Lindy Ruff will not return as Dallas Stars head coach in 2017-18

The Dallas Stars moved on from head coach Lindy Ruff less than 24 hours after their 2016-17 season ended.

Ruff’s contract expired once the season ended, and the Stars announced on Sunday afternoon that they will not renew it and bring the veteran coach back.

“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 Stars general manager Jim Nill in a statement. “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.”

Ruff went 165-122-41 in four seasons behind the Stars’ bench, including playoff appearances in 2012-13 and 2015-16. Last year, Ruff’s team led the Western Conference with 109 points before getting ousted in the conference semifinals by the St. Louis Blues.

Nothing went right for the Stars this year, however. Injuries to players like Mattias Janmark, Patrick Sharp, and Ales Hemsky ravaged Dallas before the season began after an offseason that saw key veterans Jason Demers, Kris Russell, and Alex Goligoski leave in free agency. Dallas never recovered from a slow start, mired in mediocrity until they were eliminated last month.

It’s likely the entire coaching staff will be turned over; Dallas’ 73 percent success rate on the penalty kill is one of the worst in modern NHL history, and the Stars have ranked among the worst defensive teams in every metric in each of the last four seasons.