Latest news with #Ruff
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sabres' Off-Season Must Radically Shake Up Team Culture
The Buffalo Sabres' off-season has many priorities, includng getting the team's seven RFAs signed to contract extensions. But the overarching change for the franchise is clear: there has to be an extensive culture change, one that charts a new course for an organization that has flailed often as it tries to end what is now a 14-year stretch without any Stanley Cup playoff action. Without a change of culture, you can expect the Sabres to once again be on the outside of the playoff picture looking in at this time next year. Without an altered approach that creates a fundamentally-different prism for the franchise to operate wth, Buffalo is almost assuredly going to be at or near the bottom of the Atlantic Division -- a place that has been home for them for nearly a decade-and-a-half. Advertisement This is why so many people are calling for Kevyn Adams and Lindy Ruff to be dismissed from their respective roles as Sabres GM and coach this summer. We're not suggesting either Adams or Ruff are solely responsible for Buffalo's struggles, but there's a reason why teams just as bad or worse than the Sabres have fired their coach and/or GM already this off-season-- it's because the players and fan bases of losing teams often revolt in the wake of constant letdowns, and teams have to move quickly to try and make them happy. To that end, what do you suppose will happen if Buffalo comes out of the gate next fall and suffers a slew of losses? You have to know Sabres players and fans will be irate, and demand change at that time. But by then, Sabres ownership will no longer have a large pool of replacements for Ruff and Adams. Most, if not all of the best of the best will have been hired by other organizations. And once again, the Sabres will be seen as a consolation prize franchise. With that said, it should be obvious why Buffalo ownershp needs to get out in front of this potential problem, and be bold in their efforts to hire people with a better track record than that of Adams and Ruff. Because every day that passes represents another potential brick in the wall that separates the Sabres from getting back into the playoff mix. And anyone running the team has to look seriously at trading just about anyone. There can be few, if any sacred cows for this team. Drastic change is absolutley necessary. The Sabres have to be honest -- as in, what do they believe is going to happen next season in the Atlantic standings? You know the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers are basic locks to be playoff teams. The Ottawa Senators aren't going to take a step back, either. The Boston Bruins are aiming for a retool that assures them of a playoff spot. And the Detroit Red Wings will be pushing to get back into the post-season for the first time in a decade. Kraken's Dismissal Of Coach Bylsma Is Another Reason Sabres Should Be Firing Bench Boss Lindy Ruff Kraken's Dismissal Of Coach Bylsma Is Another Reason Sabres Should Be Firing Bench Boss Lindy Ruff The NHL's coaching carousel continued spinning like crazy Monday, with the Advertisement Seattle Kraken firing bench boss Dan Bylsma after only one year on the job. The Kraken/Bylsma news followed the news this past weekend that the New York Rangers dismissed Peter Laviolette, and that the Anaheim Ducks are moving on from Greg Cronin after only two years. With all those teams jostling for a post-season berth, how realistic is it for Buffalo to presume they'll be a playoff team? Not very realistic, in our opinion. And if the Sabres can't be a playoff team, they need to be focused on adding generational talent through the NHL draft. Of course, some will say the Sabres have been through multiple rebuilds, and those people are accurate. However, this current group of talent simply hasn't been able to get the job done, and that's why a radical change is so crucial for Buffalo. The longer the team waits to do it, the longer meaningful improvement will be delayed. If this all sounds pessimistic, it should be understandable why. Sabres fans have seen and heard it all in a decade-and-a-half of dismay, and current Sabres brass haven't given people reason to be optimistic. Thus, foundational change is the only way to get the team back on the path to relevance and the satisfaction of the fans who pay the freight. Buffalo ownership can gamble once again that Adams and Ruff can get the job done, but if that gamble fails, Sabres supporters will be incensed at another lost year. And Buffalo ownership will have no one to blame but itself.
