Coach Lindy Ruff will miss the New Jersey Devils’ home-and-home with the Toronto Maple Leafs to be with his family following the passing of his father.
Leeson Ruff, 88, passed away Friday in Canada.
Assistant coach Alain Nasreddine will assume interim bench duties in Lindy Ruff’s absence. Nasreddine already has done so once this season, when Ruff was sidelined by COVID-19 protocol and missed three games.
“The Devils organization is thinking of Lindy, his family and all those who knew Leeson during this difficult time,” the team said in a statement.
In his second season coaching New Jersey, Ruff owns a 34-53-12 record with the team. He spent 15 years coaching the Buffalo Sabres and four coaching the Dallas Stars.
The Devils will face the Maple Leafs on Monday night in Toronto and on Tuesday night in Newark, N.J., before the NHL All-Star break.
–Field Level Media