Following are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award:
Gerard Gallant, Vegas Golden Knights
Gallant led the Golden Knights (51-24-7, 109 points) to a slew of historic achievements in 2017-18, with Vegas becoming the first modern-era expansion team from any of the four North American professional sports leagues to start from scratch and win its division. The Golden Knights started the season 8-1-0, using four goaltenders within their first 10 games following a spate of injuries. They went on to post their 34th victory on Feb. 1 to set the NHL record for wins by a team in its inaugural season - with 32 games remaining. Eleven Golden Knights players recorded career-best point totals, most notably William Karlsson, who posted 43-35-78 after a 6-19-25 campaign with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17. Gallant is a Jack Adams Award finalist for the second time, having finished second in voting in 2015-16 with the Florida Panthers.
Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche
Bednar guided a rookie-laden Avalanche (43-30-9, 95 points) to among the most dramatic single-season improvements in NHL history. Colorado posted a 47-point increase over 2016-17, tied for the fourth-highest year-to-year gain, in qualifying for their first postseason appearance since 2013-14. The club went 28-11-2 on home ice, matching its franchise record of 28 home wins set by the 2000-01 Stanley Cup team. The Avalanchedressed 11 rookies, tied for the League lead, and the rookie group combined for an NHL-high 419 games. The team's 255 goals scored (excluding shootouts) was its most since 2006-07 and a 55% increase over the 165 from 2016-17. Bednar is a first-time Jack Adams Award finalist and in quest of the third such honor in franchise history following Patrick Roy (2013-14) and Marc Crawford (1994-95, Quebec Nordiques).
Bruce Cassidy, Boston Bruins
In his first full season behind the Boston bench as head coach, Cassidy led the Bruins (50-20-12, 112 points) to a fourth-place finish in the NHL's overall standings and the club's fourth-highest point total in the past 40 years. The Bruins registered a 13-game road point streak from Dec. 13 - Feb. 11 (11-0-2), the fifth-longest such run in franchise history. They finished the season 22-12-7 away from home, third in the League behind the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning. Bruins rookies tallied 58 goals in 2017-18, the most by any NHL club and representing 22% of the team's total. A first-time finalist, Cassidy is vying to become the fourth Bruins coach to capture Jack Adams honors, following Don Cherry (1975-76), Pat Burns (1997-98) and Claude Julien (2008-09).
History
The award was presented by the NHL Broadcasters' Association in 1974 in honor of the late Jack Adams, longtime coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.
Announcement Schedule
The three finalists for NHL Trophies are being announced by NBC Sports in the United States and Sportsnet/TVA Sports in Canada during pregame programming for the Stanley Cup Playoffs through Monday, April 30. The series of announcements continues on Thursday, April 26, when the National Hockey League Players' Association reveals the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award.
2018 NHL Awards™ presented by Hulu
The 2018 NHL Awards™ presented by Hulu will be held Wednesday, June 20, at The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's state-of-the-art concert and entertainment venue. It marks the second year that the NHL Awards™ will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, home to world-class entertainment, dining and party hotspots as well as concerts and special events. NBCSN and Sportsnet will broadcast the event live in the United States and Canada, respectively, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
A full lineup of presenters and entertainment will be announced at a later date. Fans can tweet about the event using the official hashtag #NHLAwards.
ABOUT THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Vegas Golden Knights are a National Hockey League franchise owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment LLC. The Vegas Golden Knights were established by founding partners William Foley and his family and the Maloof family. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights visit
vegasgoldenknights.com
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