BUFFALO – Following a breakout 109-point season, the Sabres have signed coach Lindy Ruff to a two-year contract extension, the team announced this afternoon.
The Sabres just enjoyed one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history, ending their NHL-record 14-year postseason drought, winning the Atlantic Division and defeating the Boston Bruins in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Sabres on Monday in Game 7 of their second-round series, winning 3-2 in overtime.
As the season progressed, it became clear Ruff, a franchise icon who’s in his second stint as coach of the Sabres, would receive a new deal.
Following a weak start, the Sabres caught fire, beginning a 10-game win streak in early December and finishing the season on a torrid, league-best 39-9-5 run.
The Sabres recorded 50 wins, the third-highest total in franchise history. They hadn’t won a playoff series since 2007, the same season Ruff led them to the Presidents’ Trophy.
Ruff inked a two-year contract in 2024 under former general manager Kevyn Adams, who was replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen on Dec. 15, to return to the Sabres.
Ruff, who previously coached the Sabres from 1997 to 2013, is the Sabres’ all-time wins leader. He has registered a 657-494-178 career record with the franchise.
He coached the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils following his first stint in Buffalo.
He ranks third in NHL history in games coached (1,938), trailing only Scotty Bowman (2,141) and Paul Maurice (2,012). He ranks fourth in wins (950), trailing only Bowman (1,244), Quenneville (1,012) and Maurice (950).
Ruff, 67, is the NHL’s third-oldest coach.
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