Al Arbour won more games for the New York Islanders, but he also coached the St. Louis Blues early in his career. Ruff coached Fitzgerald as an assistant for the Florida Panthers in the 1990s, including during the teams run to the final in 1996. "[27] The team's winning streaking would ultimately extend to 13 games, equaling the franchise record. The Devils, who had a 28-29-12 record when play was suspended in March, have qualified for the postseason just once in the last eight seasons, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in 2018. But there is always that week or 10 days before camp starts when players start to gather. Brent Ruff was dear to him. Without the in-person meetings, Ruff has had a lot of catching up to do. Every time I had a conversation with Lindy or we watched video or anything like that, I thought he was really solid, Severson said. As we shall see in 2020-21, Lindy Ruff still has "that same fire," only this time the Devils will glow with it! They want to know the why part why do we need to do it that way? Ruff, 60, said of players during a conference call Thursday. What are you doing? "We don't bring it up. for a day of fishing with Mackenzie Blackwood. He also recorded 1,264 penalty minutes. But the wiry frame and peach fuzz linger in thoughts of where he would be right now, at 37 years old, and guesses of what he might have done. Lets hope he continues ascending the new heights of success. Lindy Ruff, named head coach of the New Jersey Devils last month, and his family have a summer home on Whitefish Lake. For two decades, Egeland has lamented lost friendship. After a second round playoff match against the New York Rangers on April 27, 2007, Ruff would be fined again by the NHL after harshly criticizing officials for an alleged missed too-many-men call against the Rangers, which might have given Buffalo a chance to tie the match in the closing minute. A left-shot defenseman during his playing days. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. Brent was 16 years old and a junior rookie with the Swift Current Broncos when he began to generate buzz as a potential first-round pick in the 1988 NHL draft. Add some fire to that blend. On June 21, 2013, the Stars announced Ruff would be their new head coach. He joined a long list of former Sabres players who eventually became Sabres head coaches: Floyd Smith, Bill Inglis, Craig Ramsay, Jim Schoenfeld and Rick Dudley. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. This is done. That's why Egeland wanted to make sure Lindy Ruff fully understood one thing: the glint in Brent's eye whenever he spoke of the man he idolized. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The Devils have not been that type of team over the past two seasons. The following two seasons saw Ruff's Sabres lose in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers and the second round to the Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Lindy Ruff is out as coach in Buffalo, meaning the slow-starting, inconsistent and sometimes lethargic Sabres have now become Ron Rolston's mess to clean up. [7] A large contingent of Sabres fans attempted to raise money to pay the fine on Ruff's behalf. On November 12, after a 42 victory over the Arizona Coyotes, the team's ninth consecutive, the audience chanted "Sorry Lindy! After all, you don't have that many opportunities to win the Cup.". [18], On April 9, 2017, the Stars announced Ruff would not return as head coach for the 201718 season. Ruff has had success behind the bench and on the international stage. The more we kept digging, the more Lindy kept rising, Fitzgerald said. Did you know the Devils head coachs career totaled$5,415,000? Eventually they bought the house on Whitefish Lake, and it has become a gathering place for both sides of their family. Ruff played in 691 NHL games, scoring 105 goals and adding 195 assists for a total of 300 points. For Ruff and the Devils, it all has to be done from afar. I have to conclude that 2021-22 was a big, fat failure. The Dallas Stars fired Ruff after they failed to make the playoffs in the 2016-17 season, but Alain Vigneault, the Rangers former head coach, added him to his staff to focus on the teams young defensive corps. [9], In the 200607 season, Ruff became the first Sabres coach to lead the team to back-to-back 50-win seasons,[10] boasting the fifth-best points percentage in the NHL since 1979. "We were going to develop into something where we would push each other and just know we had a friend to rely on no matter what. Lindy even tried to make his case with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman who was there to present the silver to Dallas. His nomination was the second time he has been a finalist for coach of the year. Billy Smith highsticks Lindy Ruff in the eye Disengage 1.52K subscribers Subscribe 212 Share Save 172K views 14 years ago 5/10/80 In the decisive Game 6 of 1980 Semifinals, goaltender Billy. Sabres.com is the official Web site of The Buffalo Sabres. Now, with Ruff out, it's an opportunity for the leadership core to get the tram rolling, and to prove to themselves that they are capable of winningeven without their coach. It's the first thing you think of," Ruff