New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald confirmed Wednesday that Lindy Ruff would return as the team’s head coach next season.

Ruff's contract expires June 30 but am told he's already in the midst of negotiating a new deal which seems like a slam dunk given what the Devils GM just announced. https://t.co/tUMNrxAsyt

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 17, 2023

Ruff, whose contract expires June 30, is negotiating an extension, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

“I’ve always said that Lindy Ruff was the right coach for this group,” said Fitzgerald. “So here we are today. He’s still the right coach for this group, he’s earned that right. He deserves that, we deserve him, to be quite honest… those kids love him.”

Hired by the organization in 2020, the 63-year-old has compiled a 98-98-24 mark during his Devils tenure. This past season saw Ruff lead New Jersey to a franchise record 52 wins and 112 points en route to being named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the league’s top head coach.

The Devils eliminated the New York Rangers in seven games in the first round of the postseason before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 in the Conference Semis.

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