Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff

0:00It's Mike Schoep and the Bulldog. Quinn walks it out to the slot shot scores. Matthias Samuelson, are you kidding me? Pass to the bumper spot, that one back in front scores. Side of the net, hot wheels of the cloud, parked in the right spot, and the sabers take a two-nothing lead. Here's Zucker, left side, two on one. Zucker with Hellers, Hellers shoot scores! The kid is done it again! Consta Hellemuse, they mob him at the far boards. Really excited about what our group did this year. The energy that our fans brought, the energy in the city, where we got to in the second half of the year. I think the playoffs was a group that had never been before. I felt really proud of the battle in our team, the desperation. Some of the situations they faced for the first time, I can tell you that that was probably the way they handled it. It's Mike Schoep and the Bulldog, not WGR,

1:02Sports Radio 550. Hello, that was Lindy Ruff and... If my information is correct, this also is Lindy Ruff with us now. I'm the Western Hotline, my show in the Bulldog. Thanks for listening. Lindy, we don't often have guests right away, so if you don't mind our starting the conversation off with a question that maybe we would have been talking about apart from your visit, what colors should the end zones be? What do you think? What's your thoughts? I have no idea. Let's have them green. Green works for me. I like that Bulldog. Just like green... Yeah, some green colors. I'm not a really complicated guy, so let's stick with... I mean, I know the bills here. We really got some red, they got some blue. But let's stay green. I gotta tell you, the fan sentiment has been very strong for nostalgia. It always is with both the teams here that we talk about regularly, Lindy. So red, people want red because of the 90s.

2:03And I saw Picoelli put out a poll and there's four choices. And I like the blue one best. I think the blue one looks best with the logo at midfield and so... I voted blue. Agreed to disagree. You and Lindy again at odds. I gotta be honest. I didn't know there was a debate about the end zone color. Lindy, there's a debate about you. There's a debate about everything. That's the reason we'll be out of jobs. I don't think we need you to care about that, so that's fine. This is so cool. I mean, I know the occasion today is that the Sabers and WGR are continuing their relationship. I meant to look this up and I'm not that good at this, so I didn't. But it's possible that Sabers games were on these airwaves when you were drafted. I don't channel two then had the games with Ed and Pat Hannigan and those guys. It's a long time ago now, but there's a pretty good history between us.

3:03Yeah, what a tremendous relationship and congrats to everybody there getting the deal done and having you guys back. I'm looking forward to it. You guys have been a great sports crew and it's been a great relationship. Let's keep it going. Is there a particular time you would be willing to share that we drove you crazy? Whether that was like most of your visits have been with the morning guys, but like they must have made you mad a couple times. Now, you know what's that probably the fondest memory going back was actually driving to the studio and being with Bulldog. I don't know if you can remember the year, but it probably late 90s. We did that. Yeah. I don't even know what night, maybe a Tuesday night or something like that drive in and we'd get through it. So no, I got a lot of respect on, you know, for you guys and what the job you're trying to do and. You know, find something to talk about and there's controversy every day and you know whether you win or lose this.

4:08We try to make it interesting for you for sure. So did you bug me at times? Damn right. Let's hope if we didn't, I mean, we should be replaced. I remember you coming in like that. That's you did. I think a regular gig with Kevin Sylvester for a time and I probably filled in a few times because Kevin and I have been co-workers on and off. We had it's been off for a very long time now, but early on we would together at B.E.N. Then he was gone for a while and then we'd are we'd are gathered over here. But anyway, yeah, those were days. I want to have a new WBN that old nighttime show. We did plenty of that. Yeah, we all we all go back, man. Like it's one of the things, Lindy, like it was so important that the team broke through last year like they did with you as the head coach. Because I don't mind telling you, I don't know if this little land badly, but when you came back, the state of the franchise had been so. That I didn't want it to damage how people felt about you because you're such a beloved figure in the history of the franchise.

5:12Like Mike said, drafted, played here, coaching career and then on to other places and then now back here. And I for me selfishly the admiration I have for you, I needed something good to happen and thankfully it did. Yeah, and by any means it wasn't easy, as you recall, with the way we started and you know, I've gone through last year and I go through early on all the stuff that Dalline dealt with and then Norris getting hurt in the first game versus the arrangers and. Benson dealing with the I ankle injury and you know, once we got through all that, we, you know, the vision of what I thought the team could be really, really came around and we got some tremendous play and. We had a lot of players that took big steps in understanding that again, we got a year coming up where everybody in our division in our conference. All they all think the playoff teams and there's all this teams that have really think they've improved and we know at the same time that we have to improve that guys have to take another step forward and.

