Rochester, N.Y.— On Wednesday night, the Rochester Amerks hit the ice for a home game without their coach at the helm. That’s because Coach Ron Rolston was in Buffalo to act as the Buffalo Sabres’ interim coach.
Earlier that afternoon, the Sabres organization announced that head coach Lindy Ruff was let go. Ruff was the Sabres coach for 16 years.
There were many Sabres fans at the Amerks game against the Texas Stars on Wednesday night and Ruff’s firing was a hot topic.
Many people thought it was about time for a change.
“You can't just keep losing and losing without doing something to make it right,” said Ken Misnic, a life-long Sabres fan.
However, it was a bittersweet change since Ruff was generally well-liked by many Sabres fans both as a coach and a former Sabres player.
“I'm disappointed,” said Dan Yanoff. “I liked him. It would have been good if they could have turned [the team] around with him there.”
Lisa Cauwels, an Amerks and Sabres fan, says Ruff isn’t entirely to blame for the Sabres’ lackluster performance.
“I'm sad about the news,’ Cauwels said. “I don't blame Lindy for what's been going on. It's part to do with the players as well. Everyone has a job to do and not everyone has been doing their jobs. [Ruff] is not the whole team and the whole team needs to step up.”
With the decision already made, fans hope that this change means the Sabres will turn the corner and finish the season strong.
“I have positive feelings,” Cauwels said. “I hope they can pick up and go forward from here.”
