After leading the Buffalo Sabres from worst to first, and then into their first National Hockey League postseason run since 2011, head coach Lindy Ruff is sticking around for a while longer.
The Sabres announced Wednesday they had signed Ruff to a two-year contract extension, through the 2027-28 season.
Speaking during a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Ruff declared he wasn't happy to be there. Not because of any dissatisfaction with his employers, but because he was hoping they'd still be in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sabres lost 3-2 in overtime Monday night in Game Seven of their second-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, bringing their season to an end.
"I'd rather be somewhere else, but really excited with the opportunity to carry on here and help lead this team to a championship," he said.
Ruff is the Buffalo hockey franchise’s winningest coach and is currently a finalist for the NHL’s Jack Adams Award, given to the league’s coach of the year. He previously won the award while coaching the Sabres in the 2005-06 season, and was nominated three other times with three different teams, Buffalo, Dallas and New Jersey.
He spoke of the Sabres' turnaround during the season, and the restoration of the team as a serious competitor. He also acknowledged the work that lies ahead to keep them competitive.
“There's going to be teams are going to walk into this building and go, they're not taking us for granted, they're not while we're in Buffalo,” he said. “We've got the respect of a good team, and now we've got to be ready to from day one to win hockey games when, when we open up next year.”
Ruff began his lengthy relationship with the Sabres as a player, selected by the team in the second round of the NHL draft. His ten years playing for the Sabres included some time as a captain. He later played three seasons with the New York Rangers.
He then returned to Buffalo as a coach in 1997, remaining with the Sabres until the 2012-13 season when he was dismissed. He was rehired by the organization in 2024.
As the team continued on its surprising streak in the second half of the 2025-26 season, Ruff knew he wanted to keep going. So did his wife, Gaye.
"We were talking about it throughout the year as we were going along, and it's the second half of the year, things were going so well, and yeah, she's totally on board. She said, you've got the disease, you've got to continue. You've got a sickness, you're gonna have to continue," he said with a chuckle.