• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Buffalo Sabres

Derek Roy Calls Out Lindy Ruff

By Caitlin Campbell April 10th, 2012

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Most of the drama around the NHL right now should be about the playoffs; which teams have a chance to go all the way, which teams won’t and everything in between. But yesterday in Buffalo, Sabres center Derek Roy decided to stir up some drama by publicly criticizing his head coach Lindy Ruff after the coach called out the Sabres veteran core!

What has become an increasingly familiar site, yesterday was the annual locker clean out for the Buffalo Sabres who failed to make the playoffs. It was the 6th time in the last 10 seasons the Sabres failed to make the playoffs, it was also the last chance for fans to hear from players before they head to the golf course, Europe or anywhere other than the rink. But yesterday’s locker clean out turned into quite a dramatic scene and could spell the end for one long time Sabres player. It all started a couple of weeks ago when Lindy Ruff appeared on WGR radio and had a message for his core players!

“Oh for sure. I think you’ve got to look at it that way. We can’t look at it any other way, we put it on the core group of players and for me it’s a tough situation to be in because we battled hard to get back, but we didn’t get there.” He also added “Guys had a chance to make a difference and didn’t make a difference.”

The core group of players were clearly identified at the beginning of the season when Ruff named Jason Pominville captain and gave Derek Roy, Thomas

Derek Roy Sabres

(Jerome Davis/Icon SMI)

Vanek and Drew Stafford the role of assistant captains. While Pominville stepped up to the plate and had a solid full season, his “support” team  of assistant captains was lacking for the vast majority of the season. Vanek was a solid player during the first half of the season, racking up 19 goals and 40 points in the first 40 games. But in the final 38 games Vanek had just 7 goals and 21 points! Stafford was the opposite of Vanek and stepped his game up in the second half of the season after being put on a line with Tyler Ennis. But the one player who did absolutely nothing all season and was dangled in front of every NHL team at the Trade Deadline; Derek Roy who had statistically the worst season of his career.

Roy, of all the players should be keeping his mouth shut and leave Buffalo until further notice. But he just couldn’t keep quiet and voiced his displeasure about his coach.

“Behind closed doors it’s fine. It’s not fun, but it’s good to be hard on your players. Behind closed doors, on the bench. I’m not a coach, but I don’t think it’s right thing to be saying it to the media.” Roy did go on to say he had a good relationship with his coach; “Behind closed doors, it’s good. He expects a lot of me and wants me to be a leader. I try to bring that in practices and games.

“Try” is not something Roy could be accused of much this season, he was criticized by the media and coach for his complete lack of effort this season. Like usual after a lack luster season players start to blame injuries for their lack of production, and of course Roy’s blaming a ligament in his knee, a shoulder injury and a mysterious hamstring no one knew about for his lack of effort and rough play this season. If he was that badly injured he should have gotten off the ice and opened up a opportunity for rookies like Luke Adam. Playing through his injuries this season hurt the Sabres more than it helped. In all likely hood Roy has played his last game in a Sabres uniform as Darcy Regier was shopping him around at the trade deadline and he just couldn’t get his game together!

Roy’s comments are not the first to arise about the Sabres “core” and Lindy Ruff, although they are the first to come directly from the dressing room and a veteran player. Isn’t it odd that Thomas Vanek (a constant scapegoat for Ruff) just suddenly stopped playing so well?  WGRs Paul Hamilton thinks so and he took to the radio to share what he’s been hearing from the “silent core”.

Thomas Vanek Sabres

(Micheline/SynergyMax)

“I hear the rumblings.” said Hamilton “The players aren’t going to say it publicly, but they’re starting to get tired of Lindy Ruff’s act. It’s the constant berating inside the room, and the constant berating in the media. Thomas Vanek’s never going to say it, but I just wonder if he had just gotten tired … He’s a main target of Ruff.”

It’s starting to look like players are tuning out Ruff, after missing the playoffs 3 out of the last 5 seasons and 2 early exits why should the players listen to Ruff? With 15 seasons behind the Sabres bench he’s the longest tenured coach with same NHL team, fans and players are both calling for a change in authority behind the bench. The way Ruff has managed, or mis-managed, young players (Adam, Ennis, Foligno), and thrown players “under the bus” in the media, his style has really come into question this season.

Whether you want to blame players like Roy and Vanek, or Ruff’s unique coaching style one thing’s for certain the entire organization, from the players to the owner all agree this was a waste of a season, some even went as far to call it an embarrassment! Things are going to change in Buffalo this offseason, stay tuned Sabres fans!

 

  • Tags
  • Derek Roy
  • Lindy Ruff
  • Thomas Vanek
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 19th 11:24 AM
Archives

They Wore It Once: Bruins Players and Their Unique Numbers

Jan 19th 11:14 AM
Archives

Top-5 Players From France in NHL History

Jan 19th 10:55 AM
Women's Hockey

Metropolitan Riveters 2021 Season Preview

Jan 19th 10:45 AM
Column

Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Andersen, Marner, Spezza & Robertson

Jan 19th 10:35 AM
Philadelphia Flyers

Couturier’s Injury Results in Opportunity for Flyers’ Young Talent

Jan 19th 10:25 AM
Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens Fans & Media Need to Give Drouin His Due

Jan 19th 10:15 AM
All-Star Weekend

1991 NHL All-Star Game & the Gulf War: The Modern NHL in a Time of War

Jan 19th 10:05 AM
Edmonton Oilers

4 Takeaways From the Oilers’ 3-1 Loss to the Canadiens

Jan 19th 9:55 AM
Los Angeles Kings

Kings’ Jeff Carter Playing Much Better After Surgery

Jan 19th 9:45 AM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Takeaways: Andersen’s Back, a New Marner and More D

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information