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The Sabres needed to replace Don Granato, whom
they fired last week at the end of another unsuccessful season.
Buffalo missed the playoffs for the 13th straight year, matching
the NFL's New York Jets for the longest active playoff droughts
in the big four North American leagues.
Ruff -- the fifth-winningest coach in NHL history at 864 wins --
was available after the New Jersey Devils dismissed him on March
4.
The Devils made the playoffs in 2022-23, Ruff's third season on
the job, but they took a step backward this past season. Ruff
finished 128-125-28 as New Jersey's bench boss.
In 14-plus seasons with Buffalo, though, Ruff took the Sabres to
the postseason eight times, including a Stanley Cup Final
appearance in 1999 where they lost to the Dallas Stars in six
games. Ruff's Sabres teams went 571-432-78 before he was
dismissed early in the 2012-13 campaign. He would later coach
the Stars for four seasons.
"This is a team ready to take the next step," Ruff said in a
statement. "I am both humbled and honored to be trusted to help
this team win now. It is not a job that I take lightly. It is my
goal to ensure that players believe in each other, play for each
other and love being a Buffalo Sabre. There is no doubt that we
all need to embrace the challenge ahead of us. The work starts
today and I could not be more excited."
"As I went through the hiring process, it quickly became clear
Lindy was the person for the job," Sabres general manager Kevyn
Adams said. "He has experience, a proven track record,
familiarity with young players and so much more. I want to be
clear, though, that this hire was not made with nostalgia in
mind. Lindy is the right person for the job now and any history
with our organization and community is simply an added bonus."
--Field Level Media
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