Marc Bergevin expected to leave Kings to join Sabres as associate GM

A familiar face will be moving back to the northeast.

According to multiple reports, Los Angeles Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin is expected to step down from his role to join the Buffalo Sabres as associate general manager.

Bergevin would be joining the Sabres to work under Jarmo Kekäläinen, who was hired last week after Kevyn Adams was fired a little over five years on the job. Bergevin joins a team that has been in a longstanding rebuild, as Buffalo hasn’t qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2010-11 season.

The Quebec native had been working for the Kings since 2022. Prior to joining the Kings, the Montreal native was the GM and executive vice president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens for parts of 10 seasons. There, helped the Habs advance to the postseason six times, including the team’s improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

The 60-year-old was let go by the Habs in November of the 2021-22 season, moving to Los Angeles shortly thereafter.

Bergevin hasn’t totally been disconnected from roster building. While still serving in his role with the Kings, he was hired by Hockey Canada to be the GM of Team Canada for the 2025 Spengler Cup, which is set to begin next Friday.

Along with his expertise in hockey operations, which includes a few years as a scout, director of player personnel and assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bergevin played parts of 20 seasons in the NHL. He appeared in 1,191 games while making stops with the Hawks, New York Islanders, Hartford Whalers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks.

The Sabres (16-14-4) are seventh in the Atlantic Division, five points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.