Dec 6, 2024: Adams indicates it was Ruff's decision to go with current coaching staff

[Archie Lee]

In the Robertson thread, things got a little off topic (probably me) and I referenced Ruff having the option to bring in his own coaches and that he chose not to.  This has come up a few times that fans reference Ruff not being able to choose his own staff.   In the Palm Trees and Taxes press conference from Dec 6, 2024, just after the 19:30 mark, Fairburn asks about the coaching staff.  That is when Adams answered with "...Lindy was very, very adamant he wanted to get to know the current people..." and with "If Lindy didn't feel comfortable with the [coaches] in the room, then they wouldn't be in the room".

I don't doubt that Adams endorsed Wilford, Ellis, Bales, and Appert. Also, I suppose Adams could be outright lying, and it was always the case that it was take it or leave it on the coaching staff. But it strains credulity in my opinion, that they wouldn't allow Ruff any flexibility in choosing his staff. I'm pretty down on Ruff, but it is hard for me to square that if 64 year old Lindy Ruff, with the 3rd most games coached in NHL history, a man never shy to share an opinion, wanted to bring in one or two of his own coaches, that he would not have demanded it. Further, it would be incredibly weak of Ruff to not only accept having a staff forced on him, but to also accept the GM lying about it.

Anyway, I'm just posting this as a record for those who care about the coaching staff question. Again, it's at around 19:30 that it starts.

Also, a warning: I don't recommend watching the entire thing again. It is incredible that we just saw Pete DeBoer, who over the last 3 years has won more regular season games than any coach in the league and the 3rd most playoff games, get fired for criticizing his goalie in a press conference, and yet Adams (0/5 for the playoffs) is still Sabre GM when 6 months ago he stood in front of the world and made clear that he is not capable of doing his job.

 

[Mr Peabody]

Maybe Lindy reached out and couldn’t get any takers?  Or, was part of his job to evaluate the coaches in our system?  Or…..were they dictated to him as he really had no other options?

[Pimlach]

Thanks @Archie Lee, upon further review Adams does indeed indicate that Lindy wanted to "get to know" the staff and he could have made changes.  

Given that no changes have been made so far we can assume Lindy is on board with this group.  

I should have taken your advice and not re-watched the rest of it.     

 

[DarthEbriate]

If into the security press conference recordings you go, only pain will you find. 

[Mr. Allen]

I’m not going to get into details, but “allegedly” Ruff would go into the office of a colleague of his and vent about how he hated being “stuck” with his assistants.  

[Archie Lee]

1 minute ago, Mr. Allen said:

I’m not going to get into details, but “allegedly” Ruff would go into the office of a colleague of his and vent about how he hated being “stuck” with his assistants.  

I have no idea of what really happened, but lets assume for a moment that there was no option for change and it was a take it or leave it scenario for Ruff. This notion is typically presented in defense of Ruff: "What's Lindy supposed to do, he didn't even get to choose his own coaches".  If true, I see it as an indictment of Ruff, and not a defense.  It's pathetic.

[Demoted]

I dont care about any of it, get rid of KA!

[PerreaultForever]

I hate to say it but this narrative makes it even worse than if they didn't let him pick his own assistants. This tells me his day was truly done and he was no longer connected the way he used to be. A has been and people didn't want to come to the Sabres or work with him and he knew it. 

[Archie Lee]

4 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I hate to say it but this narrative makes it even worse than if they didn't let him pick his own assistants. This tells me his day was truly done and he was no longer connected the way he used to be. A has been and people didn't want to come to the Sabres or work with him and he knew it. 

Now I’m getting into speculation territory. I think Ruff is at the stage/age where it appealed to him to go into a situation that was set-up. No interviews, no decisions about letting a coach go, no having to call coaches and break the news that he is “going in another direction”. It’s a variation of what you are saying. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 minute ago, Archie Lee said:

Now I’m getting into speculation territory. I think Ruff is at the stage/age where it appealed to him to go into a situation that was set-up. No interviews, no decisions about letting a coach go, no having to call coaches and break the news that he is “going in another direction”. It’s a variation of what you are saying. 

Well ya, so putting that in the worst way, a tired old man with a chance to pad his retirement account working from home. So he took the job. 

[DarthEbriate]

The important thing to remember, from one of the Sabres promo season videos or interviews, I think…. Is that Ruff initially declined the job. But he got convinced by Pegula. Adams was all set to promote Appert, also sans interviews, apparently. If the owner, allegedly your buddy off the ice, says he’s got a 2-year gig for you so you can evaluate the team, it’s pretty easy for you to take the assistant coaches under contract and evaluate them as well. Because you got hired and told what to do directly by the owner. Ruff is 100% complicit in last year’s opening roster, staff, and the resultant garbage. He could have put his foot down upon hiring and brought in a real staff. He did not.