New Jersey Devils coach Lindy Ruff away from team after father's death

NEWARK, N.J. -- Devils coach Lindy Ruff missed the team's 6-4 loss to the host Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night following the death of his father in western Canada.

Ruff also will miss the back end of the home-and-home series when the teams meet in New Jersey on Tuesday.

The Devils said Monday that Leeson Ruff died Friday at a hospital in Warburg, Alberta. He was 88 and had been ill.

Assistant coach Alain Nasreddine is running the team in Ruff's absence. He held that spot in late December and early January after Ruff tested positive for COVID-19 and missed three games.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.