P.K. Subban remembers playing against the Buffalo Sabres early in his career, when Lindy Ruff led Buffalo’s “high-octane offense” to the playoffs. Subban knew Ruff was an offensive-minded coach who wanted his teams to play fast and with speed, but when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2019 and Ruff was subsequently hired as coach of the Devils in 2020, the veteran defenseman learned there was a lot more to Ruff’s coaching style.
“He wanted to push the envelope,” Subban said. “He wanted his skilled players to take chances and make plays. He didn’t want guys to be out there gripping the sticks. He wanted guys to play loose and to play to their strengths.”
Ruff took over New Jersey’s last-place team and led them to the playoffs three seasons later as the Devils recorded a franchise-record 112 points in 2022-23. They ranked fourth in the league that season with 289 goals.
The fifth-winningest coach in NHL history is now tasked with helping the Sabres’ young group find similar success after returning to Buffalo in April for his second stint with the organization.
“I definitely felt that he pushed the offense when he was in New Jersey, and we had a younger team,” Subban said. “I think that Buffalo is in a better position right now than they have been over the past couple of years with the group that they have there now. So, it should be an exciting year for Buffalo.”
Ruff’s hiring came after Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and other members of the Sabres made their goals and expectations for the upcoming 2024-25 season clear during locker cleanout in April, when the Sabres fell short of a playoff spot with 84 points.
Those expectations emphasized accountability from their coach as well as accountability of themselves and their teammates to help them reach their full potential.
Subban believes that Ruff’s old-school approach mixed with the new-school coaching habits that he’s adopted over the years will allow him to hold players accountable while also building relationships and a team culture in the locker room.
“The coaching style is a lot different now than it was when I started in the league,” Subban said.
“Coaches were a little bit more open to sharing their opinions with the players, and Lindy’s one of those guys. And it always seems he has a good relationship with the players. When I got there, he was a fun guy to be around off the ice. He’s funny. He’s got great jokes. He makes it fun. But winning is fun. And I can tell you when you’re not winning, it ain’t fun. He doesn’t like to lose. So, for those players, he’s not going to take less from them. If you’re not gonna block shots, you ain’t gonna play. If you’re not going to pay the price, you ain’t going to play. And that’s one thing I do know about him. … So, I would put that emphasis on the players in the locker room to hold each other accountable, and Lindy will hold everybody else accountable to that.”
Ruff echoed this approach during his introductory press conference in April.
“Accountability to me starts with the player himself," Ruff said. "First thing he does is hold himself accountable. The next level of accountability when you become a good team is the players themselves all hold each other accountable. … The last part of it is the coach.
"… The way we grow is believing in the way we play. If we don't play like that, my biggest tool is to take ice time away.”
Ruff will return to the Buffalo bench when the Sabres hit the ice next Wednesday for the first day of on-ice sessions at training camp, which will include a group of veteran additions in forwards Beck Malenstyn, Jason Zucker, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Ryan McLeod, and Sam Lafferty; defenseman Dennis Gilbert; and goaltender James Reimer.
The additions were made by general manager Kevyn Adams in an effort to add speed and physicality to round out the Sabres roster, which Subban believes is in a good place to gain momentum in the league.
"They’re going to have better players this year," Subban said. "I see better players in their lineup. They still have a lot of work to do, but I think that this is a pretty, pretty solid lineup to start the season for them. And I know Lindy is going to want to make sure that they’re prepared to play the right way.”
When the Sabres hit the ice next week, Subban says the group should be ready for a tough and fast-paced training camp as Ruff will be looking to put his stamp on the team.
“One thing that I like about Lindy is he’s going to push everybody,” Subban said. “Lindy pushes everybody’s buttons because his job is to get the most out of everyone. And I’m going to tell you this, you’ve got to come to training camp in shape. You have to be prepared. … So, if I’m a player in that locker room, I’m coming in ready to try to earn all my ice time."
