Devils Hire Lindy Ruff

Despite not competing in the upcoming 24-team playoff, the New Jersey Devils are making moves. The team announced Thursday the hiring of former Rangers assistant coach Lindy Ruff as New Jersey’s new head coach. This move effectively ends the head coaching tenure of interim Alain Nasreddine.

Unlike Nasreddine, interim general manager Tom Fitzgerald was named the full-time GM and Executive Vice President.

Ruff got his first head coaching gig with the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the 1997-98 season. Over 15 years there, he went 571-432-84, along with 78 ties, and three 100+ point seasons. The teams he led also earned the Sabres’ first President’s Trophy in franchise history and a trip to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final.

Ruff won the Jack Adams Award in 2006, but just a few seasons later, he was fired 17 games into the 2012-13 season.

Lindy Ruff joined the Dallas Stars ahead of the 2013-14 season. He coached four seasons but did not return after a down 2016-17. He had three 90+ point seasons over his short tenure in Dallas, including a 109-point campaign in 2015-16.

Since being fired from Dallas and joining the Devils, Ruff filled an assistant coach vacancy with the New York Rangers.

The Devils fired head coach John Hynes midway through this past season after a rough start. They were unable to turn it around under Nasreddine. Ruff brings a lot of pedigree, but he has a lot of work to do to get this Devils team back to being playoff-caliber.