Sabres reward coach Lindy Ruff with 2-year contract extension after breakthrough season in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Invigorated after transforming the Sabres into contenders in his second coaching stint in Buffalo, Lindy Ruff sees no reason why he’d stop now.

With the full backing of team management, and his wife Gaye's blessing, the 66-year-old Ruff is staying put after signing a two-year contract extension on Wednesday.

Ruff’s only regret was addressing reporters during a season-ending news conference rather than preparing for the Eastern Conference Finals. Buffalo was eliminated Monday, with a 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal in Game 7 of a second-round series.

“It’s great to be here in a sense that I’m going to continue, and I’m humbled again by the opportunity,” Ruff said.

“The energy that our fans brought, the energy in the city, where we got to in the second half of the year, excited me,” he added. “I can tell you that I was proud of the way (the players) handled it for a group that has never been there before.”

Ruff was completing the second and final season of the contract he signed upon returning to Buffalo, where he spent 10 years as a player and has since gone on to become the franchise’s winningest coach.

The 66-year-old Ruff is a Jack Adams NHL coach of the year finalist after the Sabres ended a league-record 14-season playoff drought and won their first Atlantic Division title. After beating Boston in six games of a first-round series, Buffalo advanced in the playoffs for the first time since the Ruff-coached team reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2007.

The re-signing was expected, with both sides reaching the parameters of an agreement over the past month. The only delay was not to distract from the playoffs.

“Extending Lindy, a no-brainer,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said.

“Real proud of the whole group and what we went through, how much we learned,” he added. “I can’t emphasize enough how excited I am about the future of this group and the potential we have.”

Ruff’s first coaching stint in Buffalo spanned 15 seasons, which included a six-game loss to Dallas in the 1999 Stanley Cup Final, and ended when he was fired two months into the 2013 campaign. He was brought back after head-coaching stops in Dallas and New Jersey.

With an overall career coaching record of 950-741-169 and 78 ties, Ruff ranks fourth on the NHL list in wins, second in losses and fourth in games coached. With a Sabres record of 657-494-100 with 78 ties, he’s second on the list in wins and games coached with one franchise.

This year was among Ruff’s finest seasons, and came a year after he vowed to improve upon last year’s finish of 36-39-7, which included an 0-10-3 skid spanning November and December.

This time, the Sabres caught fire in early December and went 39-9-5 over their final 53 games to vault from last in the Eastern Conference standings to finish second. Buffalo’s 50 wins and 109 points were the Sabres’ most since the Ruff-coached team in 2006-07 won a franchise-record 53 games and matched a team record with 113 points.

Ruff credited this year’s turnaround to the team getting healthier and captain Rasmus Dahlin’s presence — the defenseman spent the first two months of the season dealing with his fiancée recovering from heart transplant surgery in Europe.

Also factoring into the surge was Kekalainen taking over as GM to replace Kevyn Adams, who was fired in mid-December. Kekalainen’s presence restored a level of confidence in the players by instilling belief the franchise had a clearer vision to succeed.

Though Kekalainen initially backed Ruff upon taking over, he provided no assurances regarding the coach’s future beyond this season. The two, who had never previously worked together, eventually built a mutual bond of trust and respect.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Lindy. I’ve enjoyed his sense of humor, his experience, his passion for the game, his details and how he’s still involved as a coach,” Kekalainen said. “He’s not a spring chicken anymore, but he’s a student of the game. I view it the same way. I feel like I’ve got to be a better general manager.”

Without going into detail, Kekalainen said he intends to make changes to his front-office staff.

As for player personnel decisions, he called it a priority to sign restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram to a long-term contract.

Kekalainen was less definitive regarding the status of forward Alex Tuch, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. In calling Tuch “a valuable part of our team,” the GM said the two sides have yet to come to an agreement.

Kekalainen revealed defenseman Owen Power finished the playoffs despite a Grade 3 sprain to his right ankle. He also said center Sam Carrick returned too soon from a left arm injury, in appearing in just one game

Ruff said he doesn’t anticipate any changes to his staff due to the bond the group has developed since his return.

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Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, left, and Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, right, shake hands following the overtime period in Game 7 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Monday, May 18, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff speaks to his team in the final minutes of play against the Montreal Canadiens during third period second round, Game 4, NHL playoff action in Montreal on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — Three people are dead and more than a dozen first responders had to be quarantined and assessed Wednesday for possible exposure to an unidentified substance after being called to a suspected drug overdose at a rural New Mexico home, authorities said.

New Mexico State Police said three of the four people found unresponsive inside the home east of Albuquerque died. The fourth was being treated at a hospital in Albuquerque.

During the response, authorities said, first responders were exposed to the substance and began experiencing symptoms including nausea and dizziness.

Officials at University of New Mexico Hospital confirmed that 23 patients who were exposed to an unknown substance were assessed and decontaminated after being transported to the hospital. Most of those were first responders who were showing no symptoms and were later discharged.

Medical teams continued to monitor three symptomatic patients Wednesday evening, according to the hospital.

Two first responders were listed in serious condition, said Officer Wilson Silver with New Mexico State Police.

Mountainair EMS Chief Josh Lewis, who was the first to enter the residence, was hospitalized overnight for observation, Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said in a social media post.

Also among those experiencing symptoms were EMTs from Torrance County and nurses from the University of New Mexico hospital who came into contact with individuals on scene, he said. The mayor added that public works crew had confirmed that the health issues were not related to carbon monoxide or natural gas exposure.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue Hazmat teams were assisting at the scene in Mountainair, a rural community east of Albuquerque, in efforts to identify the substance involved.

“At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne,” Silver said.

As law enforcement officers from multiple agencies remained on the scene late Tuesday afternoon, three bodies were placed onto gurneys and then loaded into a white van and driven away.

Yellow police tape surrounded the home, located on a dirt road in a rural subdivision. A singlewide trailer could be seen in the home's backyard, with several cars, trucks and vans in the driveway.

While the investigation was ongoing, Silver said indications were pointing toward drugs as a possible factor in the deaths. He added that there was no threat to the public.

Residents, however, took to social media to voice their frustrations about drug use in the community and elsewhere.

The mayor said the town's law enforcement officers and first responders work every day to protect the community and respond to difficult situations.

“But the reality is that addiction and substance abuse are issues affecting communities all across our state and nation,” Nieto said. “There is no simple or immediate solution. Lasting change requires family support, accountability, education, and most importantly, individuals who are willing to accept help.”

Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

New Mexico State Police respond to home in Mountainair, N.M., where authorities say several people died Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and more than a dozen first responders were exposed to an unknown substance and later treated at a hospital. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)

The University of New Mexico Hospital is seen on July 25, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

A New Mexico State Police vehicle blocks off a neighborhood in Mountainair, N.M., where authorities say several people died Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and more than a dozen first responders were exposed to an unknown substance and later treated at a hospital. (AP Photo/Savannah Peters)

FILE - A New Mexico State Police emblem is displayed on podium during a news conference, March 16, 2024, in Albuquerque, N.M. (Jon Austria/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, File)