Sign of sabres coach Lindy Ruff to contract extension

BUFFALO (AP) — Lindy Ruff hasn't reached his final wish to bring the Stanley Cup to Buffalo, but at least he'll have a couple of years more to try.The Sabres signed Ruff to a multi-year contract extension Friday, keeping the coach ganhantes all-time franchise in the fold for another crack in a Championship that has eluded the team since its birth in 1970. "I'm very excited, "Ruff said at a press conference at the end of the season the Sabres that also included owner Terry Pegula, Ted Black President and General Manager Darcy Regier. "Our goal is to win the Cup, and I think we can win the Cup."Ruff, who coached in his 1,000th career NHL game and 100 career postseason game this season — all comes with the Sabres — refused an offer to have his contract extended by Tom Golisano before the former owner sold the team to billionaire Pennsylvania Pegulaumin February. "We are all very happy, said Pegula. after assuming the post of GM season 1996-97, Regier hired Ruff, who was an Assistant with the Florida Panthers at the time. Almost 14 years later, the couple remains apparently joined the hip.The two have suffered three changes of ownership, the franchise bankruptcy in 2003, five seasons of not qualifying for the playoffs and not advancing after the first round of the postseason to seven of the past nine seasons.But they also have been guided the Sabres for four Eastern Conference finals during his tenure, winning the trophy of the season and a devastating defeat final Stanley Cup to the Dallas Stars in 1999 when Brett Hull (FSY) scored in triple overtime in game 6 — a goal that still riles Ruff because skateboarding hull was within the Groove. "You need a certain amount of luck, and we had that, '' Regier said. "I am very grateful to be in the situation that I am and know what Lindy feels the same. You have to find ways of doing things better than other organizations. If you are down to 28, 29 or 30, there is a new game in town. "This season, the Sabres sunk at the bottom of the League after a miserable 3-9-2 Start and conversation began to shake on Ruff to be at the end of his leash. But the team turned things around with a wave of second part which culminated with a seventh place finish in the East and a first round playoff matchup with the Sabres from The Philadelphia Flyers finished the year on a 29-11-6 run, including a 16-4-4 after assumed Pegula. "Normally we have a team that went out to get a very good season, "said Ruff. "I thought we have renewed energy with new owner".There were 162 coaching changes in the NHL since assuming the Ruff. He is the third longest coach holder in four major professional sports leagues, behind only Tony LaRussa (St. Louis Cardinals) and Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs).Ruff also played 10 seasons for the Sabres after he was drafted in the second phase of the project 1979. Meanwhile, Sabres forward Paul Schwalbennest (FSY) was added to the United States team that will compete at the World Championships of ice hockey in Slovakiawhile defending rookie Marc-Andre Gragni was added to the Canadian team.

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