Lindy Ruff

Lindy Cameron Ruff (born February 17, 1960) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ruff was previously the head coach of the Sabres from 1997 to 2013, winning the Jack Adams Award in 2006, and has also served as head coach of the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils. Ruff has won over 600 games with the Sabres, making him one of three coaches to win that many games for one team in NHL history. During his playing career, Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers, the former of which he captained. Internationally, Ruff was an assistant coach for the Canadian national team at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, winning gold medals at both.

Infobox

Born

(1960-02-17) February 17, 1960 Warburg, Alberta, Canada

Height

6 ft 2 in (188 cm)

Weight

201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb)

Position

Defence/left wing

Shot

Left

Played for

Buffalo Sabres New York Rangers

Current NHL coach

Buffalo Sabres

Coached for

Dallas Stars New Jersey Devils

NHL draft

32nd overall, 1979 Buffalo Sabres

Playing career

1979–1993

Coaching career

1993–present

Tables

· Head coaching record

Team

Year

Regular season

OTL

Regular season

Pts

Regular season

Finish

Regular season

Postseason

Win %

Postseason

Result

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

1997–98

Regular season

—

Regular season

3rd in Northeast

Postseason

667

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

1998–99

Regular season

—

Regular season

4th in Northeast

Postseason

667

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

1999–00

Regular season

3rd in Northeast

Postseason

200

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2000–01

Regular season

2nd in Northeast

Postseason

538

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2001–02

Regular season

5th in Northeast

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2002–03

Regular season

5th in Northeast

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2003–04

Regular season

5th in Northeast

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2005–06

Regular season

—

Regular season

110

Regular season

2nd in Northeast

Postseason

611

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2006–07

Regular season

—

Regular season

113

Regular season

1st in Northeast

Postseason

563

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2007–08

Regular season

—

Regular season

4th in Northeast

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2008–09

Regular season

—

Regular season

3rd in Northeast

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2009–10

Regular season

—

Regular season

100

Regular season

1st in Northeast

Postseason

333

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2010–11

Regular season

—

Regular season

3rd in Northeast

Postseason

429

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2011–12

Regular season

—

Regular season

3rd in Northeast

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2012–13

Regular season

—

Regular season

(fired)

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF total

Team

BUF total

Year

1,165

Regular season

571

Regular season

432

Regular season

Postseason

564

Postseason

8 playoff appearances

DAL

Team

DAL

Year

2013–14

Regular season

—

Regular season

5th in Central

Postseason

333

DAL

Team

DAL

Year

2014–15

Regular season

—

Regular season

6th in Central

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

DAL

Team

DAL

Year

2015–16

Regular season

—

Regular season

109

Regular season

1st in Central

Postseason

538

DAL

Team

DAL

Year

2016–17

Regular season

—

Regular season

6th in Central

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

DAL total

Team

DAL total

Year

328

Regular season

165

Regular season

122

Regular season

—

Regular season

Postseason

474

Postseason

2 playoff appearances

NJD

Team

NJD

Year

2020–21

Regular season

—

Regular season

7th in East

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

NJD

Team

NJD

Year

2021–22

Regular season

—

Regular season

7th in Metropolitan

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

NJD

Team

NJD

Year

2022–23

Regular season

—

Regular season

112

Regular season

2nd in Metropolitan

Postseason

417

NJD

Team

NJD

Year

2023–24

Regular season

—

Regular season

(fired)

