Trent Reinsmith
The NHL began awarding the Jack Adams Award at the end of the 1973-74 season. The award goes to the NHL coach, “adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.” In simpler terms, the Jack Adams Trophy is given to the best coach at the end of the regular season.
Only one NHL coach has won the Adams in back-to-back seasons. Jacques Demers was given the award in 1987 and 1988 as the bench boss for the Detroit Red Wings. Last year, Rod Brind’Amour won the Adams after leading the Carolina Hurricanes to the top of the Central Division with a 36-12-8 record. It was the first time the ‘Canes won a division title since 2005-06 and the team’s .714 points percentage was the highest in franchise history. Brind’Amour has a good chance to join Demers as a consecutive winner of the Adams award. Carolina is in first place in the Metropolitan Division with a 30-9-2 record and 62 points.
Before we look at NHL head coaches in the running for the 2022 Jack Adams award, let’s look at the Hart Trophy betting odds. Also, be sure to check out our NHL betting tips page for tips and advice on how to wager on hockey.
2022 Jack Adams Award odds
| To Win Jack Adams Trophy |  |
| Mike Sullivan | +600 |
| Rod Brind"Amour | +750 |
| Gerard Gallant | +800 |
| John Hynes | +900 |
| John Cooper | +1000 |
Brind’Amour looks to make history
Last season Rod Brind’Amour made Carolina Hurricanes history by becoming the first coach in Hurricanes’ history to lead the team to the Stanley Cup playoffs in three consecutive seasons. Barring an enormous collapse, expect Brind’Amour, who captained the Canes to its only Stanley Cup victory in 2006, to make that four years in a row in 2022.
Carolina was one of the hottest teams at the start of the 2021-22 campaign. The club opened the season with a nine-game winning streak. The team was 14-2 on November 27. A rough patch followed that incredible run and the ‘Canes went 1-5 in their next six outings. Carolina has not lost back-to-back games since that six-game run.
Brind’Amour has been behind the bench for Carolina since 2018. He signed a three-year extension with the team on June 17, 2021. He won the Adams Award later that day.
Mike Sullivan looks for his first Adams
Mike Sullivan took over the Pittsburgh Penguins head coaching job in 2015-16. In his first two seasons behind the bench, Sullivan and the Pens won the Stanley Cup. Sullivan has taken the team to the playoffs in the next four seasons, but the team did not move past the second round of the playoffs.
Sullivan has had the odds stacked against him this season. The team was without superstar players Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin due to injury and then played without Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Jason Zucker, Jeff Carter, Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, and Tristan Jarry during parts of the season. The Penguins didn’t practice with all of its regulars until mid-January.
Despite the trying season, Sullivan has the Penguins in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 27-11-7 record.
Gerard Gallant looks for a second Adams
Jacques Demers is the only coach to win consecutive Adams’ Awards. However, four coaches — Jacques Lemaire, Pat Quinn, Scotty Bowman, and John Tortorella — have won the award with two teams. Gerard Gallant has a chance to join those men. Gallant, who is now behind the New York Rangers bench, won the Adams in 2018 with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Gallant was out in Vegas in 2019-20. In June 2021, the Rangers appointed Gallant as the team’s head coach. The team has a 29-13-4 record and the same number of points (62) as the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes. New York has played five more games than Carolina.
The Rangers missed the playoffs last season and finished the season with a 27-23-6 season. The last time the Rangers made the playoffs was 2017. If Gallant can get the New York Rangers back into the playoffs, he will get a great deal of consideration for the Adams.
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