The New Jersey Devils decided to relieve coach Lindy Ruff of his duties on Monday in response to the team’s recent struggles. Assistant coach Travis Green will step in as the interim head coach, according to a statement from general manager Tom Fitzgerald.
“I hold our entire organization to the highest levels of accountability to focus on being a competitive team that expects to be a perennial playoff contender,” Fitzgerald stated. “Unfortunately, we are not currently at that level, and I needed to make this decision.”
The Devils have encountered a rough patch, losing five of their last seven games, including back-to-back defeats. As they navigate a tight wild-card race in the Eastern Conference, the team finds itself eight points behind the final wild-card spot with 64 points in 61 games.
Hopes for a strong performance in late February and early March were dashed, as the Devils managed to win just two games since February 17. Their recent losses have been characterized by conceding four or more goals in each defeat.
“This was an extremely difficult conversation to have with Lindy based on the relationship that he and I have,” expressed Fitzgerald. “He was the right coach to develop our young players on the ice, and above all else, he is a tremendous person.”
Ruff had been at the helm of the Devils since the start of the 2020–21 season. Despite leading the team to its first playoff appearance since 2018 last season, they were eliminated in the first round.