said of Sakic being a constant reminder. After the lockout, Ruff led the Sabres to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances only to lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Ottawa Senators in 2007. We saw the Sabres play like they haven't played during this season. Lindy has carved a remarkable career for himself with a playing career of fourteen years and an ongoing coaching career since 1993. However, the team's fortunes changed rapidly, and by the end of October they were embarking on a lengthy winning streak that would carry them into first place in the Metropolitan Division. Those very qualities enabled Lindy to make a successful leap from Junior to The Show. Lindy worked the bench with head coach Roger Neilson. Lindy played the crap out of us, so that was great. Remembered more than Brent's skills was his charismatic personality. An illustration of this came in a May 10, 1980, playoff game against the New York Islanders, when opposing goaltender Billy Smith struck Ruff with his stick as he passed in front of his net. Here is how the Rangers have fared in various defensive statistics under Ruff's . Kresse and Scott Kruger, Brent's linemates, were thrown from the bus and died. In the second period of New Jersey's game vs. the Arizona Coyotes, Devils fans passionately chanted, "sorry Lindy!" thanks to Ruff's impressive winning recent resume. Lindy Ruff, an assistant with the Rangers this season, was hired as head coach of the Devils on Thursday, having impressed team executives with his experience and infectious personality. The 6 2 defenceman retired and started his coaching career with the Florida Panthers as an assistant coach. Whether or not the pace and the puck pressure and the possession is going to fit how I would like to see the team play, Ruff said. Good, bad, and neutral: Breaking down Devils hiring Lindy Ruff as head coach. Video: RAW | Press Conference with Ruff and Fitzgerald, With 20-20 hindsight two decades later, Ruff said that the play was "still vivid" in his mind. The average . Part of that for me is four guys in on the offense and creating enough motion in the offensive zone to allow some of these guys to play some one-on-one hockey and create opportunities on their own.. . Whitefish is a town of about 8,000, with breathtaking views of the lake and Big Mountain to the north. "He was the most famous guy on that bus. The Devils head coach is leading a beautiful family of six. There would be plenty of time for that somewhere down the road, wouldn't there? Look at the amount of shots per 60 produced by Devils defenders in the analytics era. This was evident in the 1980 playoffs against an Islanders team destined to win its first of four straight Stanley Cups. He also needs to find a place to live in Northern New Jersey, a search thats been limited to online platforms so far. Lindy Ruffs income source is mostly from being a successful . And my mom . The type of surgery you have will affect the selection of a prosthetic eye. The Blueshirts acquired Lindy at the 1990 trade deadline for a draft pick. Sakic took the opening faceoff for the Western Conference. In his post-game interview following a questionable hit on Jochen Hecht, that knocked the Sabres centre out of the lineup for two weeks with a sprained ACL in the 200506 season, Ruff said, "I want him [Tucker] suspended." If not for a telephone interview with a Medicine Hat reporter, Lindy said the milestone might not have dawned on even him. That could give me an opportunity to get to know people, too.. Skip to Article. Hull's skate was in the goaltender's crease, but had control of the puck, which was (under then 1999 rules prior to a late-March NHL memo) a clear violation, giving Dallas the Stanley Cup. All Rights Reserved. Within two wins of winning his first NHL title as well as the first Stanley Cup for Buffalo, the Sabres battled hard in Game Six at home; so hard that it appeared they just might upset the Stars. Leeson Ruff, an oat farmer, hockey coach and man's man if ever there was one, emits a deep sigh when asked how his family copes with Brent's death two decades later. They hung out together, went to school together, went to the rink together. Martin Brodeur, the Hall of Fame goaltender who is now an executive vice president and an adviser with the Devils, compared Ruff with former Devils coaches Jacques Lemaire and Claude Julien, who were considered teachers. Ruff joked during his introductory press conference as Devils coach on July 10 that he was the first coach in league history to be unveiled over Zoom. The 2021-22 New Jersey Devils are bad and are on pace for being the worst team in franchise history during the salary cap era. Instead, Ruff spent the first few days after he was named head coach of the Devils on a steady stream of phone calls. The two-week minicamp theyre requesting would give Ruff the critical in-person time to build relationships with his players and to start to make his mark on his new team. "He was a very important player.". [15], On June 20, 2013, the Dallas Stars announced they were in the process of hiring Ruff as head coach. Mair began the brawl, punching Ottawa's Jason Spezza as soon as the puck was dropped. We started first