Then, he also worked with the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. In the 200607 season, Ruff became the first Sabres coach to lead the team to back-to-back 50 win seasons, boasting the fifth-best points percentage in the NHL since 1979. The water here is fairly refreshing. His best teams in Buffalo were offensive machines. [22][23] On January 28, 2021, Ruff coached his 1,500th game in the NHL as the Devils lost 31 to the Philadelphia Flyers. 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. Copyright 1999-2018 The Hockey Western New York, LLC and the National Hockey League. Lindy has carved a remarkable career for himself with a playing career of fourteen years and an ongoing coaching career since 1993. Ruff led the Sabres to their most successful regular season ever in 200607 with a 53227 record for a total of 113 points. He's not half as controversial as Sean Avery, but he sure is one of the loudest mouths out there. 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. During the decisive game 6 of the 1980 Semifinals. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Moreover, Lindy Ruffs daughter holds a doctorate in occupational therapy from Belmont University. All of them are now grown-ups and living their lives individually. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. After drafting Hughes and acquiring the star defensemen P.K. Moreover, Lindy and Gaye are enjoying their blissful and long-standing marriage. [5], In February 2007, Ruff was fined US$10,000 by the NHL after a brawl with the Ottawa Senators. Only this time he was runner-up for the Adams prize to Vancouver's Alain Vigneault in a close vote. His 501st win behind the bench with the Sabres put him one ahead of Toe Blake, who coached to 500 wins with the Montreal Canadiens. "He was with the veterans having fun in the poker games at the back of the bus," Sakic said. It's just understood.". Embrace retro-chic style wearing the Lilly Pulitzer Lindy eyeglasses. Ruff gained a reputation as a player for his toughness, character and hard work on the ice. [8], 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. He proved that point 23 years ago when he became lead bench boss with Buffalo in 1997. On July 9, 2020, the teams Executive Vice President/General Manager, Tom Fitzgerald announced him the teams head coach. He wanted to be like Lindy, and he wouldn't let anything stop him. But I know Brent would have been one constant friend I always would have had.". A few weeks later, the normally eloquent coach struggled to explain their encounter. View this post on Instagram. He was a crafty and fearless forward with a pedigree. Ruff grew up in Canada, in the tiny Northern Alberta village of Warburg; his wife, Gaye, is from Lethbridge, which is in Southern Alberta and not far from the Montana border. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. Now I just have to prove that I can be that same defenseman that played really well for him over there, that trustworthy guy on both ends of the puck.. I really enjoyed that part. 69.163.234.236 [18], On April 9, 2017, the Stars announced Ruff would not return as head coach for the 201718 season. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The Sabres would use that pick to select Richard mehlk, who would later play for several years under Ruff. As a sibling it's hard, but as a parent . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [19][20], On July 10, 2017, it was announced Ruff was named as assistant coach of the New York Rangers. Add some fire to that blend. Buffalo missed the playoffs in the three seasons preceding the 200405 NHL lockout amidst the team's bankruptcy and financial problems caused by the Adelphia Communications corporate scandal. Instead, a celebration of life is inextricably melded to an unspoken reminder of thieving death, and Lindy Ruff feels that robbery most of all when he hears his mother's wistful voice. The opening scene of Valiant, a documentary about the incredible first season of the Vegas Golden Knights, includes sweeping views of the Montana landscape and the clubs owner, Bill Foley, surveying the scene from his helicopter. His teams in Dallas consistently played fast and scored lots of goals. Presently, the former Sabres head coach is guiding the New Jersey Devils. Weve been coming here a long time, Ruff said. As such, this is especially easy to see in the usage of the blueliners. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. I think he was actually in the middle of reeling in a fish when I called, Schneider said. Thats usually a one- or two-fish day, he said. Ruff and his wife Gaye have four children: Brett, Eryn and twins Madeline and Brian. The renowned coach Lindy Ruff and his wife . Lindy vividly remembers every detail about the day Brent died. He still has the flames burning within him and the super-Cup-motivation. Rather than leave it unspoken, Sakic said he would be sure to seek out Lindy in Dallas. He got up and tackled Smitty to the ice.". "Lindy took us to the Eastern Conference Finals and a year later to the Final Round for the Cup.". Schneider missed Ruffs initial call, and then called him back. Enter Search Term. Click to reveal . During his playing career, Ruff played in . Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! 