Ron Rolston hired by Buffalo Sabres, replaces Lindy Ruff on interim basis

Just two hours after Lindy Ruff was fired by the Buffalo Sabres, general manager Darcy Regier has hired Ron Rolston as their new head coach.

Rolston's served as the head coach of the AHL's Rochester Americans for the last year and a half and steps into his role in Buffalo on an interim basis. Regier will reevaluate the coaching situation following the current season.

Rolston has worked with many young players in Buffalo's system as the head coach of the Sabres' AHL affiliate. Sabres blog Die By The Blade thinks it could be a natural transition in some ways because of the familarity.

The new Sabres coach has worked with some of their players in Rochester this season and last, including Cody Hodgson, Marcus Foligno, and TJ Brennan, among others. He's known for being an excellent teacher and making young players better. He'll have his work cut out for him with the youth that the Sabres have in key positions.

Prior to joining the Amerks in 2011, Rolston worked as the head coach of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in the USHL. He was an assistant coach at Boston College from 2002 to 2004 and has also served as an assistant coach at Harvard University, Clarkson University and Lake Superior State University.

Rolson played three seasons with the Michigan Tech Huskies in the late 1980s and just seven games professionally with the ECHL's Winston-Salem Thunderbirds during the 1989-90 season.