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Regier, Ruff should share blame for futility
By Aaron Garland
On February 27, 2013
It was a move that epitomized the very designation of bittersweet.
The firing of Lindy Ruff last Wednesday came in the midst of his 25th season as a part of the Buffalo
Sabres organization - the first 10 as a player and past 14-plus as head coach. His dismissal was
warranted and advocated by many, yet it still came as a shock.
Ruff welcomed western New York as his home and was an embodiment of Buffalo. His caress of the city
made him so special and beloved to fans. It is what helped him become maybe the most distinguished
figure in Sabres' history.
He's a blue-collar guy, whose teams will forever be branded the same. It's what got him within two wins
of a Stanley Cup in 1999 and to the Eastern Conference Finals three times.
It was that same hard-nosed demeanor that led to his expiration, though. His message grew more
stagnant with the players over the past few years. An offensive-minded laden roster became
unresponsive to a high standard of ardent two-way hockey Ruff expected.
The onus of the Sabres demise therefore also falls partially on General Manager Darcy Regier. You'd
think at some point during their 16-year partnership, Regier would have taken note of Ruff's coaching
approach and better provided personnel to fit it.
However, regardless of the situation - dire as it may be - it's ultimately on the coach to get the most
out of his players. Ruff has been a hindrance to the Sabres in that sense lately, as they are off to a
sluggish start for the third straight year.
Still, he's been a model Sabre as a coach, player and captain. He's been the one constant during mostly
trying times of recent Buffalo sports. Ruff has outlasted seven Bills' head coaches, and Marv Levy was
still pacing the Bills' sidelines at the time of his hire.
Coaching in one organization for 14 seasons and 17 games means there was plenty of achievement and
remembrance. Never to be forgotten is how he got an underwhelming roster to perform at such high
levels his first four years.
Allowing his message to grow stale during his final years will not deter my view of Ruff's greatness.
And when the next head coaching job in the NHL is available, Ruff will be the first one called about the
vacancy - there are 571 reasons he should be.
As tough as it'll be to look behind Buffalo's bench and not see that iconic blonde moustache, the move
was compulsory. The NHL is a production-based business. Failing to win a playoff series since 2007 and
missing the postseason altogether six of the last 10 years does not qualify as production.
But Ruff also deserved and earned a more dignified firing. An abysmal 2-1 home loss to Winnipeg in
front of a crowd of boo birds shouldn't have been the last memory of Ruff. This past offseason when
several players questioned his guidance of the team would have been an ideal time.
It is a revitalizing feeling to know it happened, though. Regier insists he pulled the trigger, but I'm not
buying that. All signs point to Pegula spearheading the firing, and good for him.
There was an evident personal attachment between Pegula, Regier and Ruff, and the owner shedding
himself from that shows progress. It's an initial concerted effort to follow through on his mantra that the
Sabres' sole reason for existence is to win a Stanley Cup.
With ridding the face of past unsuccessful attempts, it at least feels like the Sabres are closer to attaining
that goal.
But it's also a strange feeling. In a city full of die-hard sports fans that have been deprived of ever having
a Super Bowl or Stanley Cup champion, Ruff wanted to give Buffalo its first more than anyone.
He expressed his biggest regret was not getting "it" done for the Pegula's. His definition of "it" and mine
are completely different. Yeah, he didn't win the big one, but he came close enough numerous times to
keep hope alive for a generation of fans.
That's what makes Ruff's era so memorable. And why, despite there being almost no logical acumen
for him to stay, there is still a part of me that would have been willing to wait 16 more years for Ruff to
deliver.
Aaron Garland can be reached by email at garland.record@live.com and on Twitter @AA_Garland.
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