
The Jack Adams Award is an annual award presented by the National Hockey League Broadcasters' Association to the NHL coach judged to have contributed the most to his team's success. The winner is selected in a poll among members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association at the end of the regular season.
The award was presented by the NHL Broadcasters' Association in 1974 to commemorate the late Jack Adams, former coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. His lifetime dedication to hockey has served as an inspiration to all who aspire to further the game.
Jacques Demers is the only coach who has won the award in consecutive seasons. Four coaches in history have won the award with 2 different teams. Jacques Lemaire, Pat Quinn, and Scotty Bowman have won the award twice, while Pat Burns is the only coach to win the award three times.
The franchises with the most Jack Adams Award winners are the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings, with four winners, followed by the St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes with three, although the Coyotes had two winners in Winnipeg before they moved to Arizona. Bill Barber and Bruce Boudreau are the only coaches to win the award after replacing the head coach who started the season. Barber took over for Craig Ramsay during the 2000–01 season, while Boudreau replaced Glen Hanlon, a month into the 2007–08 season. The closest vote ever occurred in 2006, when the winner Lindy Ruff edged out Peter Laviolette by a single point.
The Jack Adams Award is named in honour of Jack Adams, Hall of Fame player for Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa, and long-time coach and general manager of theDetroit Red Wings. It was first awarded at the conclusion of the 1973Ð74 regular season.
