Buffalo Sabres Media Guide - NHL.com

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Hired as the 15th head coach in team history on July 21, 1997, Ruff achieved playoff success that first year which none of his predecessors had ever experienced. The 1997-98 squad set a team record by winning eight-straight playoff games and tied the club mark with 10 playoff wins. The conference finals appearance was the teams’ first since 1980, which ironically was Ruff’s rookie year with Buffalo. Based on Buffalo’s standing atop the Eastern Conference at the midway point of the 1998- 99 season, Ruff earned the right to be behind the bench of the World Team in the 1999 All- Star Game in Tampa Bay. He joined Bowman and Floyd Smith as the only Buffalo coaches to be named as head coach of an All-Star Team. Ruff was the Sabres’ second-round (32nd overall) draft pick in 1979 following a distinguished career as a defenseman with Lethbridge (WHL). He made the team at his first training camp and playing in 63 games during the 1979-80 season and was named the team’s rookie of the year. Ruff ranks sixth all-time on the Sabres’ regular season list in penalty minutes (1,126) and is tied for 11th in games played (608). In 691 career games, he recorded 105 goals and 195 assists to go with 1,264 penalty minutes. the Hockey Department In his 1981-82, Ruff was converted to play left wing after having been a defenseman throughout his junior career and first two professional seasons. In November 1986, he received perhaps his greatest individual honor as a Sabre when he was named to replace Gilbert Perreault as team captain after the legend’s retirement. Ruff ended his playing career after serving as a player/assistant coach for the 1992-93 season with the San Diego Gulls of the IHL. Head Coach Roger Nielson (who coached Ruff in Buffalo and with the Rangers) tabbed Ruff as one of his assistants for the expansion Florida Panthers for the 1993-94 campaign. As the primary coach of the penalty-killing unit and defensemen, Ruff received many accolades for his work. In just their third season, the overachieving and hard-working Panthers squad advanced to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals. The 47-year-old Ruff and his wife Gaye reside in Clarence, N.Y., with their four children: Brett (18), Eryn (16), and twins Brian and Madeleine (13). Ruff’s Head Coaching Record Regular Season Playoffs W L T/OT W L 1997-98 BUF NHL 36 29 17 10 5 1998-99 BUF NHL 37 28 17 14 7 1999-00 BUF NHL 35 36 11 1 4 2000-01 BUF NHL 46 31 5 7 6 2001-02 BUF NHL 35 36 11 -- -- 2002-03 BUF NHL 27 45 10 -- -- 2003-04 BUF NHL 37 38 7 -- -- 2005-06 BUF NHL 52 24 6 11 7 2006-07 BUF NHL 53 22 7 9 7 TOTALS 358 289 71 52 36 TM Most Career Wins, Active NHL Coaches Mike Keenan 584 Jacques Martin 479 Ron Wilson 469 Jacques Lemaire 456 Marc Crawford 438 Ken Hitchcock 436 Joel Quenneville 394 Lindy Ruff 358 Bob Hartley 329 Paul Maurice 308 Most Career Wins with Current Team Lindy Ruff, Buff. 358 Barry Trotz, Nash. 283 Craig MacTavish, Edm. 222 Jacques Lemaire, Minn. 209 John Tortorella, TB 208 Dave Tippett, Dal. 190 Ron Wilson, SJ 157 Bob Hartley, Atl. 136 Peter Laviolette, Car. 112 Mike Babcock, Det. 108 13
the Playoffs Brian M c Cutcheon Associate Coach Brian McCutcheon enters his eighth year with Buffalo, and second in the role of Associate Coach. McCutcheon joined the Sabres in 2000 after three successful years as head coach of the Rochester Americans where he led the team to a pair of Calder Cup Finals. McCutcheon ended his Rochester tenure with a record of 128-82-9 and saw his Amerk teams reach the playoff each season. Under his guidance, the Amerks won back-to-back Western Conference titles and set franchise records for most points (111) and wins (52) during the 1998-99 season. McCutcheon was recognized by his peers for the job he did with the Amerks by being tabbed as runner-up for AHL Coach-of-the- Year in 1999 and 2000. Prior to joining the Amerks, McCutcheon served as the Head Coach and Director of Player Personnel for the Columbus Chill of the East Coast Hockey League. In his only season with the Chill, he was named the ECHL Coach of the Year after leading them to a 44-21-5 mark, which set franchise records for most wins and most points in a season while winning the North Division title. Before moving to the pro ranks, McCutcheon was the head coach at his alma mater, Cornell, from 1987 to 1995 and led the Big Red to a 108-105-24 record. As a player, he was a member of the 1970 National Championship team at Cornell; the only team in NCAA history to have an undefeated season at 29-0. McCutcheon was named captain of the 1971 team and was selected to the All-East and All-Ivy teams during his collegiate career. He was inducted into the Cornell University Sports Hall of Fame in 1986. Prior to coaching at Cornell, McCutcheon coached Elmira College for seven seasons, the last six as the head coach. He posted a 103-60-1 record and was named the 1986 New York State Coach of the Year after guiding Elmira to a number one ranking in NCAA Division III. During a three-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, McCutcheon appeared in 37 games, recording three goals, one assist and seven penalty minutes. A Toronto native, he and his wife Susan have two children: Kelly, and Mark, a fifthround selection of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. 14 James Patrick Assistant Coach James Patrick enters his second season behind the Sabres bench as an assistant coach. Following a brief stint as Buffalo's skill development coach early in 2005-06, Patrick spent the remainder of that season finishing his playing career in Germany for the Frankfurt Lions. Patrick was a first-round selection (ninth overall) of the New York Rangers in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. Over his 21-year career with the Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Sabres, the 42-year-old native of Winnipeg, Man., scored 639 points (149+490) in 1280 regular season games. Prior to his retirement, Patrick was ranked ninth among active players in games played, and was one of three remaining active players from the first-round of the 1981 Draft. Patrick posted seven consecutive seasons (1985-92) of 40 or more points with the NY Rangers, including a career-high of 71 (14+57) in 1991-92. The 71 points and 57 assists were career-bests for Patrick. He scored a career-high 17 goals in 1987-88. Patrick played six seasons in Buffalo after signing as an unrestricted free agent on June 7, 1998. He scored 74 points (23+51) in 345 regular season games, and added 5 points (1+4) in 38 playoff games. Patrick’s career plus/minus total of +104 reflects his steady defensive play. He finished as a minus in just one of six seasons in Buffalo, and in just six of his 21 seasons. Patrick is also a veteran of international competition, having won championships for Team Canada at the 1982 World Junior Championships and 1987 Canada Cup tournaments, and bronze with the 1983 World Junior team. He also represented Canada in the 1984 Winter Olympics, and the 1983, 1987, 1998 and 2002 World Championships.
Page 2 and 3: TM Buffalo Sabres Media Guide 2007.
Page 4 and 5: Marketing: Director of Marketing .
Page 6: Although the Sabres approach may se
Page 9 and 10: 8Lawrence Quinn Larry Quinn is well
Page 11 and 12: Darcy Regier Darcy Regier General M
Page 13: the Hockey Department Lindy Ruff He
Page 17 and 18: the Hockey Department Kevin Devine
Page 19 and 20: the Hockey Department Rip Simonick
Page 21 and 22: Sabres Personnel Legal: Richard Mug
Page 23 and 24: Sabres Personnel Sales & Business D
Page 25: Sabres Personnel Michael Gilbert Di

Buffalo Sabres Media Guide - NHL.com

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?