Lindy Ruff on Sabres’ future: ‘The time is now’

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Lindy Ruff is regarded as one of the best coaches in Buffalo Sabres’ history.

After a season that ended with a 39-37 record, he knows fans are hungry for success on the ice.

After the club fired Dom Granato last week, the search for a new head coach led to a familiar face. Ruff used to play for the team. He coached them from 1997-2013 – and playoff appearances were common. The team even got to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Sabres haven’t reached the postseason in 13 years.

Right after announcing Granato’s termination, General Manager Kevyn Adams said he started working the phones to find his replacement. Despite talking to talented candidates “in the double digits”, he said he kept returning to Ruff, drawn to him because he sees so much potential.

“I mean, Lindy Ruff would not be sitting up here if he did not believe this team could win. That’s why he’s here. He’s here to win,” Adams said. “The past is the past. That’s great. But this is about now. This is about the players in the locker room now. This is about the fans that come in here and can believe in something great. And that’s why he’s sitting here.”

Ruff said he’s committed to proving the team can get to the next level.

“It falls on our group to get this to the next level and as Kevyn said, the time is now. It’s now,” Ruff said.

“There’s been a lot of really good hockey games out of this club, whether it’s this year, last year. I think the part that has to go one level higher is consistency, and our fans will be back. They’re great fans.

The Sabres open their season Oct. 4 against the New Jersey Devils in Prague as part of the NHL Global Series.