Courtesy of www.CheckOutMyCards.com , a 1984 Topps hockey card of former Buffalo Sabre forward/defenseman and current coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff played 15 seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Sabres. He was traded to the New York Rangers in 1989 and finished his career there. He was known for grit and toughness, and served as the Sabres’ captain for 3 seasons. Ruff entered the coaching ranks after retiring as a player, serving as an assistant with the Florida Panthers before taking the Sabres’ head job, not exactly under the best of circumstances as he was replacing the popular Ted Nolan. He immediately had success, however, guiding the Sabres to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997-98. Ruff is currently the longest tenured head coach in the NHL.