6:16It's not going to be an easy task. Lindy, if this isn't too close to the same question, just wonder how you feel about your team right now versus a year ago. I mean, I, you always sound have sounded very optimistic. That's how coaches tend to sound, you know, about their team like in public, especially. For me, this moment here leading into training camp is very different than last year because last year it was all kind of just like, all right, you got to show me first. Now you had last year and expectations are higher. Like maybe you felt that optimistic last year that you might get to, I mean, 109 points in first place. I don't know, but the season you had versus now. I mean, is it how is the job or your outlook on things different if it is at all from a year ago. I don't think the outlook has changed that much just just knowing that there's a lot of work to do that we've got some, some players that stepped into our lineup and played extremely well.

7:23And I think they're just scratching the surface and. You know, I can go to players like, you know, Sam is in and Quinn and then you can go to Austin and that guy that was missing that I had a long conversation with yesterday that isn't town. He looks great. He's been skating is cool. You know, and then the hell in this step in the playoffs and he was a real good player for. So, you know, I'm excited about where we got to knowing that, you know, everybody's got to take another step that, you know, shortened the summer, which is always a good thing. Less time to train most of guys are back in town right now and I'm excited. You know, for the most part, all the players are anxious and ready to go. How are you feeling about the veterans that you did lose? Because it feels like, you know, significant guys talk and assistant captain by room somebody who really help make you guys go back there.

8:27And it seems like you're maybe going to be counting on as it stands younger guys to fill all that in and there's some pretty big shoes to fill there. Yeah, for sure. I think when you look around the league, the good teams, the teams that, you know, have a great year. There's always one or two players that have to move on and make room for a younger player. I think Carolina has probably the greatest example that a lot of good players have come in, a lot of good players have left. And they remain consistent and they believe in the players they have. The players you mentioned talk and bow great players for. We're a big part of our regular season, big part of the playoffs. I still think that our defense is is the strength of ours. Our top four. You know that you look at right now and we got a guy like Zellweiger who's stepping in. We got Previa and another big guy that will be stepping in.

9:28I feel that is still going to be our strength. Are we going to miss him? We are going to miss him. But it's another opportunity. I think that one power took a big step is ready to step in and and be a huge factor in in the way we play and all assets of our game, whether it's penalty killing power play. I thought where he got his game to the end of the regular season and playoffs was fantastic. And when I talk about talk, I have a lot of admiration for what he's done for the franchise, what he's done for the team. But feeling that a guy like Don can play more, Benson can play more that we've got Quinn, Helene, Austin. We've got a list of players that are ready to take that next step and assume a greater leadership role and the playing role in a lot of different situations. With Lindy Ruff, Mike Schopen, the bulldog here on WGR, I'm the occasion of the station and the team jointly announcing a continuing partnership and the games will be on WGR.

10:33And you're nice by the way, Lindy, to take questions that are not about us. So we appreciate that. So I've never played high level sports, need I say so, but I've met hundreds of people that have. And most of my experience with athletes is they don't want to look back. You know, like there's not that much value in it necessarily. I wonder though respectfully about yourself. I mean, you've been in the game for almost 50 years professionally. And you know, you're coming up on the top names in the history of the sport in terms of wins and games coached. Do you think about that ever like can you find time? Is it even in your interest or is it something that you have an instinct for it to be reflective? Or do you sort of fend that off and just think about the next day or the next season? How do you go about that? Well, I think the one thing is I've been humbled by the opportunity I've been given in many places.

11:37My first opportunity here playing and then coaching and now this second opportunity to come back and coach. And not many guys get that opportunity. So I've been blessed in every guard. I think I was blessed to play the game for 12 years in NHL. And they're the year in the American League, a year in the international league and stay healthy enough through that to, you know, to play the game. So every day I'm thankful for, you know, the path I've taken. I don't look at while you're hearing your career, you're with this guy and whatever guy did what. I get a lot of satisfaction of seeing players grow and develop and become really good players. And I think when I step up this year, I look at some of the names that I mentioned previously. I want to see those players again continue to grow and and make this a really good hockey game.

