from John Vogl of the Buffalo News,

Lindy Ruff dreamed of holding the Stanley Cup in his adopted town of Buffalo. He pictured himself skating around Memorial Auditorium with the chalice over his head. He envisioned himself clutching the Cup on the bench in First Niagara Center.

He held onto the dream for half of his life. Now he has to let it go.

Ruff’s run in Blue and Gold came to an end Wednesday when the Sabres fired the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. Ruff, who turned 53 on Sunday, spent 26 years in the Sabres’ organization. He coached the team for the last 16 years and also played in Buffalo for a decade.

The lengthy, memorable ride came to its conclusion with the Sabres near the bottom of the league with a 6-10-1 record.

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