BOSTON – For the fifth time in his career, Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award.
“That just means our coaching staff did one hell of a job,” Ruff said of his nomination today in the Four Seasons One Dalton. “This isn’t a one-man job. The hours these guys have put in and where we got to, a complete team effort.”
This season, Ruff and his staff led the Sabres to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011, ending an NHL-record drought.
The Sabres roared into the postseason, winning 50 games, earning 109 points and capturing the Atlantic Division title.
Right now, the Sabres have a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven first-round series. They can win a playoff round tonight for the first time since 2007 if they defeat the Bruins in Game 6 at TD Garden.
Ruff won the award, given annually to the NHL’s top coach, in 2005-06. He was also a finalist in 2006-07, 2015-16 and 2022-23.
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Jon Cooper, the league’s longest-tenured coach, and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Dan Muse are the other finalists, the NHL announced today.
The winner is decided through a vote by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.