Lindy Ruff is once again the bench boss in Buffalo.
The Buffalo Sabres reintroduced their new head coach to the Buffalo media Tuesday afternoon.
His hiring comes less than a week after General Manager Kevyn Adams fired now-former head coach Don Granato.
This is Ruff's second stint with the Sabres as head coach. He was previously behind the bench from 1997 until 2013, where he led the team to one Stanley Cup Finals appearance and four Conference Finals.
He also played for the Sabres from 1979 until 1989, serving as captain for nearly three seasons.
"It would mean a lot to have this group of players experience what I was able to experience as a player and as a coach,” said Ruff. “This building shook in some of the playoff series I was involved with. I still remember the 8-0 win over Philadelphia and sitting in the office saying, 'the building is shaking. It's incredible.' My goal is to have these guys, this group, experience what I was able to experience."
"Lindy knows how to win and he knows how to take a team to the next level,” said Sabres owner Terry Pegula. “He may be the most competitive person I have ever met in my life.”
"I am humbled by the opportunity I am getting because I get a chance to do something that I wasn't able to do as a player,” Ruff added. “Then I became the coach of the team and didn't succeed with what I was set out to do, and now I am getting one more opportunity and I feel blessed that I am now getting that.”