Who Will Be A Part Of "The Pegula Rewards Program?"

The disappointment was seen and felt in the end-of-season presser a few days ago as new Buffalo Sabres Owner Terry Pegula, Team President Ted Black, GM Darcy Regier and Head Coach Lindy Ruff met the media.

While there were some obvious positives--the entire 2011 part of the season--there was also a feeling that they missed an opportunity with this group of players and as Pegula mentioned, the four guys "were not very happy about [being out of the playoffs."] He even went as far to say "personally, for the first time I walked in the building after the playoffs, it sorta ticked me off watching the ice being taken out."

"Not very happy." "Ticked me off."

Good stuff from The Head Honcho.

Pegula and Co. took over in February with a simple edict:  "From this point forward, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win the Stanley Cup."

The above plaque, placed in the locker room while the Sabres were on a seven-game road trip to start the month of March, is a staunch reminder that this is the goal.

Pegula is a self-made billionaire who will "put the pedal to the metal" in an effort to bring Lord Stanley's Cup to Buffalo.

He laid out his role in this way during the press conference when he was officially named owner of the Buffalo Sabres:

• "I wanna run the team to win the Stanley Cup"
• "There's no NHL salary cap on scouting budgets and player development budgets, I plan on increasing our...scouting budgets"
• "There will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department"
• when it comes to player moves, [Darcy's] "got freedom"
• on players leaving--"Yes, I wanna keep not only statistically good players, but winners gritty players"

Although none of us know just how "hand's-on" Pegula will be, (he said just enough "without losing my family,") he's smart enough to surround himself with some of the best in the business in right-hand man, Black and Senior Advisor Ken Sawyer. They are in charge of "his baby."

As the patriarch of the Buffalo Sabres, Pegula has set the tone by stating up-front that he'll put his money where his mouth is. He's building an organization in Buffalo using the successful model he used with East Rescources, the Company he founded and eventually sold for $4.3 billion.

Sabres President Ted Black (left)
and Sabres Owner
Terry Pegula

Black and Sawyer will lead the Sabres from their spot just below "Big Chief Terry" and will be in charge of finding people--from the GM down--who embrace Pegula's stated philosophy that "winning is not a goal, but a belief."

You get the feeling that for those who subscribe, and go all-in, the rewards will be many, that he has laid the foundation for a "Pegula Rewards Program."

Pegula and Black have already laid the cosmetic groundwork by installing the plaque and a rug with the Sabres' logo on it (also the philosophy of respect for the logo.) Renovations to the Sabres' dressing room will take place over the summer as the two have begun the process of doing "the million little things" to make Buffalo a destination for players, a place Black described as being "hockey heaven."

They're not fooling around, and neither should anyone within the organization.

In the following weeks leading up to the 2011 NHL, I'll be taking a look at who, imo, should be a part of the "Pegula Rewards Program" and later, which players on the market may want to be a part of it as the Sabres embark on their road to a Stanley Cup.