Bills owner Terry Pegula is in the middle of all the draft drama at the moment, but he’s maintaining his focus on the larger goals.
His football team just secured its quarterback of the future by trading up to get Josh Allen, and his hockey team has the first pick in the NHL selection process.
So as he called into his team’s simulcast “One Bills Live” with General Managers Brandon Beane and Jason Botterill, he said the excitement was justified.
“The two guys sitting with you and myself both feel, though, that winning press conferences and drafts and whatnot is not the final solution,” Pegula said, via John Vogl of the Buffalo News. “It’s winning games and getting in the playoffs and trying to get the big prize.
“Yeah, we’re excited but there’s more work to be done.”
The Bills had Botterill and Sabres coach Phil Housley in their draft room last Thursday, when Beane landed Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Then the Sabres won the first pick in the NHL draft lottery, and they’re expected to take a hockey person named Rasmus Dahlin with that pick (I’m going to have to get Florio to explain to me how they do that hockey).
“In the NFL Draft room, and it’s the same thing once you got on the floor in the NHL at the Draft, you’ve got moments of elation interrupted by moments of sheer terror,” Pegula said. “Your emotions just go up and down. It’s pretty exciting.”
Now both of his teams have work to on the field and on the ice to keep that excitement going.