5 things to know about Sabres coach Lindy Ruff

Lindy Ruff is returning to Buffalo. 

The Sabres announced Monday that the fifth-winningest coach in NHL history – and the winningest coach in franchise history – has been hired to lead the team into its next chapter. 

Ruff has been a member of the Sabres for 25 of the organization’s 53 seasons. He played parts of 10 seasons with the franchise, including a stint as team captain, and then guided the organization through two of its most memorable and successful eras during his previous head-coaching tenure.

But the decision to hire Ruff extends beyond his familiarity and passion for Western New York. The 64-year-old has experienced success at each of his stops since leaving the Sabres and has shown a propensity to adapt to changing personnel and eras throughout his career. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Lindy back as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. “As I went through the hiring process, it quickly became clear Lindy was the person for the job. 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. I believe wholeheartedly that Lindy can help our team reach their goals and am excited to get to work with him.”

Here are some facts to get you reacquainted with the Sabres coach.

1. Where has he been?

Ruff spent four seasons as head coach for the Dallas Stars and parts of four seasons as head coach for the New Jersey Devils, with three seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers in-between. 

His tenure in Dallas (2013-14 to 2016-17) included two trips to the playoffs, including a 109-point campaign in 2015-16 that earned him recognition as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year. 

He took over a last-place team in New Jersey in 2020 and led it to the playoffs three years later, finishing last season with a franchise-record 112 points and being voted as the runner-up for the Jack Adams Award.

2. Balance behind the bench

Sabres fans of a certain age might remember Ruff as the fiery, hard-nosed player who suited up for the franchise for the better part of the 1980s. He retained that persona during his first stint behind the bench, channeling his emotion both toward his players in the demand of accountability but also in their defense. (Ruff arguing with Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray during “The Brawl” game in 2007 is among the most iconic images in Sabres history). 

At his end-of-season press conference, Adams expressed his feeling that the current Sabres players are ready for more accountability – a sentiment the players themselves echoed in the ensuing days. Ruff fits the bill as a demanding presence behind the bench, though he has adapted his style in the past decade to be able to build relationships with the modern athlete. 

“Communicating and dealing with players, dealing with young players, dealing with veteran players, and understanding where they’re coming from,” Ruff told the Devils team website in October.

Several of the Devils’ young, accomplished players – including Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt – have credited Ruff with aiding their development. 

“He set the foundation for the whole team, how all of this started,” Bratt said earlier this season. “He was a huge part of the success we had last year. For us players, trusting in his system as the way to play. He’s been extremely fair and hard on us for the right reasons, to get better. He still wants to get better every day, same as us. He sets the standard high every day. Which we love about him.”

3. Adapting to personnel

Just as Ruff has altered his coaching style as eras and athletes have changed, he’s also tailored his systems to his personnel. 

Look at Ruff’s first stint in Buffalo, which encompassed two of the most successful eras in franchise history. From 1997-98 through 2000-01, the Sabres were built around a Hall-of-Fame goaltender in Dominik Hasek and won games in low-scoring fashion. They allowed the sixth-fewest goals in the NHL in that span and ranked seventh on the penalty kill. 

Ruff adapted his style to fit a young, dynamic roster and was ahead of the curve in capitalizing on rule changes that sought to add pace to the game coming out of the 2004-05 lockout. The Sabres in 2005-06 and 2006-07 ranked second in the NHL with 574 goals and earned back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. Their power play tied for eighth.

Jay McKee – a defenseman who spanned both eras – laid out the difference in an interview with Sabres.com in 2020. 

“In the ’99 year we were built around Dom,” he said. “Our game plans were play hard, grind games out. We weren’t a high-end skill team. … [In 2005-06], I felt we had the best team in the league. I think we had more skill, our systems were designed around offense, not keeping things outside and winning 2-1. We could score goals and that’s what we wanted to do. So, Lindy was not only great at changing game plans for team, but also individually getting the best out of his players.”

Ruff’s teams since departing the Sabres have continued to score at high rates. The Stars ranked second in the NHL with 975 goals scored during his tenure. The Devils ranked sixth among NHL teams with 615 goals scored at 5-on-5 under Ruff.

4. Awards and accolades

Ruff is one of the most accomplished coaches in NHL history. His 935 combined wins in the regular season and playoffs are tied for fourth in league history while his 864 regular-season wins rank fifth. He is the Sabres’ franchise leader in games coached (1,165), wins (571), and playoff wins (57).

His accolades include:

• The 2005-06 Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year, when he led the Sabres to a 110-point finish in their first season after the lockout. 
• Three selections to coach in the NHL All-Star Game: in 1999 and 2007 with Buffalo and in 2016 with Dallas. 
• A silver medal as head coach for Team Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Championship.
• Gold medals as an assistant coach for Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games.

5. “I’m a Buffalonian”

Ruff, who has maintained Buffalo as his offseason home since the end of his first tenure as Sabres coach and dating all the way back to his playing days, was asked in 2020 what the Sabres logo meant to him.

“It meant that I was a key part of this city,” he said. “I was one of the Buffalo Sabres as a player, I was one of the Buffalo Sabres as a coach. It was something that I was extremely proud to put on and be involved with.

He continued: “I’m a Buffalonian, there’s no doubt in my mind. When you live in Buffalo for 40 years – I’m a Buffalonian. Buffalo is my home.”