“Say it ain’t so Joe” was the famous line from the movie “Eight Men Out” as a young boy asked Shoeless Joe Jackson if he fixed the World Series. Say it ain’t so Lindy as it was announced that Lindy Ruff was named coach of the hated Dallas Stars.
Unless your under 18 you must remember that it was the Dallas Stars who defeated the Sabres in overtime of game of six of the Cup finals in 1999 on the now infamous “No Goal” by Brett Hull. Ruff maintains to this day that the goal should have been disallowed because Hull’s skate was in the crease, which was then illegal. Now Ruff is the coach of that very same Stars team, albeit fourteen years later.
Ruff will be the 22nd coach in the Dallas franchise history, replacing Gen Gulutzan, who was dismissed following the 2013 season.
Ruff of course was fired this past season just 17 games in ending what had been the longest coaching tenure in the NHL.
“One of the trademarks of successful organizations is their ability to have continuity and stability for an extended period of time,” new Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a team statement. “It is clear from Lindy’s record, and from our own conversations, that we have found the right person to provide that stability and lead this club to the next level. His steady hand and experience will prove invaluable in returning our team as a top-tier contender in the NHL.”
He spent parts of 15 seasons in Buffalo and compiled a 571-432-162 record that included eight trips to the playoffs.
“I am honored to be joining the Dallas Stars organization,” Ruff said. “After speaking at length with Jim Nill, it was clear that all the right pieces are coming together to return this club to the upper-echelon of the NHL. I look forward to leading its resurgence.”
So mark your calendars the first time Lindy returns to the First Niagara Center, but behind the bench of the Dallas Stars. A strange sight indeed.
Filed under: Buffalo Sabres
Tagged with: Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Lindy Ruff, NHL
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