This past week wasn't spent learning about Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff. Larry Quinn and his fellow owners of the Buffalo

Sabres already know all about them. Regier and Ruff have been with the team since 1997, so

secrets are few and far between.

What Quinn wanted to know during his meetings and evaluations was whether Regier and Ruff

still have the vision to end the Sabres' two-year playoff drought.

He wanted to know if the duo has the ability to generate new ideas despite being on the job

for 11 seasons.

He wanted to know if Ruff and Regier could admit to their share of mistakes on a team that

has gone from the Presidents' Trophy in 2007 to two long offseasons.

It appears Quinn found the answers he sought. Ruff and Regier will return to their roles

next season, as Sabres ownership announced Friday they have faith in professional sports'

longest-tenured coach and GM combination.

"We know them real well," Quinn said in a phone call with The Buffalo News. "The issues

that we had were not about their abilities. We wanted to see if they had the energy, the

vision, if they could still keep it fresh, if they could honestly look at what went wrong, if

we could get people to look at it and go along for the ride."

The Sabres have missed the playoffs in five of the past seven seasons. Following this

second consecutive failure, Quinn promised the "most thorough top-to-bottom evaluation ever

done here." He said Friday the review is only 5 percent complete. That was enough to persuade

him to keep Regier in the front office and Ruff behind the bench.

Part of the evaluation has focused on players. The development and production of numerous

players either stalled or dwindled this season. Ownership has a core of Sabres it is certain

can lead the team toward the Stanley Cup. Quinn wanted to make sure those players could have a

healthy relationship with the people deciding their contracts and playing time.

"We just know who the players are that are critical to the success of this team," Quinn

said. "Players have got to be involved if we're going to have success. It's not a case of the

inmates running the asylum, but if we're going ask them to step up and assume leadership, they

have to be part of the process."

The Sabres said Regier was unavailable for comment, and Ruff was preparing to join Team

Canada for its trip to Switzerland. He will be the head coach at this month's world

championships.

Regier signed a two-year extension prior to the season and is under contract through

2010-11. Ruff signed a three-year deal in the summer of 2007 that carries him through 2009-10.

They have combined for four Eastern Conference finals appearances and one trip to the Stanley

Cup finals.

The Sabres trumpeted their decision to keep the duo in a one-paragraph statement on their

Web site.

"Tom Golisano and Larry Quinn today announced that General Manager Darcy Regier and head

coach Lindy Ruff will return next season in their current roles with the organization," the

statement read. "Ownership is very excited to have these two individuals return to help lead

the organization back to the playoffs next season."