The National Hockey League has revealed the three coaches nominated for the Jack Adams Award, which is given annually to the coach judged to have contributed the most to his team`s success. The finalists, determined by a vote from the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, are Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets, Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals, and Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens.
In his debut season as head coach, Scott Arniel steered the Winnipeg Jets to an impressive 56-22-4 record, totaling 116 points. This performance earned the Jets the top overall spot in the league standings and the first Presidents` Trophy in franchise history. Arniel is notably the second consecutive Jets coach to be named a finalist for this award; his predecessor, Rick Bowness, finished third in the voting during the 2023-24 season.
Speaking from St. Louis before a playoff game against the Blues, Arniel commented that the nomination is a “tremendous honour.” He attributed the team`s success to the coaching staff`s initial game plan established during training camp and, more significantly, to the players` commitment. He emphasized that success is only possible “unless the players do what they did.” While appreciative of the individual recognition, Arniel indicated the team is currently focused on “bigger prizes,” referring to their playoff aspirations.
Under the guidance of Martin St. Louis, the Montreal Canadiens achieved their first playoff appearance since the 2020-21 season and posted their best regular-season record (40-31-11, 91 points) since 2018-19. St. Louis, in his third full season coaching the Canadiens, is the first coach from the organization to be a Jack Adams finalist since Guy Carbonneau was the runner-up in the 2007-08 season. If he wins, St. Louis would become the third Canadiens coach to receive the award, joining Scotty Bowman (1976-77) and Pat Burns (1988-89).
St. Louis views his nomination primarily as recognition for the entire team and organization. He expressed gratitude towards Geoff Molson, Kent Hughes, and Jeff Gorton in management for trusting an “ex-player” with the coaching role. He stressed that a head coach is only as effective as their staff, support personnel, assistant coaches, and the players` willingness to embrace the system. “It`s a team award,” he stated, highlighting that recognition comes when “everybody`s pulling in the same direction.”
Despite having limited professional coaching experience before joining the Canadiens, St. Louis enjoyed an illustrious playing career during which he won four major individual NHL awards. He found the coaching nomination “flattering” and suggested that he had already gained considerable coaching insight and experience during his final decade as an NHL player, a point he believes his former teammates would confirm.
Spencer Carbery, a native of Victoria, B.C., guided the Washington Capitals to a strong second-place finish in the overall NHL standings during his second season as head coach, with a record of 51-22-9 for 111 points. His leadership also helped the Capitals secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Carbery is seeking to become the fourth head coach in Washington Capitals history to win the Jack Adams Award, joining Bryan Murray (1983-84), Bruce Boudreau (2007-08), and Barry Trotz (2015-16).
Tristan Blackwood