Sabres promote Seth Appert to assistant coach

The first to report it was 13WHAM’s Mike Catalana. The additions fill out the rest of Ruff’s coaching staff, joining Mike Bales, Matt Ellis and Marty Wilford.

“One of my top priorities over the last few weeks has been finalizing the hires and roles of the coaching staff,” Ruff said in a team statement. “After conversations with Seth, he reaffirmed what I already knew – he is ready for this opportunity.”

The 49-year-old Appert has coached the Americans since 2020-21, leading the club to three consecutive playoff seasons. He compiled a record of 123-94-22-10.

“Seth should be immensely proud of the culture he has built in Rochester and the success that has come with it,” Sabres’ General Manager Kevyn Adams said. “While his addition to the NHL coaching staff is a loss in Rochester, there is no doubt he has earned this position.”

Before joining the Sabres’ minor-league team, Apppert spent three seasons as the head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program, and 11 seasons as head coach for the ECAC’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Appert won a gold medal as an assistant coach with the U.S. team at the 2017 U-18 IIHF World Championship, a silver medal the following year in the same role and a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championship.

The Sabres hired Ruff as head coach on April 22. The 64-year-old coached Buffalo between 1997 and 2009, taking the club to the Stanley Cup Final in 1998-99 against the Dallas Stars.

Buffalo fired Don Granato on April 16 after the Sabres missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season under his leadership. The team went 122-125-27 during his time with the club.