Big news out of First Niagara Center Wednesday afternoon, as Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced the team has let go head coach Lindy Ruff after nearly 16 seasons.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres have fired Lindy Ruff, the most successful coach in team history.

Ron Rolston of the Rochester Amerks has been hired as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

WATCH: YNN's Don Heins has a look at Lindy Ruff's final day as coach of the Sabres.

Ruff won 571 games in Buffalo, took the team to the conference finals four times, and once to the Stanley Cup Finals.

After missing the playoffs last year, and starting the season 6-10-1, a loss Tuesday night to a six-win Winnipeg Jets team at home was the final straw.

"I think the prevailing factor here was where we are, where we're going, conversations that I had with Lindy, how he felt about where the team was," said Regier. "I think like last game was quite obviously a tipping point, and it was evident to me that we were searching for answers for too many questions."

The Sabres have gone six years without a playoff series win, and their 9th place finish in the Eastern Conference last year was due to a poor 7-17-5 stretch that a hot finish couldn't erase.