1 over all in the 2019 draft. Theres a collection of NHL people around this area, and theres even more on Flathead Lake (about 40 miles to the south).. Just as we thought that the Sabres were going to begin a mighty playoff push by winning two last week, they went on to lose against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lindy Ruff, named head coach of the New Jersey Devils last month, and his family have a summer home on Whitefish Lake. If you're going to blame this and blame that you're going to walk around bitter your whole life, and eventually you can't live with yourself.". Theres another prominent hockey figure drawing up plans for his new team by the lake these days. [15], On June 20, 2013, the Dallas Stars announced they were in the process of hiring Ruff as head coach. He got the crowd going by fighting Milan Lucic and caused a melee, while getting tangled with Adam McQuaid. The Blueshirts acquired Lindy at the 1990 trade deadline for a draft pick. He grew up with his brothersRandy Ruff, Brent Ruff,and Marty Ruff. Al Arbour won more games for the New York Islanders, but he also coached the St. Louis Blues early in his career. On April 9, 2017, the Stars announced Ruff would not return as head coach for the 201718 season. "He wanted to be a lot like Lindy. Lindy Ruff is the head coach of the New Jersey Devils in the NHL. Maybe it was tough Lindy didn't get a chance to really know him, but Lindy was a big influence on him. I'd never seen my dad with such sorrow. After Lindy's four years of basic coach-training in the Sunshine State, he was ready to move north. Sakic, born seven months before Brent Ruff, still is playing at an All-Star level. He quickly endeared himself to the team's veterans. The bus went airborne and crashed onto its right side. It can be debated until the cows come home whether the goal was legal or not; the point is nobody in command over-ruled it and the Texans had the Cup. On June 21, 2013, the Stars announced Ruff would be their new head coach. If you find any mistakes or errors, help us to correct them, Use of this web site constitute acceptance of the Terms of Use and Eryn, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, works as a teacher at Faubion Middle School. Its nice now, but when we first get here its probably in the 60s, so youve got to be able to put up with a little bit of chilliness.. Lindy played the crap out of us, so that was great. My negative on Tom was that he didnt win the lottery, David Blitzer, one of the teams owners, said jokingly. 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. ". Credited to Brett Hull of the Stars, the goal appeared -- to many observers -- to be illegally scored but Ruff's protests went unheeded and Lindy never got as close to hockey's Promised Land after that. During a summer that didnt include travel restrictions amid a pandemic, Ruff might have traveled to Michigan to meet with Jack Hughes, to Switzerland for lunch on Nico Hischiers terrace or to Thunder Bay, Ont. He is a member of famous with the age 62 years old group. "It just didn't seem real.". It was more about getting to know them personally than anything hockey-wise, Ruff said. Copyright 1999-2023 New Jersey Devils and the National Hockey League. In 2010, he was a coaching staff member for Team Canadas gold medal-winning hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Brent was gleaming about that. Ruff, a former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres and the Dallas Stars who spent the last three years as an assistant coach for the Rangers, was hired as the Devils simultaneously made Tom Fitzgerald their permanent general manager after six months in an interim role. Eventually they bought the house on Whitefish Lake, and it has become a gathering place for both sides of their family. Sabres.com is the official Web site of The Buffalo Sabres. Ruff declined the fans' offer and had the money raised donated to charity. 11, half of Lindy's No. They won big. On February 20, 2013, the Sabres announced Ruff had been relieved of his coaching duties, ending his tenure as the NHL's longest active-serving coach with one team and second only to Gregg Popovich in the four major sports in North America. On July 10, 2017, it was announced Ruff was named as assistant coach of the New York Rangers. 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. "There are not too many 16-year-old kids that would be allowed to do that. Ruff was an assistant coach for the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team. Kaleta showed a ridiculous amount of emotion when he took a run on Zdeno Chara, toppled the giant, and thenpaid the price for it by taking a hit. "We liked his smarts and determination on defense.". We have such a young team, Brodeur said, in a video interview. About the Warburg natives playing career, Lindy was drafted in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. Tom . He couldn't be in better company. However, he never appeared in an NHL game. On April 5, 2006, Ruff became the 31st coach in NHL history to win 300 games, and just the 16th to do so with only one team. , money, salary, income, and assets. 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. Ruff made the move seamlessly and played left wing for three years while also being team captain. But he didn't stay there long. Sakic has been skating in the NHL since 1988, overlapping Lindy's career by three years. Trying to accomplish those tasks virtually is a uniquely challenging experience, even for someone who has coached the sixth-most games in NHL history. The lone 16-year-olds on that Swift Current team bonded right away. I specifically remember him telling me [the day Brent died] something that Lindy had done in practice. So, how much is Lindy Ruff worth at the age of 62 years old? He has a long road to get there with the New Jersey Devils, but he's just grateful to at least have the chance. Despite the rumors, she does not have a glass eye. [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". It's