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Lindy Hopping
Feb. 20th, 2013 08:03 pmToward the end of what had been a dull, doctor-filled, long round trip to finally get my computer back-day, I tuned into the local afternoon sports honk show from Buffalo and listened as they began their 3:00 show begging, pleading, crying out loud for the Sabres to fire their coach.
And at 3:10 came the tweet:
More did, indeed. By a 5:00 presser, the team had announced Ruff's interim replacement- the second-year coach of their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Dude was hired soon after the new ownership took over almost exactly two years ago, as part of their repurchase of and reaffiliation with the Amerks after a brief trial separation. Ron Rolston has a reputation as a teacher- and he's been going for his Masters degree while coaching the team. Unlike Ruff, who was a longtime NHL grinder, mostly with the Sabres, Rolston never played in the league (although his brother did). The hope is that he'll do a better job of relating to the fairly young group of players that clearly lost any real bond with Ruff and his "system" over, especially, the past 5 or 6 years.
But his legacy goes back much further than that. To put it in perspective: when the Sabres hired Ruff in the summer of 1997, our daughter hadn't even begun kindergarten. His tenure outlasted three U.S. presidents and almost three Popes. Other NHL teams made 170 coaching changes in all of those years before he finally got the oot and a boot today.
For all the good memories of the Cup runs from 1999 and the 06-07 post-lockout era, most recent photos of him were of an embattled, bitter looking man who just didn't have answers anymore. I wish him well, but I think even he knew that this was the time and this franchise, no longer the place.
And at 3:10 came the tweet:
Darcy Regier announced this afternoon that Lindy Ruff has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. More to follow.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 20, 2013
More did, indeed. By a 5:00 presser, the team had announced Ruff's interim replacement- the second-year coach of their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Dude was hired soon after the new ownership took over almost exactly two years ago, as part of their repurchase of and reaffiliation with the Amerks after a brief trial separation. Ron Rolston has a reputation as a teacher- and he's been going for his Masters degree while coaching the team. Unlike Ruff, who was a longtime NHL grinder, mostly with the Sabres, Rolston never played in the league (although his brother did). The hope is that he'll do a better job of relating to the fairly young group of players that clearly lost any real bond with Ruff and his "system" over, especially, the past 5 or 6 years.
But his legacy goes back much further than that. To put it in perspective: when the Sabres hired Ruff in the summer of 1997, our daughter hadn't even begun kindergarten. His tenure outlasted three U.S. presidents and almost three Popes. Other NHL teams made 170 coaching changes in all of those years before he finally got the oot and a boot today.
For all the good memories of the Cup runs from 1999 and the 06-07 post-lockout era, most recent photos of him were of an embattled, bitter looking man who just didn't have answers anymore. I wish him well, but I think even he knew that this was the time and this franchise, no longer the place.