Buffalo Sabres fired their head coach Ralph Krueger on Wednesday, confirming the news on social media. The move comes after the team’s 2-3 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, which extended their losing streak to 12 games.
Krueger, who got the job ahead of the 2019-20 season, leaves Sabres in the last place in the East Division with the league’s worst record (6-18-4). This puts the team on course to miss the playoffs for the 10th straight season, which would match the NHL’s longest postseason drought.
The organization is yet to announce who will take over from Krueger. General manager Kevyn Adams reportedly thought about taking the job himself but gave up on the idea due to the upcoming NHL trade deadline.
Ralph Krueger is the third NHL head coach to get fired in the 2020-21 NHL season. Previously, the Montreal Canadiens replaced Claude Julien with Dominique Ducharme, while the Calgary Flames moved on from Geoff Ward.
Krueger spent his playing and early coaching career in Europe. He had his first head-coaching stint with the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012-13 season, holding the job for just one season and being fired after the team won only 19 games.
Besides hockey, Krueger also had a career as a soccer executive. He served as the director and chairman of Premier League side Southampton between 2014 and 2019.
