The Buffalo Sabres have locked up coach Lindy Ruff with a two-year extension following the franchise's return to the playoffs. Buffalo's 3-2 Game 7 loss to Montreal marked their first postseason appearance since 2007, ending a league-record 14-year drought. The 66-year-old Ruff earned Jack Adams Award consideration while guiding the team to their first Atlantic Division title.

Ruff's second stint in Buffalo has been transformative. After replacing Don Granato, he orchestrated a remarkable turnaround from last place in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres posted a 39-9-5 record over their final 53 games, finishing with 50 wins and 109 points—their best season since 2006-07. Captain Rasmus Dahlin played a key role despite missing early action while supporting his fiancée through heart transplant surgery in Europe.

The extension rewards a coach who has already become the franchise's winningest bench boss with 657 victories. Ruff's first tenure spanned 17 seasons, including the 1999 Stanley Cup Final run. Jarmo Kekalainen's promotion to general manager in December helped restore confidence in the organization's direction, giving Ruff the stability to build on this breakthrough campaign.