Global News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Canada election 2025: Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound is a federal riding located in Ontario. This riding is currently represented by Conservative MP Alex Ruff who first took office in 2019. Ruff collected 28,727 votes, winning 49.18 per cent of the vote in the 2021 federal election. Voters will decide who will represent Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound in Ontario during the upcoming Canadian election on April 28, 2025. Visit this page on election night for a complete breakdown of up to the minute results. Candidates Conservative: Alex Ruff (Incumbent) Liberal: Anne Marie Watson NDP: Christopher Neudorf Green: Natasha Akiwenzie United Party: Ann Gillies People's Party: Pavel Smolko
Fox Sports
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Frustration follows yet another season after Sabres extend NHL-record playoff drought to 14 years
Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — There were no feelings of satisfaction on Saturday, unlike the ones Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams expressed two years ago when Buffalo showed signs of progress in finishing a mere two points out of playoff contention. And there were no mentions of palm trees or low taxes, as Adams did amid a 13-game skid in December, when lamenting the advantages other NHL markets enjoyed over Buffalo in luring high-end talent. All that was left was frustration, with Adams fixing the blame on himself after the Sabres extended their NHL-record playoff drought to a 14th season, and some 18 months after he had declared the team's competitive window being open. 'It's not good enough. That would be the first thing I would say,' Adams said during a near hour-long news conference two days after the Sabres finished 14th in the Eastern Conference standings and 26th overall. 'To be honest, I believe we should be a playoff team right now and we failed,' he added, referring to the message he intends to deliver owner Terry Pegula in an upcoming meeting. 'So it's owning that, taking my responsibility for that, and then moving past that and saying, 'Here's how I see us improving, and what we can do to fix it.'' Though acknowledging he's received no assurances from Pegula, Adams said he has no reason to believe any front-office shuffles loom following his fifth season as GM. What's clear though is Adams acknowledging he's running out of chances to build a competitor. 'I understand the urgency,' he said. 'I do believe that we're closer than further. But the words are the words. We need to win hockey games.' The Sabres haven't made the playoffs since 2011, and haven't won a playoff series since 2007, when they reached the East finals before losing to Ottawa. It's a span in which they've gone through seven coaching changes, bookended by Lindy Ruff being fired in 2013 and his return this past season. And it's a stretch in which Buffalo has finished last overall four times and no better than 19th. Despite starting this year with a renewed sense of belief following Ruff's return, the Sabres' season was undone before Christmas following a 0-10-3 skid spanning Nov. 27 to Dec. 21 that dropped Buffalo from seventh in the East to last. Adams has second-guessed himself for failing to make a move to spark his team, and said he needs to be more reactive in the future. Ruff, who sat next to Adams at the podium, is already looking ahead to next season in believing he has a better grasp of the team, and buoyed by how Buffalo competed in closing 12-7-1. 'I still remain very confident. I'm angry at myself for not getting the job done,' said Ruff, who became the NHL's fifth-coach to win 900 career games following a season-ending 5-4 win over Philadelphia. His 607 career wins in Buffalo also rank second on the NHL list among coaches with one franchise. 'Early in the year, we had trouble with adversity,' the 65-year-old Ruff said. 'Later in the year, I think we dealt with high-pressure situations better.' Buffalo does have talent in the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, who finished fourth among NHL defenseman with 68 points, and forward Tage Thompson, whose 44 goals were tied with Alex Ovechkin for third overall. Among the issues were spotty goaltending and the inconsistency of a roster that featured nine players age 23 or younger. Though a majority of the roster is expected to stay intact, the Sabres have proven over their playoff drought that a good finish to one season doesn't carry over into the next. Veteran forward Jason Zucker isn't banking on hope. 'I had a coach at one point tell me that hope is a (terrible) strategy, so I'm going to stick to that,' Zucker said, using a profanity for emphasis. 'Ultimately, we have to look at it as we weren't good enough,' added Zucker, who last month signed a contract extension securing him through 2026-27. 'We need to raise our standard individually and bring that into the summer and ultimately come back better next year.' ___ AP NHL: recommended in this topic
Associated Press
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Frustration follows yet another season after Sabres extend NHL-record playoff drought to 14 years
