Ruff Named NHL Coach of the Year Finalist | BLOG

Devils head coach Lindy Ruff was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL coach of the year.

Ruff won the Adams Award with the Buffalo Sabres in 2005-06, and could win it again this season.

Ruff, Boston's Jim Montgomery and Seattle's Dave Hakstol were named as the top three vote getters for the award on Friday night.

Ruff oversaw the most remarkable transformation in NHL history. Literally. The Devils 49-point improvement in 2022-23 from 2021-22 is the greatest jump from one season to the next (82-game season).

What's more, of all the legendary people involved in the Devils organization's remarkable history from the front office to the bench to the ice, none had the success that the club in 2022-23 did. The 52 wins and 112 points are both franchise records. And it was at the hand of Ruff.

The story of Ruff is also a story of time and perseverance. He took over a club, in 2020, that was stripped to the bones. It was filled with young promise but required patience and polish. Ruff permitted his young team to make mistakes while learning in real time (however, repeated mistakes did not go unpunished). But his primary role was that as a teacher and developer.

A few years later, the fruits of those labors have flourished. The players from that 2020-21 team have developed their offensive and defensive talents. They've grown as players thanks to the efforts of many, but a lot of credit belongs to Ruff and his staff. The Devils jumped to 4th in the NHL in goals (19th last season) and 8th in goal against (29th last season). The penalty kill (4th) and power play (13th) also improved from 14th and 28th respectively last season.

All of those on-ice improvements are the result of development, buy in and trust in their head coach. They're also the result of Ruff's patience and perseverance. The result was a season in New Jersey like no other.