After breaking their 14-year drought of Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, the Buffalo Sabres have signed head coach Lindy Ruff to a two-year extension. The move comes just two days after their heartbreaking Game 7 second-round loss at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. This is Ruff’s second stint with the team, and this stint will now get a little longer.
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LINDY’S BACK ⚔️
We have signed head coach Lindy Ruff to a two-year contract extension → https://t.co/ofxYXRqHNY#LetsGoBuffalo | #sabrehood pic.twitter.com/eTH98eMsk1
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) May 20, 2026
Head Coach Lindy Ruff Will Continue Stint With Sabres
It should come as no surprise that Ruff got an extension, as he brought the team from the darkest depths of the NHL. Years upon years, the Sabres were seen as the laughing stock of the league, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs after numerous attempts to rebuild. Finally, the young core led by Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson has broken through. Ruff is a Jack Adams Award candidate this season, as he led the team to an Atlantic Division title, along with Buffalo’s first playoff series win since 2007, when Ruff was in his first stint as the head coach.
Ruff has a career coaching record of 950-741-169, along with 78 ties, across stints with the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils. He ranks fourth in NHL history for wins and the number of games coached. The 2025-26 season was one of Ruff’s finest seasons, especially with the 39-9-5 record in the final 53 games of the season. The surge coincided with the firing of general manager Kevyn Adams and the hiring of Jarmo Kekalainen. Kekalainen gave a calming presence to the room and did not rush to make rash decisions; instead, believing in the team that he inherited. This also included keeping head coach Lindy Ruff around, and now, clearly, the GM believes in his coach.
“When I took the job, I thought, number one, I wanted these guys to like being a Buffalo Sabre,” Ruff said after the season. “I think they like being a Sabre and I think they made our city proud. It wasn’t the result we wanted and to a man, they’re all disappointed. But they gave them everything they had in the can.”
While there is certainly a level of disappointment that Buffalo could not advance further in the playoffs, this was a step in the right direction. If the team continues to mature and improve, great things may still be on the horizon. Hold your heads up high, Buffalo faithful.
Main Photo Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
