The Buffalo Sabres have hired Lindy Ruff to be their next head coach, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Ruff most previously served behind the New Jersey Devils bench, before being dismissed by the team on March 4th. He now returns to the Buffalo organization, where he received the first head coaching opportunity of his career in 1997. Ruff would serve 16 years behind Buffalo’s bench, becoming the longest-tenured, active coach in the NHL – and then the second longest across all four major sports leagues behind Gregg Popovich – before he was dismissed by the Sabres in February of 2013.
Ruff led the Sabres to the postseason eight different times over his tenure, including twice in his final three years. But that success wasn’t enough, with the team deciding to go a different direction just 17 games into the lockout season of 2013. Buffalo hasn’t seen a postseason berth since, extending the record for the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 13 seasons this year. That’s a dismal record to have, though it seems Buffalo’s worst days are behind them. They moved away from long-time general manager Jason Botterill in 2019-20 and have since brought in multiple key players, with incumbent Kevyn Adams adding Bowen Byram, Devon Levi, Jack Quinn, and John-Jason Peterka. He’s also built out the team’s prospect room, drafting Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, and Matthew Savoie in just the last two years.
Adams has had plenty of time to put the Sabres on a new path, even if it’s come at the cost of a few playoff races. But now, coming off the heels of their two highest-scoring seasons since Ruff left, the Sabres are ready to pursue the postseason
Adams has had plenty of time to chart a new course for the Sabres, and it’s clearly paid off – with the last two years marking Buffalo’s two highest-scoring seasons since Ruff left. But their woes now seem to be a question of performance, instead of talent, and there’s no doubt that the right system could spark talent throughout the Sabres lineup. They seem ready to lean into that talent with this move – gearing up to pursue the playoffs in the only way they know how: with Lindy Ruff behind the bench.
13 and plenty more coming! What a crock of cow dung!
LMAO!
As a leaf fan I find it hard to dunk on other teams but good god Buffalo what the heck r ya doin
Oh please. Fitzgerald had more to do with the Devils missing the playoffs this past season- Goaltending. Failure to properly address the issue.
Ruff brought the Devils to the playoffs the prior season.
Ruff is inheriting a very young & talented Sabres roster in need of more structure & accountability.
The Sabres under a more easy going HC still had back to back above .500 seasons.
“above .500”. Don’t tell me you believe that NHL lingo?
39-37-6 isn’t a winning record, you do realize the 6 is losses & not ties
It’s astonishing for as many hockey leagues and college teams that there are, that the NHL keeps running out retread coaches.
NHL HC is the only job where a qualification is being fired from another NHL team
Bruce Cassidy, Joel Quenneville, Darryl Sutter, Barry Trotz, Mike Sullivan. In common? Recent Cup winning coaches let go by another NHL team or multiple teams. Some of you act like a guy should get only one shot at an NHL job. Kinda funny.
It really says something teams are so adverse to giving new people a shot they will hire coaches they fired again first.
Except Ruff was fired by a different GM, one who himself should’ve been fired much sooner than he was.
Pegula knows naught of hockey.
Daughter is a hell of a tennis player, though.
Holy retreads batman. Lindy is ok – but not good with youngsters. Feels like a bad fit with Buffalo but we’ll see.
GMKA stated he wanted an experienced HC. Look at the Rangers & Capitals are examples of ” Retread” HCs who brought their teams to the playoffs. The only other 2 HCs I would have liked instead of Ruff are Berube or Gallant.
You know a retread that didn’t take his team to the playoffs? Lindy Ruff
Devils did not address their goaltending the rest of this past season. Ruff got the Devils into the playoffs the season before.
Cuz Buffalo has addressed their goal tending so well…
Everyone here complaining are probably all the same fools who said Tocchet was a bad coach and didn’t deserve another shot. Y’all just need something to whine about
Let’s not forget how the league rug swept Tocchet’s involvement in an illegal New Jersey sports betting ring back when he was an assistant coach with the Coyotes. He was charged and convicted by the federal government and even got Gretzky’s wife involved with hundreds of thousands of dollars. You probably used the worst example of a guy who deserves a second chance.
Did not know that.
The league was very good at covering it up
Not the route I would’ve gone, but it’s a feel good story…..I guess.
didn’t work before why not a 2nd try!!! NHL loves revisiting failed locations perhaps the Sabres have faith in a coach they fired a few years ago :)
To be fair, they haven’t made the playoffs since his first stint as head coach.
I am happy
I don’t hate it. I think he’s a good coach if you want that good ol’ boys club thing. He’ll get them to the next level, but not much farther.
The Sabres doing their part for Earth Day by recycling coaches
The Devils GM doing his part in not addressing the black hole in their roster- Goaltending.
Back to back seasons above .500.
Youngest team in hockey the last 2 seasons.
UPL showing that needed improvements. A young Devon Levi behind him. Lindy Ruff should help the Sabres with the rest.
39-43 isn’t above .500
I believe Ruff has now been employed by the Sabres in every decade of there existence.
How did Terry Pegula become so rich & yet so stupid he can’t even put together a coherent sentence. What a laughable press conference.