Who will be the next Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres?

[Doohicksie]

Athletic article on Ruff and the Sabres.  I didn't get a paywall.

https://theathletic.com/5319635/2024/03/05/sabres-devils-coach-lindy-ruff/

[MISabresFan]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Is Mike Sullivan's contract over this summer? 

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan agreed to a three-year contract extension by General Manager Ron Hextall.  The extension will kick in at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, and run through the 2026-27 season.  This was announced in August of 2022.

 

Internet talk is he might become available before the new contract kicks in...

[Doohicksie]

I was wondering who actually fired Ruff and would Lindy harbor any ill will toward the Sabres which is how I tripped over the article.  From the article,

Quote

When the Sabres fired Ruff, Terry Pegula released a statement saying that Ruff “can consider me a friend always.”

In general, the article did make me feel a bit better about the prospect of hiring Ruff.

 

2 minutes ago, MISabresFan said:

Internet talk is he might become available before the new contract kicks in...

What kind of team would do such a thing???

Edited April 18 by Doohickie

[MISabresFan]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I was wondering who actually fired Ruff and would Lindy harbor any ill will toward the Sabres which is how I tripped over the article.  From the article,

 

What kind of team would do such a thing???

Hmmm - I believe someone within the organization has ties to Pittsburgh..

[Flashsabre]

The fans in Pittsburgh are done with Sullivan. In the past 6 years they have lost in the first round 3 times, lost in the qualifying round once and missed the playoffs the past two seasons.

And this year their PP with the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Karlsson, Letang was as bad as Buffalo’s.

Edited April 18 by Flashsabre

[irregularly irregular]

Reading between the lines, it seems as though KA wanted to fire Granato during the season but Terry said no. Instead, KA had time to think about it and to make a plan. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but it doesn't give me a good feeling. All of Adam's previous plans have worked out so well after all. Maybe the added heat from his own job being on the line will be the catalyst needed to improve upon his previous decision making process. 

Edited April 18 by irregularly irregular
missing a word

[#freejame]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

I’m so glad I never caught wind of the Better Says schtick.  I guess because I didn’t really attend games at that point in my life?  Mad cringy. 

I remember it being much more divisive than the board let’s it on to be. It replaced buffalos charging through the city and Sabres Dance. Like others said, it’s also depressing as *****. 

[LabattBlue]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

"Ladies and gentlemen... Please welcome your Atlanta Sabres!"

So the only choices are Pegula remains as the Sabres owner, or the franchise is sold and relocated?   Okie dokie.  

[mjd1001]

43 minutes ago, #freejame said:

I remember it being much more divisive than the board let’s it on to be. It replaced buffalos charging through the city and Sabres Dance. Like others said, it’s also depressing as *****. 

I didn't mind 'better days' or anything about it at Sabres games....But...I think "Sabre Dance" should be, always played when the team is introduced and takes the ice, as well as it should have at least a small part on every Sabres broadcast.

[#freejame]

37 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I didn't mind 'better days' or anything about it at Sabres games....But...I think "Sabre Dance" should be, always played when the team is introduced and takes the ice, as well as it should have at least a small part on every Sabres broadcast.

100%. It’s time to reconnect the franchise with its roots. 

[Gatorman0519]

Gallant.  Look what he did with Vegas and Florida.  We are basically in the same position both of those teams were before he arrived.  He will shape them into a team immediately and last about 3 years.  

[aristocrat]

Mike Babcock! I kid. 
 

Berube would be cool but I have wanted gallant since he got fired from Florida and I think we had just fired Danny boy. 

[Flashsabre]

Man they all threw Donny under the bus. 
 

Im sure whoever the coach is they will run hard, organized practices.

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, Flashsabre said:

Man they all threw Donny under the bus. 
 

Im sure whoever the coach is they will run hard, organized practices.

I guess we now have the root cause of slow starts.

[#freejame]

4 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Man they all threw Donny under the bus. 
 

Im sure whoever the coach is they will run hard, organized practices.

Quotes like this are up there with the most embarrassing experiences of the drought imo. Just a complete joke of a season from day zero. 

Edited April 18 by #freejame

[Doohicksie]

Two things:  It's a common mantra that "You play the way you practice" and apparently the Sabres weren't practicing hard enough.  And two, I remember when I was in Detroit, they said that after every home game, the team would ride exercise bikes hard for 20 minutes or so, which built up their endurance, especially for later in games.

[Indabuff]

F5, F5, F5...

[CallawaySabres]

1 minute ago, #freejame said:

Quotes like this are up there with the most embarrassing experiences of the drought imo. Just a complete joke of a season from day zero. 

Yup, and and as a season ticket holder (ex now), it pisses me off even more. This team is currently rotten, I mean rotten to the core. I hope the next coach makes their lives MISERABLE from day one, they all deserve it. 

[msw2112]

15 hours ago, Pimlach said:

What you’re talking about happened.  Roger Neilson took over for Scotty Bowman in 1980 as coach in the same manner you described. 

1980 was a long time ago, but I do remember this.  Bowman was a great coach but wanted to show the hockey world he could be a great GM (which, unfortunately, he wasn't).  His desire to become a GM is what allowed this to happen.  I don't necessarily see a guy like Ruff interested in this type of arrangement, plus Adams is entrenched as GM (at least for now).  But if Ruff was appointed head coach for 1-2 years with Peca as an assistant/heir-apparent/promise of the job when Ruff was done, with Ruff moving into some type of front office position when Peca took over, I could see it working.  Ruff would change the culture in a hurry and get these guys moving, but I think his message might grow stale after a couple of years (as it did in Dallas and NJ) and Peca would be ready to take over.  It's a nice concept, but I don't think it will happen.

 

Edited April 18 by msw2112

[LabattBlue]

1 hour ago, #freejame said:

Quotes like this are up there with the most embarrassing experiences of the drought imo. Just a complete joke of a season from day zero. 

…but he did such a wonderful job with player development.  
 

/sarcasm off

[PromoTheRobot]

3 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

So the only choices are Pegula remains as the Sabres owner, or the franchise is sold and relocated?   Okie dokie.  

From the "be careful what you wish for" department: Who is goin to spend $650MM to $1B to keep a franchise in Buffalo? Sure, there might be another billionaire from the Buffalo area with a crush on the Sabres. (Although look at the way we treated the last one.) It's way more likely, especially with how Ryan Smith was able to pressure the NHL to sell him the Coyotes, that some out-of-market group would start sniffing around the Sabres. And if you're Terry, how tempting would it be to take a billion with the added bonus of no arena upgrades you have to pay for? 

[LGR4GM]

Someone explain why the love for Peca? He's done almost nothing as an AHL or NHL level coach. 

[PromoTheRobot]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

Someone explain why the love for Peca? He's done almost nothing as an AHL or NHL level coach. 

Old Sabre nostalgia.

[PromoTheRobot]

6 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

I am torn between Gallant and Berube as far as realistic targets. Zero chance Brindy looks in this direction. 

Lindy is what? 64? He's not going to want to coach forever (I assume.) What if you brought back Lindy Ruff while promoting Seth Appert to an associate HC role and presumed heir to the job after Ruff retires?

Edited April 18 by PromoTheRobot

[Eli Cash]

It’s astonishing how quickly the players appear to universally admit that the work ethic was not there.  Glad GMKA made the move, but FHCDG doesn’t deserve his former subordinates throwing dirt on his grave.