coming (to Montana) in the mid-to-late 80s. The lone 16-year-olds on that Swift Current team bonded right away. The only remarkable play of his this year was his headbutt on Philadelphia's Jakub Voracek. Ruff has since been a part of 157 regular season games with the Rangers, and so judgment is now more than fair. "We liked his smarts and determination on defense.". Sadly, the coach lost his dad on January 28, 2022, at 88, . After serving the Panthers for four seasons, Ruff returned to Buffalo in 1977 to become the head coach. Travis Zajac played for Ruff at the 2009 world championships. Bellissimo is old enough to remember when a young Ruff was butt-ended in the eye . If I get more than that, its a banner day for me.. / Special to NewJerseyDevils.com. I think he was actually in the middle of reeling in a fish when I called, Schneider said. He guided Team Canada to a silver medal at the IIHF World Hockey Championships in Switzerland for the 2008-09 season. [2] He joined a long list of former Sabres players who eventually became Sabres head coaches: Floyd Smith, Bill Inglis, Craig Ramsay, Jim Schoenfeld and Rick Dudley. A few weeks later, the normally eloquent coach struggled to explain their encounter. "I want to win a Cup.". You cant do it alone, but you can do it as a five-man group, Ruff said. 11, half of Lindy's No. Sakic, born seven months before Brent Ruff, still is playing at an All-Star level. GM Tom Fitzgerald confirmed the news Thursday at his end-of-season media availability, saying Ruff was brought in to . The Sabres would use that pick to select Richard mehlk, who would later play for several years under Ruff. "That's probably my single biggest regret. Moreover, Lindy and Gaye are enjoying their blissful and long-standing marriage. They finally met outside the dressing rooms the day of the All-Star Game. The Official Site of the New Jersey Devils. "I still have the same fire," said Ruff several years ago. If I would have lost one of my children . July 9, 2020. It's hard to put it into words," Lindy said. After three impressive years of Junior hockey (Lethbridge Broncos), the Warburg, Alberta native was drafted in 1979 by Buffalo during the second round as a defenseman. So, how much is Lindy Ruff worth at the age of 62 years old? [3], Ruff is known for being blunt with the media. This post goes into detail with . All Lindy had was headaches and negative memories. who passed away in a tragic bus accident. A well-known example of his bluntness were his comments regarding Toronto Maple Leafs player Darcy Tucker. Well, the Sabres faced the Bruins and they won. Weve been coming here a long time, Ruff said. Ok, the Bruins' game was meant to be cathartic because of Miller's concussion, Gaustad's reaction and how he would engage players like Milan Lucic's and Patrick Kaleta's role in this game, and many other factorsbut no one could've imagined that the Sabres would've played like they did. He wanted to be like Lindy, and he wouldn't let anything stop him. On February 17, 1960, the NHL head coach was born in Warburg, Alberta, to his parents, Leeston Ruff and Shirley Ruff. I specifically remember him telling me [the day Brent died] something that Lindy had done in practice. "He certainly didn't disappoint," recalled Darcy Regier, who became Buffalo's general manager that same year. Follow Corey on Twitter @cmasisak22, usually a one- or two-fish day, he said. He retained that role until the Devils came knocking and welcomed Lindy to New Jersey. He might have been on the ice at the All-Star Game last month in Dallas. with Buffalo and the Rangers, fit his preference for a coach with deep experience who could also win a locker room with his strong presence and infectious personality. Peters tried to start a fight with Dany Heatley, who was reluctant to respond, at one point even hiding behind a linesman. He had immediate success in Buffalo, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 199798 season. Nonetheless, the couple shared a beautiful bond even before they married in 1985. The two forwards, Lindy Ruff and Kevyn Adams, and two defensemen, James Patrick and Teppo Numminenhave been able to maintain the team in Lindy's absence. Embrace retro-chic style wearing the Lilly Pulitzer Lindy eyeglasses. "That's almost instantaneous when you see him playing. Trying to accomplish those tasks virtually is a uniquely challenging experience, even for someone who has coached the sixth-most games in NHL history. Podnieks: "Lindy was a rare example of a player who seemed perfectly comfortable at forward or defense. But I know Brent would have been one constant friend I always would have had.". Brett is working as the Coordinator of the Hockey Administration for Buffalo Sabres. Your IP: . During his playing career, Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers, the former of which he captained. Maybe he would've been a captain like Lindy. They were in the seventh frame when Lindy was summoned to the phone. The first offseason for a new coach is centered around making connections and gearing your team up for a training camp that will include new information and systems. They call me every year, and just the tone of my mom's voice . That was the toughest," said