According to multiple reports, former Stars coach Lindy Ruff will be the next head coach for the New Jersey Devils.
**Breaking News**
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) July 8, 2020
As per what I’m told ; @NJDevils to name Lindy Ruff as their new Head Coach. Also expected to remove the interim tag from GM Tom Fitzgerald.@NHL @NHLNetwork
Ruff coached Dallas from 2013-2017 and was not re-signed at the end of his four-year contract. During his tenure in Dallas Ruff put up a record of 165-122 in addition to making two playoff appearances. In 2016 Ruff led the Stars to the best record in the Western Conference during the regular season (50-23-9) and led the NHL in scoring with 3.23 goals per game.
The season ended in disappointment at the hands of the St. Louis Blues who beat the Stars in a 6-1 in a Game 7 route in Dallas. Ruff’s squad would miss the playoffs the next season. After his time in Dallas ended Ruff took a job as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers in 2017 and has been there ever since.
This will be Ruff’s third stint as an NHL head coach. Before his time in Dallas, Ruff was the head coach of the Buffalo Sabers from 1997-2013. In his 19 seasons as a head coach Ruff has a 736-554-78 record.
New Jersey is one of seven teams not playing the the NHL restart this summer. The Devils fired head coach John Hynes, who had been in the position since the 2015-2016 season, after a 9-13-4 start to the season. In the last decade New Jersey has only made the playoffs twice after a string of 13 consecutive playoff appearances from 1997-2010.
