Dallas, TX

The Dallas Stars have named Lindy Ruff as their next head coach a few days after team president Jim Lites announced a deal was imminent.

Stars and General Manager Jim Nill said that the passion to coach he sensed in Ruff during their conversations inspired him to make the hire.

"I could see the fire in his eyes," the GM said. "He's ready to go. That's what really excited me when I talked to him."

The Stars missed the playoffs for the fifth season in a row, the longest postseason drought in team history. They were 22 -22-4 last season, last in the Pacific Division.

Two weeks after Nill was hired, he decided not to renew the third-year option for coach Glen Gulutzan.

The attributes that he was looking for in a coach included experience, credibility and knowledge.

Ruff feels the move will revitalize and energize him, just like many other coaches he had talked to that had moved on to other organizations.

Since the type of game in the Western Conference differs from the East, Ruff will review videos in the next few months to help him create a system.

Incidentally, Ruff questioned Brett Hull's winning goal in clinching the Stars only Stanley Cup championship when he coached the Buffalo Sabres against them.

Ruff, then in his second season as Sabres coach, said the goal should not have been allowed since Hull's skate was in the goalie's crease before having control of the puck.

That was the second of the Sabres only two Stanley Cup appearances.

Ruff went on to coach the Buffalo Sabres for 15 seasons. He was the Sabres' winningest coach (571-432-162), but was fired in February after the team got off to a 6-10-1 start. He was the NHL's longest active-serving coach with one team.

 

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Lindy Ruff hired to coach Dallas Stars