Lindy Ruff
A hockey lifer who became the fiery, enduring face of the Buffalo Sabres, coaching them for over 1,100 games and winning more than 600.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Canadian ice hockey player and coach·Birthday: February 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Lindy Ruff’s hockey story is one of deep, gritty roots in a single city. Born in Alberta, his playing career was defined by a blue-collar tenacity, captaining the Buffalo Sabres as a defenseman known more for his toughness than his scoring touch. That same combative spirit became his coaching signature. Taking the Sabres' helm in 1997, he presided over an era of hard-nosed, fast-paced teams that consistently punched above their weight, culminating in a trip to the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals. His 16-season initial run in Buffalo forged an almost familial bond with the franchise and its fans, making his 2023 return as head coach a poignant full-circle moment. Ruff’s impact is measured not just in wins, but in the distinct, relentless identity he imprinted on the teams he led.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Lindy was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lindy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Lindy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Coached the Buffalo Sabres for over 1,100 games across two tenures, one of the longest-serving coaches for a single team in NHL history.
- Led the Buffalo Sabres to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999, where they were defeated by the Dallas Stars.
- Won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach in 2006 after guiding the Sabres to a franchise-record 52 wins.
- Became one of only three coaches in league history to win over 600 games with a single franchise (Buffalo Sabres).
Did You Know?
He was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, the same team he would later coach for the majority of his career.
Ruff's father, Godfrey, was a professional baseball player in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
He once got into a famous, heated shouting match with opposing coach Mike Keenan during a playoff series, a moment replayed often in NHL highlight reels.
“You don't win games with systems; you win them with players who compete.”
