‘Ruff, of course, is the dean of NHL coaches, in place behind the Buffalo bench since July of 1997. Everyone knows his CV; a great shot at the Cup early, then dry years while ownership went bust before emerging from the lockout with back-to-back 50-win seasons. It obviously helps that GM Darcy Regier has been there 12 years, as well, and shouldn’t this kind of front-office stability be critical to long-term success?’