BREAKING: Former Devils Bench Boss Lindy Ruff Re-Hired as Sabres Head Coach

According to multiple reports, the former New Jersey Devils head coach is returning behind the bench in Buffalo.

Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed that the Buffalo Sabres are re-hiring Lindy Ruff as their head coach, who previously stood behind their bench from 1997-2013.

The Sabres made it official Monday evening.

After the Devils collected 112 points in the 2022-23 season under Ruff’s tutelage, New Jersey fired the former head coach on March 4th as a result of a 30-27-4 record, sitting outside of the playoffs. He was replaced with interim head coach Travis Green.

General Manager Tom Fitzgerald relieved Ruff of his duties five months after inking the NHL’s fifth-most winningest head coach in league history to a multi-year extension.

“I felt it was the right time to make this change,” Fitzgerald said. “I just felt the identity we played with, to sustain playoff position, wasnt there, it wasn’t sustainable.”

In four seasons behind New Jersey’s bench, Ruff accrued a 128-125-28 record (.505 win percentage) and went 5-7 in the playoffs, leading the Devils past the New York Rangers in the first round in 2023.

Ruff was also nominated for the Jack Adams award last season.

Now, Ruff returns to where his coaching career started. In his first tenure which last 15 years in Buffalo, Ruff accrued a 571-432-78-84 record.

Ruff won the Jack Adams Award in 2006, leading the Sabres to a 52-24-6 record.

The Sabres fired their former head coach Don Granato last week in search for more NHL experience in their next head coach.

That ironically comes in their former head coach who is once again going to stand behind Buffalo’s bench.

Ruff had one previous stint between his time in Buffalo and New Jersey, coaching the Dallas Stars from 2013-2017.

The Ruff-led Stars totaled a 165-122-41 record over four seasons.

Ruff’s first game returning behind the bench as the Sabres’ head coach will come against the Devils when the two teams open their season in Prague.

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