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

NJD total

Team

NJD total

Year

281

Regular season

128

Regular season

125

Regular season

—

Regular season

Postseason

417

Postseason

1 playoff appearance

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2024–25

Regular season

—

Regular season

7th in Atlantic

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

Postseason

—

BUF

Team

BUF

Year

2025–26

Regular season

—

Regular season

109

Regular season

1st in Atlantic

Postseason

538

BUF total

Team

BUF total

Year

1,329

Regular season

657

Regular season

494

Regular season

100

Regular season

Postseason

561

Postseason

1 playoff appearance

Total

Team

Total

Year

1,938

Regular season

950

Regular season

741

Regular season

169

Regular season

Postseason

538

Postseason

12 playoff appearances

Team	Year	Regular season							Postseason
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	W	L	Win %	Result
BUF	1997–98	82	36	29	17	—	89	3rd in Northeast	10	5	667
BUF	1998–99	82	37	28	17	—	91	4th in Northeast	14	7	667
BUF	1999–00	82	35	32	11	4	85	3rd in Northeast	1	4	200
BUF	2000–01	82	46	30	5	1	98	2nd in Northeast	7	6	538
BUF	2001–02	82	35	35	11	1	82	5th in Northeast	—	—	—
BUF	2002–03	82	27	37	10	8	72	5th in Northeast	—	—	—
BUF	2003–04	82	37	34	7	4	85	5th in Northeast	—	—	—
BUF	2005–06	82	52	24	—	6	110	2nd in Northeast	11	7	611
BUF	2006–07	82	53	22	—	7	113	1st in Northeast	9	7	563
BUF	2007–08	82	39	31	—	12	90	4th in Northeast	—	—	—
BUF	2008–09	82	41	32	—	9	91	3rd in Northeast	—	—	—
BUF	2009–10	82	45	27	—	10	100	1st in Northeast	2	4	333
BUF	2010–11	82	43	29	—	10	96	3rd in Northeast	3	4	429
BUF	2011–12	82	39	32	—	11	89	3rd in Northeast	—	—	—
BUF	2012–13	17	6	10	—	1	13	(fired)	—	—	—
BUF total		1,165	571	432	78	84			57	44	564	8 playoff appearances
DAL	2013–14	82	40	31	—	11	91	5th in Central	2	4	333
DAL	2014–15	82	41	31	—	10	92	6th in Central	—	—	—
DAL	2015–16	82	50	23	—	9	109	1st in Central	7	6	538
DAL	2016–17	82	34	37	—	11	79	6th in Central	—	—	—
DAL total		328	165	122	—	41			9	10	474	2 playoff appearances
NJD	2020–21	56	19	30	—	7	45	7th in East	—	—	—
NJD	2021–22	82	27	46	—	9	63	7th in Metropolitan	—	—	—
NJD	2022–23	82	52	22	—	8	112	2nd in Metropolitan	5	7	417
NJD	2023–24	61	30	27	—	4	64	(fired)	—	—	—
NJD total		281	128	125	—	28			5	7	417	1 playoff appearance
BUF	2024–25	82	36	39	—	7	79	7th in Atlantic	—	—	—
BUF	2025–26	82	50	23	—	9	109	1st in Atlantic	7	6	538
BUF total		1,329	657	494	78	100			64	50	561	1 playoff appearance
Total		1,938	950	741	78	169			78	67	538	12 playoff appearances

· External links

Preceded byGilbert Perreault

Sporting positions

Preceded byGilbert Perreault

Sporting positions

Buffalo Sabres captain 1986–1989

Sporting positions

Succeeded byMike Foligno

Preceded byTed Nolan Don Granato

Sporting positions

Preceded byTed Nolan Don Granato

Sporting positions

Head coach of the Buffalo Sabres 1997–2013 2024–present

Sporting positions

Succeeded byRon Rolston Incumbent

Preceded byGlen Gulutzan

Sporting positions

Preceded byGlen Gulutzan

Sporting positions

Head coach of the Dallas Stars 2013–2017

Sporting positions

Succeeded byKen Hitchcock

Preceded byAlain Nasreddine (interim)

Sporting positions

Preceded byAlain Nasreddine (interim)

Sporting positions

Head coach of the New Jersey Devils 2020–2024

Sporting positions

Succeeded byTravis Green (interim)

Awards and achievements

Sporting positions

Awards and achievements

Preceded byJohn Tortorella

Sporting positions

Preceded byJohn Tortorella

Sporting positions

Jack Adams Award winner 2006

Sporting positions

Succeeded byAlain Vigneault

Sporting positions
Preceded byGilbert Perreault	Buffalo Sabres captain 1986–1989	Succeeded byMike Foligno
Preceded byTed Nolan Don Granato	Head coach of the Buffalo Sabres 1997–2013 2024–present	Succeeded byRon Rolston Incumbent
Preceded byGlen Gulutzan	Head coach of the Dallas Stars 2013–2017	Succeeded byKen Hitchcock
Preceded byAlain Nasreddine (interim)	Head coach of the New Jersey Devils 2020–2024	Succeeded byTravis Green (interim)
Awards and achievements
Preceded byJohn Tortorella	Jack Adams Award winner 2006	Succeeded byAlain Vigneault

References

New York Times
https://www.proquest.com/docview/1814968871
WIVB-TV
"NHL – Coaches"
https://web.archive.org/web/20080820112202/http://www.nhl.com/lineups/coaches/ruff.html
http://boston.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2007/06/11/daily28.html?jst=s_cn_hl
ESPN
https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2396709
ESPN
https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2497134
NHL
https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-jack-adams-award-winners-complete-list-287911968
Vigneault wins three-way race for Adams Archived November 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/story.html?id=50d71056-93e3-4d77-b391-6a7c7b670d82
Nhl
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=289522&page=NewsPage&service=page
"Sabres VS Senators BRAWL 2/22/07"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAPhqXj_24I
ESPN
http://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2780737
Nhl
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=300629&page=NewsPage&service=page
Clarencebee
https://web.archive.org/web/20180205072758/http://www.clarencebee.com/news/2010-06-16/Sports/Sabres_coach_Clarence_resident_Lindy_Ruff_highligh.html
Yahoo Sports
https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/top-10-nhl-coaches-past-decade--nhl.html
ESPN
https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=6449579
Nhl
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=656635
ABC News
https://web.archive.org/web/20130224071249/http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/sabres-fire-coach-lindy-ruff-10-start-18550021
"Sabres fire head coach Ruff, name Rolston interim coach"
https://web.archive.org/web/20130704090536/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=416441
"Daily Sports Page"
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094809/http://dellsports.com/sportspage/#/nhl/articles/read/article=459268/
https://archive.today/20130624214435/http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/22491324/report-lindy-ruff-to-be-named-next-coach-of-dallas-stars