Chicago Blackhawks assistant general manager Norm Maciver is a “strong candidate” to take the next step in his post-playing career and become the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, according to Chuck Gormley.
The Sabres cleaned house by firing coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray on Thursday in the wake of another disappointing season. The team finished last in the Atlantic Division with a 33-37-12 record, held down by an offense that was 25th in goals scored.
Maciver, 52, would be getting his first NHL GM job if he beats out the other candidates in Buffalo. He was hired by Chicago in 2006 as the team’s director of player development, then rose to the position of assistant GM in 2012 when Marc Bergevin left to become the GM. The Hawks won the Stanley Cup in Maciver’s first season as an assistant GM and won another one two seasons later in 2015.
A defenseman from 1986 to 1998 with the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, and Phoenix Coyotes, he played in exactly 500 NHL games. Maciver has 30 years of NHL experience as a player, coach, and executive. Prior to joining Chicago, he also served as an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins (2003-06) and the AHL’s Springfield Falcons (2000-03).