| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success."[1] |
| History | |
| First award | 1973–74 NHL season |
| First winner | Fred Shero |
| Most wins | Pat Burns (3) |
| Most recent | Spencer Carbery Washington Capitals |
TheJack Adams Award is awarded annually to theNational Hockey League (NHL) coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The league'sCoach of the Year award has been presented 51 times to 43 coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the regular season. Five coaches have won the award twice, whilePat Burns has won three times, the most of any coach. The award is named in honor ofJack Adams,Hall of Fame player for theToronto Arenas/St. Patricks,Vancouver Millionaires and originalOttawa Senators, and long-time Coach and General Manager of theDetroit Red Wings. It was first awarded at the conclusion of the1973–74 regular season.
Jacques Demers is the only coach to win the award in consecutive seasons. Five coaches have won the award with two teams:Jacques Lemaire,Pat Quinn,Scotty Bowman,Barry Trotz, andJohn Tortorella have won the award twice.Pat Burns is the only coach to win the Adams Award three times, as well as the only coach to win it with three different teams. The franchises with the most Jack Adams Award winners are the Washington Capitals,Philadelphia Flyers,Detroit Red Wings,Boston Bruins andPhoenix Coyotes with four winners each, although the Coyotes had two winners inWinnipeg before they moved toArizona.Bill Barber,Bruce Boudreau andKen Hitchcock are the only coaches to win the award after replacing the head coach who started the season. Barber took over forCraig Ramsay during the Flyers'2000–01 season, Boudreau replacedGlen Hanlon a month into the Capitals'2007–08 season while Hitchcock replacedDavis Payne a month into the Blues'2011–12 season. The closest vote occurred in2006, when the winnerLindy Ruff edged outPeter Laviolette by a single point.[2]




