New York Rangers name Lindy Ruff as assistant coach
The New York Rangers have announced that they have signed Lindy Ruff as an assistant coach. Ruff was last with the Dallas Stars as the head coach before being the organization announced he would not be returning for the 2017-18 season.
Ruff is a solid addition to the coaching staff in New York, with experience as a player in the NHL, as an assistant coach, and as a head coach with the Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have named Lindy Ruff as an Assistant Coach. pic.twitter.com/NlIxclHV4D
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 10, 2017
Ruff’s first took over as a head coach with the Buffalo Sabres before the 1997-98 season. He lead the Sabres to four consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances in his first four seasons in Buffalo, including a loss in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998-99.
Despite his immediate success, Ruff and the Sabres missed the next three playoffs. For his final eight seasons in Buffalo they would go on to make the playoffs twice, miss them twice, make them twice, and then miss them once. Ruff wouldn’t make it through the 2012-13 season, getting fired 17 games into the season.
Ruff took over in Dallas the following season, once again getting off to a good start. Ruff led the Stars to a playoff appearance that season, despite finishing 5th in the Central Division. Ruff and the Stars would miss the playoffs the following season, and then make them again in 2015-16, winning the Central Division in the process. That was Ruff’s third Division title as a head coach in the NHL.
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The Stars finished 34-37-11 last season, good for sixth in the Central Division. This led to the Stars and Ruff parting ways upon the end of the season.
Ruff also played in 691 games in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers. The left-handed defenseman scored 105 goals and added 195 assists to go with his 1,264 career penalty minutes.