Lindy Ruff will not return as Dallas Stars head coach

DALLAS — The Dallas Stars and Lindy Ruff have parted ways and the head coach will not return for the 2017-18 season.

Ruff’s four-year contract expired after this season and the Stars announced in a press release on Sunday that he wouldn’t return.

Dallas finished the season on Saturday with a 34-37-11 record and 79 points. This came one season after Dallas had the Western Conference’s best record and reached the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Stars search for a new coach will begin immediately according to the release. Jim Nill wasn’t available for additional comments on Sunday, but will address the media at a press conference on Monday morning.

The Stars reached the playoffs twice in four years under Ruff, but couldn’t deliver on lofty expectations this season.

“We could never get on a good run where you go six or seven and one, or you win five in a row. We never got that good run going,” Ruff said on Saturday. “I said yesterday that the probably the biggest disappointment was there were games we really deserved to win if we finished some of the plays, didn’t hit posts and missed empty nets to stay on a run or keep something alive. We didn’t quite have the finish we had in the previous year.”

Here is the official release, check back for more as the story develops this week:

FRISCO, Texas – Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that Lindy Ruff will not return as head coach for the 2017-18 season and the organization will immediately begin the process of hiring a new head coach. Ruff earned a record of 34-37-11 for 79 points as head coach with Dallas this season.

“I want to personally thank Lindy for his commitment and professionalism over the four years that he served as our head coach in Dallas,” said Nill. “Lindy is not only a highly respected coach, he more importantly is a great person and an outstanding family man whom I have the utmost respect for on and off the ice.”