organization.

“He said it at his end-of-year news conference, 'There’s a difference between saying you want to win and doing the things to put yourself and your team in position to win.' That’s where we need to go as an organization and as players, look to what we can contribute to help a winning culture.’’

 Holleder Award

Buffalo Sabres captain and Greece native Brian Gionta was honored Thursday with the prestigious Major Don Holleder Award at the 68th annual Press-Radio Club Day of Champions Dinner at the convention center.

The award goes to a person whose life has “exhibited the highest level of sportsmanship, character, courage, and achievement consistent with the name of Don Holleder.’’

Major Holleder was an Aquinas Institute and West Point football star who was killed in Vietnam in 1967 while rescuing fallen comrades. As an Aquinas graduate, Gionta was deeply moved to receive an award named for Holleder. Gionta, 38, has played 15 NHL seasons and last season played in his 1,000th NHL game.

“It means a lot,’’ he said. “I made mention to the Aquinas connection but more than that it’s the sacrifice he made for this country. To be raising three kids now, to be in the place we’re at now, it comes with the sacrifices those guys made. I’m humbled by it.’’

Leo Roth