Sabres fire head coach

Apparently hockey is still a thing? I’m just kidding. Canadians and weird Americans I can only assume don’t have channels showing NBA or NFL. After holding his position since 1997, Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff was fired on Wednesday in the midst of a slow start during the lockout shortened season.

According to sources, while the decision had been ruminating for some time, management decided to drop the axe after the Sabres lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. During the loss, the hometown crowed booed their team several times.

Ruff was fired during his 16^th season as head coach. During his tenure, Ruff had a 571-432-162 overall record, and is the coach with the most wins in franchise history. Ruff also was the current longest tenured coach in the NHL.

While the firing did come as sort of a shock, with management having said last week they weren't going to part with Ruff, the former head coach referred to his team’s slow start as, “[my] mess.” The Sabres are currently 6-10-1, and have named Ron Rolston as their interim head coach. Rolston was the coach of the AHL Rochester, the Sabre’s minor-league affiliate.

Under the reign of Ruff, the Sabres have made the playoffs eight times, including the first four seasons of his coaching career with the team. They also made one run to the Stanley Cup finals, but lost to the Dallas Stars in a controversial triple-overtime heart breaker. Since then, the Sabres have struggled, missing three of the last five playoffs.

The Sabres will meet the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, followed by hosting the Islanders on Sunday. Will a coaching change be enough for a struggling franchise to pick up their play, or will Buffalo once again miss the playoffs? For up-to-date information on the Sabres, head over to the team’s official website.

Photo courtesy of NHL Snipers