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — There were no feelings of satisfaction on Saturday, unlike the ones Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams expressed two years ago when Buffalo showed signs of progress in finishing a mere two points out of playoff contention. And there were no mentions of palm trees or low taxes, as Adams did amid a 13-game skid in December, when lamenting the advantages other NHL markets enjoyed over Buffalo in luring high-end talent. All that was left was frustration, with Adams fixing the blame on himself after the Sabres extended their NHL-record playoff drought to a 14th season, and some 18 months after he had declared the team's competitive window being open. 'It's not good enough. That would be the first thing I would say,' Adams said during a near hour-long news conference two days after the Sabres finished 14th in the Eastern Conference standings and 26th overall. 'To be honest, I believe we should be a playoff team right now and we failed,' he added, referring to the message he intends to deliver owner Terry Pegula in an upcoming meeting. 'So it's owning that, taking my responsibility for that, and then moving past that and saying, 'Here's how I see us improving, and what we can do to fix it.'' Though acknowledging he's received no assurances from Pegula, Adams said he has no reason to believe any front-office shuffles loom following his fifth season as GM. What's clear though is Adams acknowledging he's running out of chances to build a competitor. 'I understand the urgency,' he said. 'I do believe that we're closer than further. But the words are the words. We need to win hockey games.' The Sabres haven't made the playoffs since 2011, and haven't won a playoff series since 2007, when they reached the East finals before losing to Ottawa. It's a span in which they've gone through seven coaching changes, bookended by Lindy Ruff being fired in 2013 and his return this past season. And it's a stretch in which Buffalo has finished last overall four times and no better than 19th. Despite starting this year with a renewed sense of belief following Ruff's return, the Sabres' season was undone before Christmas following a 0-10-3 skid spanning Nov. 27 to Dec. 21 that dropped Buffalo from seventh in the East to last. Adams has second-guessed himself for failing to make a move to spark his team, and said he needs to be more reactive in the future. Ruff, who sat next to Adams at the podium, is already looking ahead to next season in believing he has a better grasp of the team, and buoyed by how Buffalo competed in closing 12-7-1. 'I still remain very confident. I'm angry at myself for not getting the job done,' said Ruff, who became the NHL's fifth-coach to win 900 career games following a season-ending 5-4 win over Philadelphia. His 607 career wins in Buffalo also rank second on the NHL list among coaches with one franchise. 'Early in the year, we had trouble with adversity,' the 65-year-old Ruff said. 'Later in the year, I think we dealt with high-pressure situations better.' Buffalo does have talent in the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, who finished fourth among NHL defenseman with 68 points, and forward Tage Thompson, whose 44 goals were tied with Alex Ovechkin for third overall. Among the issues were spotty goaltending and the inconsistency of a roster that featured nine players age 23 or younger. Though a majority of the roster is expected to stay intact, the Sabres have proven over their playoff drought that a good finish to one season doesn't carry over into the next. Veteran forward Jason Zucker isn't banking on hope. 'I had a coach at one point tell me that hope is a (terrible) strategy, so I'm going to stick to that,' Zucker said, using a profanity for emphasis. 'Ultimately, we have to look at it as we weren't good enough,' added Zucker, who last month signed a contract extension securing him through 2026-27. 'We need to raise our standard individually and bring that into the summer and ultimately come back better next year.' ___ AP NHL:
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sabres Make Lindy Ruff Announcement After Season Finale
The Buffalo Sabres failed to secure a ticket to the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, but at least they punctuated their 2024-25 campaign on a positive note, beating the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night via a score of 5-4 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The victory snapped the Sabres' four-game losing skid and, more notably, earned head coach Lindy Ruff's 900th win behind the bench in his NHL career. Advertisement Ruff started the day with 899 coaching wins in the league to his name, which included 606 with the Sabres. Those numbers are now 900 and 607, respectively, as he also becomes just the fifth ever in NHL history to rack up at least 900 coaching victories. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff talks to his team during a game.© Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images Only Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Paul Maurice and Barry Trotz have won more games than Ruff, who turned 65 years old in February. The Sabres also announced Ruff's milestone with a post on X. Ruff and the Sabres went on a rollercoaster ride of a game versus Philly before coming away with a victory. Buffalo scored the first two goals of the contest in the opening period and carried a 3-1 lead into the second frame. Advertisement But the Flyers fought back and scored two of the next three goals to cut their deficit down to one after Tyson Foerster lit the lamp just 15 seconds into the third period. Ryan McLeod gave the Sabres an insurance goal with under a minute left in regulation before Bobby Brink gave the Flyers their last hurrah with a goal with only 20 seconds remaining in the contest. The Sabres, who have not been to the playoffs since 2011, ended this campaign with a 36-39-7 record for 79 points. Related: Sabres Make Lindy Ruff Announcement After Senators Game