12:37My goal is to have this to be a really good consistent hockey team that we're right there year after year. So no one will look back at last year. I don't want to look back at, you know, my coaching career or my playing career. I just want to look forward to this year coming up and and make sure that with this opportunity, we can become that team that consistently. A lot like the build are now playoff team every year now for, for years. That's what we need to become. Lenny, this might be a similarly themed question to the one that Mike just asked you. But I'm curious if this maybe is in a little bit of a different lane. Do you ever sit back? Maybe this would be something that would happen when you talk with people you maybe no longer work with or even played with in the past. Just how much the game has evolved from the point where you entered in the in the late 70s or 80s and to where it is now. I mean, it's been there's a lot. There's been a lot of different iterations. I feel like of the league and I've been fond of since I don't know the last five six seven years, maybe a little longer.

13:47Feeling like year over year, I feel like the league has never been a better watch because of the skill and talent that there is now that I think it's more opportunity than it ever has. I was curious for you're kind of overall. It's a very much a 30,000 foot view and I don't know how ready you are to talk about, but there's been a lot you've been around. I mean, I'm sorry to say you've been you've been through a lot. Yeah, I've been I wholeheartedly agree with you where the game is. It's come from to where the game is at now. The talent, the training, the skill in the game. Some of the changes that have been made in the game, you know, you remember when you came we came out of lockout in 0405 or 0506, whatever it was. And they said no more hooking no more holding and we had an unbelievable team. We went through camp knowing that if you know we could play these four lines and likes of a fin again off and you name it all the we had high skill. We had Derek Roy. We had all kinds of players. We all kinds of skill.

14:50And I think that's one of the first lap regular season games we had like 12 power plays. But just to change that to allow the skill to perform at their utmost is made a big difference in the game. I just say right now I probably want to mail the play in today's game because that was really good at hooking and holding. And latching on to guys and slowing them down and you know you cover your defense when you stick your stick through his legs and you hang on to him and that was never ever called. So today's talent the way they train the number hours they spend in the summer that gets a 12 month game now where the game where I came from in the 70s was you finished the season took a little bit of time off you get ready. But I think that's almost every sport. You know has developed along the way our sport with the speed of the players. And you look at I look at last year back malice and being the fastest guy in the league.

15:53And he's primarily playing on our you know our fourth line. That tells you a lot about the game right there. You know a guy that can ski like that and can end up with a 24 point some mile an hour skate inside of a game. The game is fast the game is skilled and it has changed a lot from no red line to you know moving line out from from the end boards to get more room to operate below the goal line so. There's been a lot of changes no red line was an idea if I remember correctly that you championed back 20 years ago the off the you know not right linda is that correct. Yeah I actually was for a while was a proponent of trying to make the net a little bigger or. And I think the alternative that was what the league is done with the gold tender and cutting down their pads cutting down the blocker. You know having having a mechanism in place to make sure that gold tenders are overcooking their equipment from the size of their pants to everything everything is monitored now.

17:00Which in reality has made the net bigger and it has made it you know where all of a sudden scoring is back in the game and and the skill is operating in a high level because there for a while the scoring was it was again pretty tight it was a. And I'm going to say this honestly I thought it was a little bit for a while while I was coaching a little bit of a boring game. Until they loosen everything up well yes I mean bulldogs question runs deep I mean it's been very different over the like waves of changes since the 70s and the 80s and then even since you know 2006. But I never thought it was going to be possible I thought if they don't make the net's bigger there's just no hope for this because everybody's too good the goalies bulldogs kid. Well if you know him he works here now like just like a top player and like what do you do against this guy you sort of sit down to watch a game and here's a 6-7 goal you take up the whole net like I don't know what to do here I'm just going to have to try to lob it over his head I don't even know well it's it's great to see it's great to see and it's great to see the sabers line up with you know much like 20 years ago with your team speed and you know all that said Lindy it did it.

