Lindy Ruff Named Finalist for Jack Adams Award Lindy Ruff, head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, has been named a finalist for the NHL’s Jack Adams Award, an honor recognizing the coach who has contributed most to his team’s success. Ruff joins Pittsburgh’s Dan Muse and Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper as one of three candidates for the prestigious award. The winner will be determined by a vote among members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association. This marks Ruff’s fifth nomination for the award, with previous wins in 2005-06 and additional nods in 2006-07, 2015-16, and 2022-23. Ruff’s candidacy is rooted in the Sabres’ historic playoff return, which ended a 10-year drought in the NHL. The team secured their first postseason berth since 2011 by winning the Atlantic Division with 109 points—the fifth-highest total in franchise history. They also achieved 50 wins, placing third in team history behind two of Ruff’s previous coaching campaigns (2005-06 and 2006-07). The Sabres’ success came despite competing in the league’s toughest division, which sent five teams to the playoffs and featured six teams with 90-plus points. The turnaround began on December 9, 2023, when the Sabres were last in the Eastern Conference. A decisive victory in Edmonton that night sparked a 10-game winning streak, during which the team accumulated 39 wins and maintained a .783 points percentage, the highest in the NHL. Ruff’s leadership was credited by players for setting the tone during the season. Alternate captain Mattias Samuelsson highlighted Ruff’s ability to balance accountability with support, noting that the coach “puts the group on notice about the standard around here” without personally targeting individuals.#buffalo_sabres #lindy_ruff #nhl_broadcasters_association #jack_adams_award #ted_nolan
