The Dallas Stars’ General Manager Jim Nill announced today that coach Lindy Ruff will not return as head coach for the 2017-18 season on their website.
“I want to personally thank Lindy for his commitment and professionalism over the four years that he served as our head coach in Dallas,” said Nill. “Lindy is not only a highly respected coach, he more importantly is a great person and an outstanding family man whom I have the utmost respect for on and off the ice.”
Ruff’s ouster isn’t too much of a surprise after the team finished with a 34-37-11 season for 79 points and a sixth place finish in the Central Division. It was a far cry from last year’s first-place Central campaign in which Ruff coached the Stars to a 50-23-9 season.
The veteran coach, who had come to Dallas after 15 years in Buffalo, had just wrapped up his fourth season with the Stars yesterday after his team defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in a shootout victory. However, it wasn’t enough. Ruff finished his Dallas career with a 165-122-41 record.
The organization will immediately begin the process of hiring a new head coach.
It’s been a tough season as injuries have troubled the team this year as Antoine Roussel, Brett Ritchie, Curtis McKenzie and Patrick Sharp all have missed time, among others.
Goaltending has also been an issue as the team has finished 29th in goals allowed. The Stars are also last in penalty killing, the lowest in franchise history.
Central Conference?
If Dallas had better goalies than Lehtonen and Niemi the Stars would’ve been in the playoffs. Ruff doesn’t deserve the blame for Nills poor roster building
Meh, Nill deserved to keep his job more than Lindy