Sabres re-sign Lindy Ruff after 1st playoff appearance in 15 years

The Buffalo Sabres enjoyed their first playoff appearance in 15 years this season, and it was led by the leadership of head coach Lindy Ruff. The organization has taken notice of that and signed him to a two-year extension that will keep him with the team through the 2027-29 season.

Ruff has a lot of history with the franchise, as he was a second-round pick for them in 1979. He was with the team for a decade, and then coached the team in 1997-1998. He started his second stint as their head coach in 2024 and had a mission to get them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

The Sabres won 50 games this season, which was the third-highest total in franchise history. They defeated the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, but lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round. Ruff shared what he said to the team following the game

“It hurts, I told the team it hurts. That pain will go away. But I won’t let this one game define the season we had. I told them how proud of was of them,” Ruff said via team radio host Brian Koziol.

The Sabres made a lot of strides this season, especially when looking at where they were early in the season. They were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in December, but then went on a 10-game winning streak. From then on, they led the NHL in wins and point percentage.

The hope is that the Sabres can recapture that success when they get back next season, and having Ruff on the sidelines will be huge for their success.

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