2014 NHL Awards Preview: Jack Adams Award

5 of 5

HHOF.com

The Jack Adams Award is presented to the head coach who has contributed the most to his team’s success

We continue our look at the upcoming NHL Awards with a turn behind the bench, at the captain of the ship so to speak.

The Jack Adams Award recipient is usually the coach whose team has made a significant improvement or overcome obstacles during the season, and that is no difference this year.

The nominees are…

Mar 22, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock in the second period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Detroit Red Wings wins 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Babcock, Detroit Red Wings

Babcock led the Wings to their 23rd straight playoff appaearance despite multiple injuries to all of their top stars at one point of the season. Only Drew Miller and Kyle Quincey played all 82 games and Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Stephen Weiss all playing just 56 games or less.

Babcock also guided Team Canada to an Olympic Gold Medal for the second straight time.

Apr 18, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper (R) talks with center Steven Stamkos (91) against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning

An injury to superstar Steven Stamkos and a disgruntled captain Martin St. Louis who asked to be traded are just two of the obstacles Cooper had to navigate the team around to get the Lightning back to the playoffs. The club topped the 100 point mark for the third time in franchise history.

Mar 19, 2014; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy reacts from the bench after a call by Brad Watson (23) during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche

The Hall of Fame goaltender made an immediate splash in the NHL, getting into a verbal shouting match with Bruce Boudreau in a celebrated incident that almost saw the partition between the benches taken down in his NHL coaching debut. Whatever Roy did, it worked in Colorado and the team got off to an outstanding start, and carried that momentum all year. The team finished 29th in 2013, and ended up 3rd overall in 2014.

AND THE WINNER IS…

Apr 17, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy speaks to the media after game one of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild at Pepsi Center. The Avalanche won 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Roy, and there isn’t much doubt about it. Roy’s breath of fresh air worked wonders with a young team and instantly put them into the conversation of Western Conference powerhouses for the foreseeable future.