Buffalo Sabres: Top 5 Head Coaches of all Time
By Paul Taylor
4) John Muckler
Regular season: 125-109-34
Playoffs: 11-16
To some, it may seem somewhat ironic to find Muckler just above Nolan in our list. After all, there was no love lost between the two men, with the former arguably playing a role in the latter being fired as Sabres general manager.
What made the firing even more surreal, was that Muckler was coming off a season in which he had been named NHL Executive of the Year. In any event, he was also successful in his previous role as Sabres head coach, between 1991-95.
During his four seasons behind the bench, the Midland, Ontario native took the team to the playoffs every year and was named a finalist for NHL coach of the year in 1994. This becomes even more impressive, when you consider he doubled up as GM during the second half of his tenure as coach.
About the only thing Muckler didn’t do was succeed in the postseason, only once advancing past the first round. Regardless, he deservedly takes his place as one of the Sabres’ best head coaches in franchise history.
Next: Couldn't quite transfer his success to Buffalo