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Devils confirm Lindy Ruff will return as head coach next season
Lindy Ruff steered New Jersey to a second-place finish in the competitive Metropolitan Division this year.
The New Jersey Devils ended any speculation about the future of their head coaching position on Wednesday, with general manager Tom Fitzgerald confirming Lindy Ruff will return for the 2023-24 season.
Ruff led the Devils to a 52-22-8 record and a second-place finish in the competitive Metropolitan Division this year. New Jersey was eliminated by the rival Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs after dispatching the New York Rangers in Round 1.
The veteran bench boss's current contract is set to expire on June 30, but he is in the midst of negotiating a new agreement, according to The Athletic's Pierre Lebrun. He has spent the past three seasons leading the Devils.
"I've always said that Lindy Ruff was the right coach for this group," Fitzgerald told reporters on Wednesday, per Amanda Stein. "So here we are today. He's still the right coach for this group, he's earned that right. He deserves that, we deserve him to be quite honest (...) those kids love him."
Ruff's 2022-23 campaign didn't get off to a smooth start, with Devils fans chanting "Fire Lindy" after two consecutive losses to open the season. The club then went on a hot streak, which prompted supporters to change their tune, with a chorus of "Sorry Lindy" ringing through Prudential Center in mid-November.
The 63-year-old is one of three finalists for this season's Jack Adams Award, given annually to the league's top head coach. Ruff was given the honor in 2006 when he was at the helm of the Buffalo Sabres.
The Warburg, Alberta native is best known for his 15 seasons behind the Sabres' bench, but he also served as the Dallas Stars' head coach for four seasons from 2013-17 before joining the Devils in 2020. He has coached 1,713 games over his career, amassing an 834-652-78-149 record.
