Every season, the debate over the Jack Adams Award centers on a coach who has led a team seemingly out of nowhere to an unexpectedly successful season.
That’s why coaches who have consistent track records never really get much consideration for the Coach of the Year honour. That’s the case for coaches like Jon Cooper in Tampa Bay and Jared Bednar in Colorado.
But for Travis Green, this year could be an exception.
Green didn’t lead a ragtag bunch out of nowhere to the playoffs. Green proved that last year’s playoff appearance was no fluke. The Ottawa Senators overcame numerous challenges to win the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot.
In fact, the Senators narrowly missed the first wild card spot.
Be that as it may, Green deserves plenty of consideration for the Jack Adams this season. His case lies in the way he managed to keep the team together and weather a major storm.
On January 24, the Senators were 23-21-7. The club was struggling to keep its head above water. Then, they rifled off four straight wins, winning five of their last six games before the Olympic break.
Despite a brief slide in late March, the Sens won five of their last six contests to close out the season with a 44-27-11 record and 99 points.
That’s not bad for a team that dealt with injuries to their captain, top defensemen, and a delicate personal situation with their starting goalie. And it’s how Green handled that situation involving Linus Ullmark that should cement his Jack Adams case.
Green held Senators together during Ullmark crisis
The egregious social media trolling involving Linus Ullmark earlier this season could have been enough to derail the Senators’ season. It was the sort of vicious, unprovoked attack that could have thrown Ottawa completely off kilter.
Instead, Green and GM Steve Staios came to bat for Ullmark. They publicly shut down the negative commentary and reassured the team that nothing had changed.
The organization, meanwhile, created a supportive environment for Ullmark, even allowing him to appear in an interview to speak his mind.
That situation alone should give Jack Adams voters plenty to think about. Nevertheless, Green faces some tough competition this year. There’s the miraculous season in Buffalo that could land Lindy Ruff his second Jack Adams. There’s also the impressive turnaround by the Philadelphia Flyers this season. That turnaround may also land Rick Tocchet his second Jack Adams.
But if there was ever a case for a first-time winner, it’s Travis Green this season.
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