18:17You know I didn't I was talking for a long time when I posed that question so I had to shut it down at some point it's a problem I have sometimes but the other piece of that is I feel like a team like Florida the last few years. Tampa I think had a mind to try to push you guys around a little bit that famous 8-7 game late in the season felt like them sort of like all right you young hot shot punks we're going to show you what's what I feel like it's sort of swung. There's still a ton of speed and skill but I feel like the physical part of the game has sort of I don't know if they've broken down the door entirely but it feels like they've gotten it's coming back into the game it feels like. Yeah you know I think there's there's an element of physicality that you need with your team and I and you still need it I think one I mean that was really you just mentioned a game that I I think was one of my favorite games and I think it was. I think it was one of my favorite games in the year we know we jumped off to the big lead for one we give up that lead you know there's lots of chaos fighting inside the game and and and all of a sudden all of a sudden you're looking at a game that's tied and then we get a power play and we go ahead in the game and the game ends up being 8-7.

19:36But Tampa does have a little reputation for you know trying to bully and you know I think our guys answered the bell which was great to see and you know I think it was a question that was always asked I know we we had a couple of issues the year before but I think you know our leadership on our team came to the forefront and I think we answered almost every you know every question we needed to answer this year and and we really grew as a group which you know that's all you want to see as a coach. Before we let you go Lindy so this has been something that's sort of like been in the back of my mind for many years. Often you would do our morning show and we would talk to Darcy Regier in the afternoon once a week bulldog pretty much at the arena on a Friday night we talk Darcy would come by and I don't him since I got to Buffalo back to Buffalo 26 years ago and finally Lindy after many years I mustered the strength to ask him for his story. I think it was his phone number so I could you know if I needed to know something maybe he trusted me and he would tell me so he gives me a number and then some other period of time goes by because I'm still sort of bashful and I call it and I'm on maple road just about to pull into this facility and a different voice answers the phone and I'm like hi Darcy and the other person says I think you have the wrong number I think it was you Mike Gilbert said to me what I was going to say I'm not going to say it's a good call.

21:05I think I think I'll talk about it once that you that was like a prank where you guys would give each other's number to people is that true can I find out finally after all these years. I don't believe that's true. I find it but our numbers were so close that I could easily see that happening. Uh, honest mistake. Is that going to be your story? Honest mistake? Yeah, that's my story. I'm sticking to it. I mean, it's a great bet. If it were the idea, it was, it's a great bet. I've never thought to ask Mike if you know you dialed correctly. Like, yeah, you, I imagine you've been happy. That happens. Shacked, right? I mean, I might have typed it in wrong. I don't know who I was talking. I thought I was talking to you, but maybe I am now. I'll give, I'll give, there is a lot of credit. And you give you my number. I find that pretty funny. I told Bulldog right before we came on with you. I wrote it down. So now I have it. I can see it right here. I want you to, I want you to try to call it when I see it. Because I've got the same number.

22:07You see if I have that number in my phone. I actually look. I probably deleted it. I might have deleted all my contacts in that moment. I was so, you know, nervous. The level of sleuthing that is happening here is unprecedented. Well, Lindy, I hope everything goes well. Continue, you know, best of luck and try not to be freaked out if my 24 soon to be 25 year old kid starts asking you questions on the morning. It's still very weird for me that he works here and I don't know. Time to do goodbye. He's following in some great footsteps. So good for him and I'll look forward to talking to him. Thank you, Lindy. Look forward to the season and can't wait. Thanks for your time. You got it, gentlemen. You're welcome. Bye. 716. I don't do that. No, that's I was going to say my number. But then he hung up. So he doesn't need it. Pretty sure. He knows how to reach you.

23:08He can pull rank anytime he wants to do that out. All right. So the savers will be back on the station this year and that's exciting. And I'm so I mean, I'm happy for everyone, but especially Brian and Paul. Like those that's their that's their primary job here. And Brian to have them finally have a successful season after all of those seasons that they missed the playoffs that he presided over. I thought it would have been really, really depressing if they left after that and were somewhere else in Brian's just sort of like. You're seriously. Almost 20 years of this. I waited as long and now they're good and now they're come on. So good for especially good for those two men. Mike show up in the bulldog here. Paul Hamilton will join us later in between now and then Tom Tolesco, former GM of the Chargers and Raiders. We have another announcement to make that he's connected to and St. Francis Buffalo Buffalo guy.

24:13And I heard him on serious XM the other night and then a certain other thing happened and like here we are going to be talking to Tom Tolesco today. So that'll be great. That's coming up at four Eastern green and zones. Lindy obviously is thought about it a lot and he planted his flag. Keep him green. What do you think 803 05 50 for us? We'll be right back.