Top 5 NHL coaches who have most wins with one franchise ft. Lindy Ruff

On Tuesday night, the Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in regular-season game number 70, but it was no ordinary win for head coach Lindy Ruff.

Ruff picked up his 600th career regular-season win behind the Sabres' bench, becoming only the second head coach in NHL history to achieve such a feat. He improved his record to 600-467-78-90 through 1,235 games in Buffalo.

The veteran bench boss spent the first 15 seasons of his coaching career with the Sabres. He then went to Dallas for four seasons and followed that up with another four seasons in New Jersey. After being relieved of his duties in March 2024, Ruff signed a two-year contract, coming back home to Buffalo in the offseason.

The 2024-25 campaign has not gone the way Ruff and the Sabres would have wanted it to, so this was a bright spot in what's otherwise been a difficult season.

In recognition of the milestone, let's take a look at the top five NHL head coaches who have the most regular-season wins with one franchise.

Top 5 NHL coaches who have most wins with one franchise ft. Lindy Ruff

1: Al Arbour

The all-time leader in NHL regular-season wins as a head coach with one franchise is Al Arbour. Arbour's 740 wins with the New York Islanders won't be caught anytime soon.

After beginning his career with three seasons in St. Louis, Arbour moved to Long Island and had tremendous success. He spent 16 straight seasons behind the Islanders' bench, which included winning four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1979 to 1983.

His 740-537-223 record took a hit in the later years of his tenure, though his time in New York remains one for the history books.

2: Lindy Ruff

The aforementioned Lindy Ruff secured regular-season win number 600 as a Buffalo Sabre on Tuesday night. Sabres fans have gone through it in recent years, having not made the postseason since the 2010-11 season.

However, in his early years, Ruff consistently led the team to the playoffs, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998-99. After some time apart, the team hopes that Lindy Ruff can continue to pile up wins and help bring playoff hockey back to Buffalo.

3: Jon Cooper

Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning will likely be the next coach to hit the 600 career win mark with one franchise. Cooper has enjoyed tremendous success, now in his 13th season behind the Lightning bench.

With 566 wins in 950 games, he seems likely to hit the 600 mark potentially during the 2025-26 season. His .596 regular-season winning percentage, two Stanley Cup Championships, and 4 Nations Face-Off victory have already created a very impressive legacy that he will surely continue to build upon in years to come.

4: Barry Trotz

Number four on the list is former Nashville Predators coach, now general manager, Barry Trotz. Trotz is widely regarded to have been one of the best head coaches in hockey in recent years.

The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native started his career in Nashville, where he lasted 15 seasons and piled up 557 regular-season wins. Trotz moved on to coach the Washington Capitals and then the New York Islanders, where he thrived, winning a Stanley Cup and two Jack Adams awards.

He could be even higher on this list had he stayed in Music City a little bit longer.

5: Billy Reay

Rounding out the top five is former Chicago Blackhawks coach Billy Reay. After two disappointing seasons behind the bench of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Reay took some years off before taking over as the head coach of the Blackhawks.

Fourteen seasons in Chicago saw him produce 516 regular-season wins. Billy Reay had a 516-335-161 career regular-season record in the Windy City. His .510 win percentage is second among the top five behind only Jon Cooper (.596).