Lindy Ruff Fired

[Huntingwhale]

The end of an era.

[Buff]

I've been wondering for 16 years when this day would come.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Great coach, but he had been their to long. His message was no longer getting through.

I always wonder about that.

After all, no one is around from when he started. Even from a couple seasons ago half the team has turned over.

[agulati]

Long long tenure behind the bench. Bad start for the sabres needed some action to be taken.

Three conference finals (and a stanley cup final) appearances is definitely a good resume.

[sun]

End of an era.

[Buff]

Darcy Regier making a move to maybe save his job? There have been rumours over the past couple of years that both Regier and Ruff would be on the way out.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Buff

Darcy Regier making a move to maybe save his job? There have been rumours over the past couple of years that both Regier and Ruff would be on the way out.

Didn't Regier just sign an extension?

[getbak]

Ruff was hired by the Sabres the same season the Flames hired Brian Sutter.

Hartley is the eighth "permanent" Flames head coach in that time (Al MacNeil was an 11 game stop-gap between Gilbert and Darryl).

[puckluck2]

And your 2013 Stanley cup champions, the buffalo Sabres.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Didn't Regier just sign an extension?

Perhaps, I don't know, but do contract extensions mean anything in pro sports? Sometimes it seems that contract extensions mean "you're on the way out but we don't want people, especially you, to know that yet."

Basically, Regier makes this move so maybe he has another year or two to prove that the team's woes were coaching and not management.

[Roof-Daddy]

So, which team is the next to fire their coach in order to snag Ruff before someone else does.

Either that or he'll be hired by somebody as an "associate coach" or something like that, ala Quennville with the Hawks while they waited for an opportunity to turf Savard.

[Canada 02]

Ruff signed a 7 year contract 1.5 years ago; he can take a nice long break if he likes

[GirlySports]

Maybe Pierre McGuire will be hired for the job so I don't have to listen to him ruin any more national TV hockey broadcasts.

[Psytic]

Ron Wilson, Mac T or Crawford come to mind for replacements.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Maybe Pierre McGuire will be hired for the job so I don't have to listen to him ruin any more national TV hockey broadcasts.

So Pierre wants to build something special of his own?

hahahaha

[the_only_turek_fan]

Former Flame James Patrick to take over?

Or do they go outside?

[ComixZone]

another weak team at the center ice position is struggling? Ya don't say!

Amazing tenure for Ruff. He'll be around the game of hockey again (soon, I'd imagine).

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

another weak team at the center ice position is struggling? Ya don't say!

Amazing tenure for Ruff. He'll be around the game of hockey again (soon, I'd imagine).

As of now they are weak down the middle, because there centers are all young. Going forward they have a great collection of centers. I don't even see a place for Luke Adams on that team in the future.

[Ashasx]

Hodgson has 15 points in 17 games... they aren't that weak down the middle.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Hodgson has 15 points in 17 games... they aren't that weak down the middle.

Hodgson is a nice prospect to be sure but the fact that he is playing nearly 20 minutes a night illustrates they are weak down the middle right now. He has a good number of points but he's also on the ice for the majority of goals against this season. Not all his fault but many are. Defensively he's just not ready to shoulder the load he has been ask to take on.

After him they have a converted winger in Ennis who is, what, a year older than Hodgson and also does not have the necessary two-way game. For most part, gone are the times where teams had one dimensional centers on their top two lines and the Sabres have them on both those lines.

After those two it's a raw rookie in Grigorenko. They are weak down the middle.

But that isn't Ruff's fault, well partly it is I guess because he won the Roy-Ruff spat which saw them ship out Roy. Not that Roy is that great.