AP Photo Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff speaks to his team in the final minutes of play against the Montreal Canadiens during the third period in Game 4 of the second round in Montreal on May 12. The Sabres announced on Tuesday that Ruff signed a 2-year contract extension with the club.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Invigorated after transforming the Sabres into contenders in his second coaching stint in Buffalo, Lindy Ruff sees no reason why he’d stop now.

With the full backing of team management, and his wife Gaye’s blessing, the 66-year-old Ruff is staying put after signing a two-year contract extension on Wednesday.

Ruff’s only regret was addressing reporters during a season-ending news conference rather than preparing for the Eastern Conference Finals. Buffalo was eliminated Monday, with a 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal in Game 7 of a second-round series.

“It’s great to be here in a sense that I’m going to continue, and I’m humbled again by the opportunity,” Ruff said.

“The energy that our fans brought, the energy in the city, where we got to in the second half of the year, excited me,” he added. “I can tell you that I was proud of the way (the players) handled it for a group that has never been there before.”

Ruff was completing the second and final season of the contract he signed upon returning to Buffalo, where he spent 10 years as a player and has since gone on to become the franchise’s winningest coach.

The 66-year-old Ruff is a Jack Adams NHL coach of the year finalist after the Sabres ended a league-record 14-season playoff drought and won their first Atlantic Division title. After beating Boston in six games of a first-round series, Buffalo advanced in the playoffs for the first time since the Ruff-coached team reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2007.

The re-signing was expected, with both sides reaching the parameters of an agreement over the past month. The only delay was not to distract from the playoffs.

“Extending Lindy, a no-brainer,” general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said.

“Real proud of the whole group and what we went through, how much we learned,” he added. “I can’t emphasize enough how excited I am about the future of this group and the potential we have.”

Ruff’s long-time history in Buffalo

Ruff’s first coaching stint in Buffalo spanned 15 seasons, which included a six-game loss to Dallas in the 1999 Stanley Cup Final, and ended when he was fired two months into the 2013 campaign. He was brought back after head-coaching stops in Dallas and New Jersey.

With an overall career coaching record of 950-741-169 and 78 ties, Ruff ranks fourth on the NHL list in wins, second in losses and fourth in games coached. With a Sabres record of 657-494-100 with 78 ties, he’s second on the list in wins and games coached with one franchise.

This year was among Ruff’s finest seasons, and came a year after he vowed to improve upon last year’s finish of 36-39-7, which included an 0-10-3 skid spanning November and December.

Sabres surge up the standings

This time, the Sabres caught fire in early December and went 39-9-5 over their final 53 games to vault from last in the Eastern Conference standings to finish second. Buffalo’s 50 wins and 109 points were the Sabres’ most since the Ruff-coached team in 2006-07 won a franchise-record 53 games and matched a team record with 113 points.

Ruff credited this year’s turnaround to the team getting healthier and captain Rasmus Dahlin’s presence — the defenseman spent the first two months of the season dealing with his fiancée recovering from heart transplant surgery in Europe.

Also factoring into the surge was Kekalainen taking over as GM to replace Kevyn Adams, who was fired in mid-December. Kekalainen’s presence restored a level of confidence in the players by instilling belief the franchise had a clearer vision to succeed.

Though Kekalainen initially backed Ruff upon taking over, he provided no assurances regarding the coach’s future beyond this season. The two, who had never previously worked together, eventually built a mutual bond of trust and respect.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Lindy. I’ve enjoyed his sense of humor, his experience, his passion for the game, his details and how he’s still involved as a coach,” Kekalainen said. “He’s not a spring chicken anymore, but he’s a student of the game. I view it the same way. I feel like I’ve got to be a better general manager.”

Looking ahead to the offseason

Without going into detail, Kekalainen said he intends to make changes to his front-office staff.

As for player personnel decisions, he called it a priority to sign restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram to a long-term contract.

Kekalainen was less definitive regarding the status of forward Alex Tuch, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. In calling Tuch “a valuable part of our team,” the GM said the two sides have yet to come to an agreement.

Kekalainen revealed defenseman Owen Power finished the playoffs despite a Grade 3 sprain to his right ankle. He also said center Sam Carrick returned too soon from a left arm injury, in appearing in just one game

Ruff said he doesn’t anticipate any changes to his staff due to the bond the group has developed since his return.