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As the playoff picture becomes clearer, so too do our rankings for numerous awards, especially the , handed to the NHLs best coach during the regular season. No award is predicated more on team succe s and placement in the standings than the Jack Adams Award. And this season, only two of the five Jack Adams Award favorites have previously been named coach of the year, one of whom will likely secure the honor for the second time. One of the three non-winners is in his first head-coaching role, with Dan Muse only four years older than Sidney Crosby. Hes orchestrated a resurgent Penguins and deserves the plaudits hes receiving. Lets break down the five favorites, analyzing their chances of winning the Jack Adams Award. MORE : 5. Joel Quenneville, Anaheim Ducks The finished the 2024-25 season with 80 points, 16 behind the eighth-place St. Louis Blues. Cue the Joel Quenneville era at the Honda Center, where, in his first year at the helm, he has led the Ducks to the cusp of winning the Pacific Division for the first time since 2016-17. Few expected Anaheim to be in the playoff picture, and I can a sure you that nobody other than diehard, optimistic Ducks fans would have eyed a division title. Regardle s of whether they win that elusive division crown, the impact Quenneville has had on the collective has been undeniable. He probably wont secure his second Jack Adams Award, but that wont matter to him or Ducks fans if the team can continue their fairytale run deep into the postseason. 4. Dan Muse, Pittsburgh Penguins Following in the footsteps of two-time Stanley Cup champion Mike Sullivan was no easy feat and not for the faint of heart. That said, Muse has done an admirable job in his first season as a head coach, restoring belief Cole Holcomb Jersey in Pittsburgh and eliciting the best from each player in the lineup, including Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. While neither superstar needs coaching, Muse has instilled a fresh outlook and a calm, composed demeanour, putting the Penguins within reach of their first playoff berth in four seasons. MORE : 3. Rick Bowne s, Columbus Blue Jackets Rick Bowne s replaced Dean Evason as head coach of the on Jan. 12. Since then, the Blue Jackets have gone on a 19-3-4 run, boasting the leagues second-best record. Only the have more points (43) than the Blue Jackets (40) in that timeframe. While its over a shorter sample size than the other contenders, its a near-perfect resume for a Jack Adams Award recipient. As its a narrative-based award, the only thing to make his case stronger and even more ironclad is to lead his team to the dance, a scenario that looks more likely with each pa sing day. 2. Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning Jon Cooper is the second-most likely to win the Jack Adams Award. Surprisingly, the bench bo s has never been named coach of the year. He has, however, won hockeys ultimate prize twice, leading the Lightning to consecutive Stanley Cups. Cooper has the advantage of leading a collective with the most talent and elite pedigree among the five contenders. Nikita Kucherov is among the Hart Trophy favorites, and Andrei Vasilevskiy is in pole position to win the Vezina. Could the Lightning sweep the aforementioned three awards? Absolutely. They probably wont, though, as Lindy Ruff is the clear favorite to be named coach of the year. MORE : 1. Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres Ruff is on his way to being named coach of the year for the second time, as he and his Sabres are the seasons headlining story. The Sabres will make the playoffs for the first time since 2011, snapping the second-longest drought in North American sports. Only the New York Jets have endured a longer barren spell. That alone should be enough to anoint Ruff as the recipient of the award. But he wont be satisfied with a mere playoff berth, with the Sabres sporting the leagues best record since Dec. 9. Ruffs mighty Sabres enjoyed a 33-6-2 run, the most wins in a 41-game stretch since the in 2022-23. More NHL News Faaope Laloulu Jersey |
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