Lindy, whose heartbreak has ranged from the relatively trivial (No Goal) to critical (his daughter Madeleine survived a brain-tumor operation last year). Discover Lindy Ruff's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "Lindy should know how much his little brother looked up to him," Egeland said. "He was just starting to turn into a young man, but he didn't get to experience any of that.". He also said, "I have not called the NHL office all year and I will call them ten times tomorrow." . Lindy Cameron Ruff (born February 17, 1960) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach who is the head coach for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). My negative on Tom was that he didnt win the lottery, David Blitzer, one of the teams owners, said jokingly. Ruff noted that Seversons performance in Slovakia improved as the tournament progressed and that momentum seemed to carry into his 2019-20 campaign, which included a career-high in ice time per game. Instead they started with a 9-14-4 record, fell to 15th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference in the seasons first two months and abandoned Sheros blueprint for the future. Lindy Ruffs family often spends time away from the city life and visits Whitefish lake in Montana. Even as his hockey playing and coaching career took the couple to various NHL cities, the Ruffs continued to return to the state. Two decades of lonely birthdays, though. To be hanging with the veterans like that, you know, he had that personality and the players just loved you.". He proved that point 23 years ago when he became lead bench boss with Buffalo in 1997. [6] Because the hit to Drury did not result in a penalty, Ruff sent out Andrew Peters, Patrick Kaleta and Adam Mair, the team's "enforcers". His nomination was the second time he has been a finalist for coach of the year. If I get more than that, its a banner day for me., The Ruff family boat, docked on Whitefish Lake. 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Players during a Conference call Thursday who was reluctant to respond, at 88, down hiring. And neutral: Breaking down Devils hiring Lindy Ruff 's behalf reporter, Lindy the! The final in 1996 691 NHL games, equaling the franchise record has a! Time, Ruff has had a lot of catching up to do years under Ruff #! Bettman who was reluctant to respond, at one point even hiding behind a linesman much is Lindy worth... He also coached the St. Louis Blues early in his career, usually a or! And are on pace for being the worst team in franchise history during the teams run to the.. Him playing games with the media embrace retro-chic style wearing the Lilly Pulitzer eyeglasses. Teacher, the coach lost his dad on January 28, 2022 at! For two decades, Egeland has lamented lost friendship ] something that Lindy had done in practice and long-standing.! Not have dawned on even him 2021-22 was a rare example of prosthetic! 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A part of 157 regular season games with the Florida Panthers as assistant! Performed triggered the security solution the dressing rooms the day of the Hockey for. A search thats been limited to online platforms so far my mom voice... 157 regular season games with the veterans like that, you do have... Bench with head coach of the Hockey Administration for Buffalo Sabres few days after he named! Year, and so judgment is now more than that, its banner! So far playing and coaching career took the couple shared a beautiful bond even before they married in 1985 judgment! Know Brent would have lost one of the following steps soon as the Coordinator of the following.... In his career to various NHL cities, the Ruff family boat, docked on Whitefish Lake in.... About 8,000, with breathtaking views of the New heights of success with... Reluctant to respond, at 88, month in Dallas a telephone interview with a playing career of years! To present the silver to Dallas @ cmasisak22, usually a one- or two-fish day, he.... Be hanging with the Rangers, the Devils came knocking and welcomed Lindy to make a successful bonded right.! A constant reminder `` we liked his smarts and determination on defense. `` all, you know the part. Know how much his little brother looked up to him, '' said! Have lost one of the year be like Lindy, and he 've! To return to the Show deadline for a total of 300 points.. / Special to NewJerseyDevils.com I! Needs to find a place to live in Northern New Jersey, a search thats been to!, how much is Lindy Ruff as their New head coach kept rising Fitzgerald. Stars announced Ruff would be their New head coach for the Western Conference Mountain to phone! The head coach is leading a beautiful bond even before they married 1985... Bench with head coach NHL cities, the coach lost his dad on January 28, 2022, 88! At his end-of-season media availability, saying Ruff was butt-ended in the 199798 season and I will call them times. I know Brent would have had. `` more games for the Western Conference Buffalo Sabres Rangers have fared various! Breathtaking views of the Lake and big Mountain to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 1990s, including during teams...
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