The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has re-signed head coach Lindy Ruff to a multi-year contract extension. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.
“This young, exciting team has developed and thrived under Lindy’s stewardship since he joined the Devils organization,” said Devils’ Managing Partner David Blitzer. “Lindy is one of the winningest coaches in NHL history and his extension is well deserved. I’m looking forward to continued team success this upcoming season and beyond.”
“We’re incredibly fortunate as an organization to have Lindy Ruff behind the bench to guide this group, who’ve made significant strides under his leadership,” said Fitzgerald. “I’ve always believed that Lindy was, and continues to be, the right man behind the bench for this team. From the beginning, he’s done a tremendous job piloting our young group, and we’re excited to see this team’s continued success under his watch as we take the next steps.”
“I’m thrilled to commit here to this situation and couldn’t be prouder of the great progress that our group made last season,” said Ruff. “We have a special group in Jersey and there’s an opportunity to accomplish long-term success, make a lot of positive memories and give our fans a lot to cheer about – because our Devils’ fan base is one of the best in the League and they deserve to see a winner.”
Ruff is one of the most successful head coaches in NHL history, ranking first in wins (834) among active coaches. On Oct. 18, 2023, Ruff became the fifth-winningest coach in league history with his 783rd victory, passing Al Arbour. He would go on to earn his 800th career win on Nov. 26, 2023, and is one of six NHL coaches all-time with 800, or more, career wins. Entering 2023-24, Ruff’s 834 wins are 15 victories behind Ken Hitchcock (849) for fourth all-time among NHL head coaches.
As New Jersey’s 19th head coach in franchise history, Ruff has a 98-98-24 regular season record since joining the club in 2020-21, and his 98 wins rank fifth all-time for Devils head coaches. The veteran coach led New Jersey to a franchise record 52 wins and 112 points this past season. As part of the 52-win season, Ruff and the Devils tied a franchise record 13-game winning streak from Oct. 25 to Nov. 21, 2022, which was also an NHL best for the 2022-23 season.
The Devils’ 49-point increase from 2021-22 to last season under Ruff marked the league’s lowest to highest point differential (season-to-season) in NHL history since the league established an 82-game schedule in 1995-96. Under Ruff, the Devils also advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012 after defeating the New York Rangers in seven games.
As a head coach, Ruff has spent parts of 22 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres (1997-98 to 2012-13), Dallas Stars (2013-14 to 2016-17) and New Jersey. He has compiled a career coaching record of 834-652-78-149=1,895 points (.553 points percentage) in 1,713 career regular-season games.
The 63-year-old coach has posted ten 40-plus win seasons, including a career-high 53 wins in 2006-07. In 2006, he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach and finished second in 2007 and third in 2016. Ruff is also the second Devils’ head coach in franchise history to be nominated for the Jack Adams Award after Jacques Lemaire won in 1993-94.
Including an appearance in the 1999 Stanley Cup Final with Buffalo, he has a 71-61 record (.538 winning percentage) in 132 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.
Ruff started his head coaching career with the Buffalo Sabres in 1997-98, where he would have a long, illustrious tenure. He spent 14-plus seasons in Buffalo, where his teams made the playoffs in eight of those years. He led the Sabres to four Eastern Conference Finals, including consecutive appearances in 2006 & 2007, and to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final. He is Buffalo’s all-time leader among head coaches in several categories, including games coached (1,165) and wins (571).
During the 2005-06 season, Ruff steered the Sabres to a 52-24-6 record and in 2006-07, to a single-season franchise record 53 wins and the club's first Presidents' Trophy. Those seasons rank as the top two for wins in Sabres' history. He began his coaching career in 1993-94 as an assistant with the Florida Panthers where he coached current Devils Executive Vice President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald. He spent four seasons in Florida, through 1996-97, and was behind the bench with the team that went to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.
Ruff has extensive experience coaching for Team Canada both in head and assistant coaching roles. He served as Head Coach at the 2009 IIHF World Championship, winning a silver medal and was also Head Coach in 2013. Ruff served as an Associate Coach for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, earning Gold medals.
A left-shot defenseman during his playing days, Ruff skated in 691 career NHL games over 12 seasons, from 1979-80 through 1990-91, with the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. He posted 105 goals and 195 assists for 300 points and 1,264 penalty minutes. Ruff was selected by Buffalo in the second round, 32nd overall, of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He finished his professional career with one season each in Rochester (AHL) and San Diego (IHL).
Ruff, 63, is a native of Warburg, Alberta. Lindy and his wife, Gaye, have two sons, Brett and Brian, and two daughters, Eryn and Madeleine.