the first thing you think of," Ruff said of Sakic being a constant reminder. The two brothers probably were too oblivious of life's uncertainty to acknowledge their feelings for each other. "We don't talk much about it," Leeson said. During the 2005-06 season he verbally ripped Toronto's Darcy Tucker after the pugnacious Leaf forward put Buffalo's Jochen Hecht out of action for two weeks with a nasty (dirty) hit. [26] After the Devils lost their first two games of the season in a manner much resembling the prior years, chants of "Fire Lindy!" Keep reading with unlimited digital access. "Lindy should know how much his little brother . Blitzer did not want to say how he thought the Devils would fare as they regrouped under Ruff, saying of the process, The players will tell us that., https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/sports/hockey/new-jersey-devils-lindy-ruff.html. Several of those calls were with general manager Tom Fitzgerald so they could start putting together a plan for 2020-21 season and assistant coach interviews to fill out Ruffs staff. When he became head coach of Dallas in 2013, he immediately turned a losing team into a post-season threat. Such a significant amount must have added fortunes to Lindy Ruffs net worth. Fitzgerald ran the coaching search that landed Ruff, after having assumed the interim role when Shero was fired. The NHL said Ruff precipitated the brawl following a questionable hit on then co-captain Chris Drury by the Senators' Chris Neil. You won't believe what happened next. 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". Also Read: Learn More About Selen Vigil-Wilks Biography. Brian has followed in his fathers footsteps. Marty was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first-round pick. We talked a little bit about the bus ride, where everybody was sitting, what happened. When the cheerleading coach broke the news to Katrina Kohel that she was the only one left on the cheer squad, Kohel was determined to compete anyway. Earlier this week Lindy Ruff was injured in the Buffalo Sabres' practice, after Jordan Leopold lost his balance on a battle drill and took his feet off. Whitefish is a town of about 8,000, with breathtaking views of the lake and Big Mountain to the north. This post goes into detail with . I must confess that despite being one of Lindy's largest detractors this season, it was kind of odd not seeing him behind the bench in such an important game. This was also on the anniversary of the controversial defeat of the Sabres in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999. Hence, the lovebirds have been together since his playing days. Lindy worked the bench with head coach Roger Neilson. It was good to talk to him. Brent Ruff, the youngest of four boys, was born on his big brother's birthday and dreamed of following in his skate tracks. Sakic took the opening faceoff for the Western Conference. While he might opt for some of Montanas famous fly fishing in a river nearby, most days hes content to fish from his dock with the hope of snagging some lake trout. "Ruff fumes as Hecht expected to miss two weeks", "Sabres fans launch fundraisers to pay coach Ruff's fine", "Sabres coach, Clarence resident Lindy Ruff highlights Greater Buffalo 2010 Class", "Sabres sign Ruff to contract extension AP", "Buffalo Sabres relieve Lindy Ruff of coaching duties", "Sabres Fire Ruff; Rolston is the Interim Coach - ABC News", "Sabres fire head coach Ruff, name Rolston interim coach", "Dallas Stars hire Lindy Ruff as 22nd Head Coach in franchise history", "Head Coach Lindy Ruff, Captain Jamie Benn and Forward Tyler Seguin to Represent the Dallas Stars at the 2016 All-Star Game", "Stars announce Lindy Ruff won't return as head coach", "NHL Black Monday Roundup: L.A. Kings clean house", "Rangers Name Lindy Ruff Assistant Coach", "RELEASE: Devils Name Lindy Ruff Head Coach", "Lindy Ruff named Devils' coach, Tom Fitzgerald stays GM", "Hart makes 33 saves, Raffl breaks tie as Flyers beat Devils", "Devils have another rough season under Lindy Ruff", "Devils coach Lindy Ruff on 'Sorry Lindy' chants, his future, texting players, more", "Devils fans sing 'sorry Lindy' as New Jersey extends win streak to nine", "Devils see 3 goals waved off, 13-game winning streak end vs. Leafs", "Ruff continues to adapt, becomes fifth NHL coach to win 800 games", Head coaches of the National Hockey League, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lindy_Ruff&oldid=1141866253, Canada men's national ice hockey team coaches, Articles with dead external links from November 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Biographical information and career statistics from, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 06:52. I would consider that a big deal, instead of just coming into the main camp cold, Ruff said. "That's almost instantaneous when you see him playing. He often advised his sons to work hard. Brian Costello, a reporter for the Swift Current Sun, emerged from the wreckage and saw Trent Kresse's mangled leg. His nomination was the second time he has been a finalist for coach of the year. All of them have grown up and must be doing well. They call me every year, and just the tone of my mom's voice . Ruff was the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and was rewarded with a three-year contract extension that had an option for a fourth season. (Top photo of Ruff fishing in Montana: Lindy Ruff). "And he was younger [than Marty] by seven years, so he grew up at home alone for a period of time where it was just them three. 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