BUFFALO — It was reunion week in Buffalo, offering Lindy Ruff an opportunity to reminisce about the franchise’s memorable past, and provide a glimpse into what could well be a bright future.
Among the laughs and stories, the Sabres’ winningest coach shared with members of the 2005-06 team, and the bottle of Russian vodka he received from Maxim Afinogenov, Ruff couldn’t help but draw a connection to his current roster.
kAm“*@F 962C5 s2??J qC:6C6 E2=< 23@FE E96 E62> 2?5 9@H :E 42>6 E@86E96C[” #F77 D2:5 @7 E96 7@C>6C 4@\42AE2:? 2?5 ?@H\u=J6CD 86?6C2= >2?286C 56=:G6C:?8 2 >6DD286 @G6C 2 9:89=:89E\C66= >@?E286 46=63C2E:?8 E96 A2DE 2?5 3C@2542DE @? E96 G:56@ D4@C63@2C5 @? %9FCD52J ?:89E]k^Am
kAm“p?5 x C62==J E9:?< @FC E62> 92D 4@>6 E@86E96C =:<6 E92E] (6’G6 364@>6 2 E:89E 8C@FA[” 96 25565[ 7@==@H:?8 2 d\b H:? @G6C |@?EC62=] “$@>6 @7 E96 >6>@C:6D 2?5 D66:?8 D@>6 @7 E9@D6 9:89=:89ED[ x E9@F89E @FC 82>6 E@?:89E =@@<65 2 =@E =:<6 E9@D6 a__d 82>6D]”k^Am
kAm%9@F89 E96D6 $23C6D DE:== 92G6 >F49 E@ AC@G6[ :E’D DE2CE:?8 E@ 766= =:<6 a__d\_e 282:?]k^Am
kAm%H@ J62CD C6>@G65 7C@> 564=2C:?8 32? 42>6 @FE @7 E96 }w{ =@4<@FE 3J C@==:?8 E@ E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 7:?2= 367@C6 =@D:?8 v2>6 f E@ 6G6?EF2= $E2?=6J rFA 492>A:@? r2C@=:?2]k^Am
k9bm!=2J@77 5C@F89Ek^9bm
kAmp7E6C ?62C=J EH@ 564256D @7 ?68=64E[ @?6 72:=65 C63F:=5 27E6C 2?@E96C[ 2? }w{ C64@C5 `d\J62C A=2J@77 5C@F89E[ 2?5 2 4@249:?8 42C@FD6= 3@@<6?565 3J #F77 86EE:?8 7:C65 😕 a_`b 2?5 C6EFC?:?8 “ J62CD =2E6C[ E96 $23C6D 2C6 D9@H:?8 D:8?D @7 36:?8 C6=6G2?E 282:?]k^Am
kAm$:?46 C2==J:?8 E@ 2 c\b @G6CE:>6 H:? 2E t5>@?E@? @? s64] h[ 2?5 2 492?86 😕 86?6C2= >2?286C H:E9 y2C>@ z6<2=2:?6? C6A=24:?8 z6GJ? p52>D 52JD =2E6C[ qF772=@ 92D H@? `d @7 `f]k^Am
kAmpE ae\`e\c[ qF772=@ 6?E6C65 uC:52J E:65 H:E9 q@DE@? 😕 D92C:?8 E96 t2DE’D EH@ H:=5\42C5 DA@ED 😕 2 E:89E=J 4@?E6DE65 C246 H:E9 D6G6? A@:?ED D6A2C2E:?8 E96 $23C6D 2?5 E96 `dE9\A=246 r@=F>3FD q=F6 y24<6ED]k^Am
kAm%9:D 😀 92C5=J E96 7:CDE E:>6 E96 $23C6D 92G6 6?;@J65 2 DFC86 367@C6 7@==@H:?8 FA H:E9 2 =6?8E9J 4@==2AD6] p?5 J6E[ =625:?8 D4@C6C %286 %9@>AD@? 36=:6G6D E9:D J62C 😀 5:776C6?E 3642FD6 @7 E96 4@?D:DE6?4J qF772=@ 92D 5:DA=2J65 2?5 23:=:EJ E@ 3@F?46 324< 7C@> =@DD6D]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 😀 E96 >@DE 7F? x E9:?< x’G6 925 96C6 😕 >J 6?E:C6 42C66C[” D2:5 %9@>AD@?[ H9@D6 6:89E\D62D@? E6?FC6 😕 qF772=@ 😀 E96 =@?86DE[ 2?5 >2E4965 @?=J 3J 42AE2:? #2D>FD s29=:?]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 8@E D@>6E9:?8 C62==J 8@@5 8@:?8 2?5 :E 5@6D?’E 766= 723C:42E65[” 96 25565 7@==@H:?8 2 E9C66\8@2=[ 7:G6\A@:?E @FE:?8 282:?DE |@?EC62=] “xE 766=D C62=] p?5 x E9:?< 6G6CJ@?6 😕 E96 C@@> 36=:6G6D :E 2D H6==]”k^Am
