Bills & Sabres Hire A Western New York Native As COO

The Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres have announced a new member of their organization– one with ties to the Western New York area. 

Rather than signing a new wide receiver or a defensive coordinator, the organizations co-announced on Tuesday that they’ll be shaking up their front office and shuffling a few major staff members to different positions. 

It’s one of many changes that both teams have undergone regarding their management in less than a year. 

More Changes Coming To The Buffalo Bills & Buffalo Sabres

Last July, the Bills let go then-executive vice president and chief operating officer Ron Raccuia, citing a need to "revamp and improve our structure." Raccuia’s duties were then taken over by Buffalo Sabres COO John Roth, who was intended to oversee both organizations. The change didn’t last long, and Roth was fired over accusations of an inappropriate romantic relationship last fall. 

Since October, the Bills and Sabres have been operating under two separate interim COO’s, with Josh Dziurlikowski overseeing the Buffalo Bills and Rob Minter supervising the Sabres. Now, the two teams will once again be run by a solo individual. 

Bills & Sabres Announce New COO

Pete Guelli, formerly the chief business officer of the New York Giants and COO of the Charlotte Hornets, has been named the new COO of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, beginning in mid-April.

In a statement, Bills and Sabres co-owner Terry Pegula called Guelli a “proven leader with tremendous skills and experience in the sports business landscape.”

“With the upcoming changes on the way in both team's venues, we are happy to have Pete to help lead our teams." - Terry Pegula

Guelli will now oversee two massive oncoming projects for the franchises; both the massive Bills stadium construction and the revamping of KeyBank Center.

READ MORE: Buffalo Sabres Announce Major Renovations At KeyBank Center

Additionally, both Minter and Dziurlikowski will move to different roles, with Minter being named the Sabres SVP of business operations and Dziurlikowski the Bills SVP of finance and business operations.

Even though he’s spent the past five years working for the Giants, this isn’t the first time the new Bills and Sabres COO has made Western New York his home.

New Bills & Sabres COO A Native Of Western New York

The 59-year-old Guelli is already quite familiar with the Buffalo area. He was born and raised in nearby Rochester, New York, and attended high school at Rochester’s Aquinas Institute. He then went on to graduate from SUNY Brockport, and served as the Buffalo Bills SVP of business ventures from 1998 to 2009. 

With so much at stake with the new Bills stadium, including $850 million in public funding, it’s crucial that the organization has the right person in charge. We’re hoping they finally got it right this time, but it’s still great to see one of our own from Western New York get such a prestigious position within the organization.

Good luck, Pete!