Lindy Ruff was introduced as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres alongside general manager Kevyn Adams during a press conference at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula opened with a statement revisiting Ruff’s long and storied career both with and since leaving the organization, culminating with a sentiment that echoed throughout the remainder of the afternoon: Ruff is back because he is the right coach for the moment.
“Most importantly, Lindy knows how to win, and he knows how to take a team to another level,” Pegula said. “He may be the most competitive person I’ve ever met in my life.”
Adams and Ruff went on to discuss the process that led to the reunion, how the coach has changed since departing in 2013, the Sabres’ roster, and more.
Here are the top quotes from the press conference.
Lindy Ruff & Kevyn Adams address the media
Adams on the coaching search
Adams outlined his vision for the next Sabres coach last Tuesday, emphasizing pedigree and experience as qualities he would prioritize. The search started that same day and eventually included conversations with a double-digit number of candidates, Adams said.
As the week progressed and conversations continued, Adams’ belief only grew stronger that Ruff was the right choice.
“It’s been an exhausting week working around the clock and with each conversation I had, and there were many, I kept coming back to another conversation with Lindy and feeling stronger, hour by hour, that this is the man who’s right to step into this role and become the next head coach of the Buffalo Sabres,” Adams said.
“And I want to make one thing very clear – it is tremendous that Lindy has a long, storied history in the Buffalo Sabres organization. It is terrific that he is connected to the City of Buffalo and the Western New York community, but that’s really just [a bonus]. He’s the right person for this job and I truly believe that he is the person that’s going to take us to the next level. Our players want it, we’re excited, and the hard work starts now. »
“I want them to enjoy playing here”
Ruff reiterated his belief that the Sabers are now in a “win-win situation” and said his mission is to improve the team through responsibility and communication.
This will be an opportunity for me to put these people in the right position and use their strengths to take them to the next level,” he said. “It will depend partly on their commitment. Part of it will depend on the connection we will develop, from the coaching staff to the management [and] from the coaches to the players we will work with from day one. We will be connected. br>
“If you want to be a successful hockey club now, there needs to be alignment between the players, the coaches and an understanding of how we need to play. And the last part is consistency of play night after night.
“The next part is the players are now in a position where they can demand more of each other. They know where they have been, they know where they need to go. They know what to expect from each other.
“This is what I expect from them. I want them to enjoy playing here. I want them to happily play together. And I want them to enjoy being Buffalo Sabers fans for the Sabres, who I think are some of the best in the league.
Sabres coach arrives for opening day
Comparison with 2005-06 season
Ruff said he received a text message from Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek since he was named head coach.
“They all said, ‘You’re the guy who can get them there,'” Ruff said.
Ruff then drew comparisons between the current Sabers roster and the team he coached with for the Eastern Conference Finals in 2005-06.
“The team This team looked very similar to where we were at the time,” he said. “Extremely talented. We just have to play the game the right way. And again, I will mention the discipline of the game. Not all players are the same. But understanding your role on the team and playing your part will help the team win. with three years as an assistant coach for the New York Rangers and a gold medal as an assistant at the 2014 Olympics.
He explains that all of these experiences made him How to be a better coach than the one who left Buffalo in 2013 .
“The game has changed a lot,” he said. “Lindy Ruff has changed a lot. I got to work with great coaches – from the World Championships I attended to the Olympics in Russia – and exchange ideas with some of the best coaches in the tournament. It was a blessing and a blessing to win and to be part of the coaching staff that won the gold medal in Sochi. And to win the way they said, “Canada wouldn’t be able to play on big ice. They won’t be able to defend well enough. “And as a team, we came up with a plan that we were the best defensive team out there, we were the best team. And with highly skilled players.
So when you look at a group like we have here – highly skilled players – you can run the highly skilled section This of the game. You can use it to attack. You can use it for defense. But you have to have discipline in the game to do the right thing at the right time. Sometimes it’s decisive decisions, sometimes it’s “Well, maybe we don’t need another goal right now. We can win this game 2-0 without taking much risk in our game.” My coaching style since I left here – I actually laugh at some of the styles I won’t go into detail, but I’m a much better coach now than I was before I left craving another level of responsibility, from both each other and their new coach.
Ruff was asked what responsibility means to him.
“ Responsibility for me starts with the player himself,” he said. “The first thing he does is hold himself accountable. “Have I done enough to get this team where it needs to go? can be responsible or hold anyone else responsible, you are responsible for yourself, whether it’s your summer workouts, whether it’s your camp preparations, whether it’s your We are about to enter the first match, are you ready to play? You hold each other accountable.
“The next level of responsibility when you become a good team is that the players themselves have to hold each other accountable. They’ll say, ‘You know the play’s not good enough, you need to be there, you need to lean against the wall, you need to block this shot for me. This is a game changer.’ >“The last part is the coach. You can no longer scream and scold players. You can’t just say, “You have to do this, you have to do that, you can’t play this.” “The way we grow is to believe in the way we play. If we don’t play like that, my biggest tool is to take away ice time. My best tool is you play really well, you have more ice time, you will become someone I trust, you will take on that important role, you will be there at the last minute, you will be there for every empty net.
And I believe your best players should be on the field at every important moment. Your best players should be the leaders. First, they must be responsible for themselves first. Responsibility is a big word. Responsibility begins when each player looks in the mirror. , highly skilled players reminiscent of the group he will cover in Buffalo. Ruff said he believes the little things that become habits can add up for the Sabers like they did against the Devils last season.
“I think we had a bad year last year a year, and it was just the right time for this group,” he said. “I’m probably one of the luckiest coaches here because maybe this is the right time for all these guys to take the next step.
They understand that if we improve a little bit in [a] area – let’s say our face-to-face ratio is a little bit higher and we have a little bit more of the ball, then we being a little more willing to get into the shooting lanes, a few more pucks in the net, all those little 1’s and 2’s have made a huge difference as a coaching staff there. The simplest things continue to be added. Stick it on the washing machine, stick it on the washing machine.
Place the stick on the ice. Stick on tape. Don’t let them play this game
Turn your feet to the side. Go back to your own goals and stop, something every child learns from day one. It’s just, there’s just a bunch of 1 percent that just keep increasing. coach. Both times, the Stanley Cup eluded him despite a long playoff series. He ended his news conference by reflecting on what it means to have another opportunity to lead Buffalo to hockey’s biggest prize.
“I’m honored because The opportunity is given to you. I have the opportunity to do something that I couldn’t do as a player. Then I became the coach of the team and I didn’t achieve my goals. And now I have another opportunity that I really feel lucky to have.