kAm%96 $23C6D 92G6 D9@H? A@:D6 😕 C2==J:?8 7C@> 567:4:ED] qF772=@ 😀 E:65 7@C 7@FCE9 😕 E96 }w{ H:E9 `a H:?D H96? EC2:=:?8 2E 2?J A@:?E — :?4=F5:?8 @G6C4@>:?8 2 c\` 567:4:E 😕 2 d\c @G6CE:>6 G:4E@CJ 2E s6EC@:E 😕 }@G6>36C]k^Am
kAm$=@H DE2CED 2C6 ?@ =@?86C 2? :DDF6[ H:E9 qF772=@ `g\a\` H96? D4@C:?8 7:CDE]k^Am
k9bmqF:=5:?8 3FKK:?8k^9bm
kAmu2?D 2C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ 36=:6G6] %96 $23C6D 92G6 D@=5 @FE 7@FC @7 E96:C A2DE D6G6? 9@>6 82>6D[ 27E6C 5@:?8 D@ ;FDE E9C66 E:>6D 😕 E96:C 7:CDE `f] (92E H6C6 @?46 2 49@CFD @7 “u:C6 p52>D” 492?ED 92G6 366? C6A=2465 3J “{6E’D v@[ qF772=@P”k^Am
kAmu@CH2C5 y@C52? vC66?H2J[ 😕 9:D E9:C5\7F== D62D@? 😕 qF772=@[ 92D 364@>6 2 36=:6G6C 27E6C 36:?8 D<6AE:42= H96?6G6C D@>6@?6 :?7@C>65 9:> @7 9@H E96 2C6?2 H@F=5 D92<6 E@ ?62C\56276?:?8 4966CD 5FC:?8 E96 $23C6D’ 96J52J]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E 6IA6C:6?46[ ECFE97F==J[” vC66?H2J D2:5] “(96? J@F’G6 8@E E92E 4@>A2C65 E@ “[___ A6@A=6 3@@:?8 J@F[ :E 3C:?8D 2 4@>A=6E6=J 5:776C6?E 6=6>6?E] xE’D 7F?] p?5 8FJD DE2CE E@ 36=:6G6 :E 2?5 H2?E E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ =:G6 :E]”k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H\7@F?5 3FKK H2D ?@E =@DE @? y2D@? !@>:?G:==6[ E96 7@CH2C5 H9@ 6?;@J65 E96 9:89D A=2J:?8 7@C E96 $23C6D 7C@> a__c\`a[ 2?5 E96 =@HD 😕 4=@D:?8 9:D 42C66C 😕 qF772=@ 7C@> a_`f\`h]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 366? 8C62E E@ D66 E96 EFC?2C@F?5 2?5 9@H 9@E E96 E62> 92D 8@EE6?[” !@>:?G:==6 D2:5[ 4@>A2C:?8 E96 C2F4@FD 2E>@DA96C6 @7 2 q:==D 9@>6 82>6:? E96 }u{]k^Am
kAm“p?5 x’> 92AAJ 7@C {:?5J E92E E96J EFC?65 :E 2C@F?5[” 96 25565] “w@H ?:46 H@F=5 :E 36 7@C 9:> E@ 36 E96 =2DE 4@249 E@ 3C:?8 E96 E62> 😕 E96 A=2J@77D 2?5 ?@H 3C:?8 E96> 324<]”k^Am
kAm%96 $23C6D 92G6?’E >256 E96 A=2J@77D D:?46 E96 #F77\4@24965 a_`_\“ E62> =@DE v2>6 f @7 2 7:CDE\C@F?5 D6C:6D E@ !9:=256=A9:2] p?5 E96J 92G6?’E 25G2?465 😕 E96 A=2J@77D D:?46 2 D64@?5\C@F?5 D6C:6D H:? @G6C E96 #2?86CD 😕 a__f]k^Am
kAmpD >F49 2D #F77 C67FD6D E@ 86E 29625 @7 9:>D6=7 😕 C6>:?5:?8 A=2J6CD E@ DE2J 😕 E96 AC6D6?E[ E96 ed\J62C\@=5 4@249 92D 2==@H65 >@>6?ED @7 C67=64E:@?]k^Am
kAm“x C676C6?465 E96 ?@:D6 E96 @E96C ?:89E] xE >256 >6 C6>6>36C D@>6 @7 E96 A=2J@77 82>6D H96C6 E96 3F:=5:?8 😀 =@F5[ 2?5 E96 3F:=5:?8 2=>@DE DE2CED E@ D92<6[” #F77 D2:5] “xE’D 8C62E 7@C E96 A=2J6CD E@ D66] p?5 @? E96 @E96C D:56[ :E’D 8C62E 7@C E96 72?D E@ 92G6 D@>6E9:?8 E@ 4966C 23@FE]”k^Am