Jack Adams finalists

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Hitch, MacLean, and Torts


Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues, Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators and John Tortorella of the New York Rangers are the three finalists for the 2011-12 Jack Adams Award, presented to the head coach who has "contributed the most to his team's success."

The winner will be announced June 20, during the 2012 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Hitchcock made his debut behind the St. Louis bench Nov. 8 with the club at 6-7-0 and posted a 43-15-11 record the rest of the way; the 109-point season was the Blues' best since capturing the Presidents' Trophy in 1999-2000. The club broke or tied 13 franchise records, including a 21-game home points streak and 30 home wins overall. This is Hitchcock's fourth career nomination as a Jack Adams finalist and the first in 13 years.

MacLean made his NHL debut as head coach after spending six seasons as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings and led the Senators to a Stanley Cup Playoff berth and an 18-point improvement over last season's 13th-place East finish. The biggest change was on offence, where Ottawa jumped from 26th to fourth in the League in goals per game.
MacLean is the third rookie head coach in the past four years to earn a Jack Adams finalist berth.

Tortorella guided the Rangers to first place in the Eastern Conference with a 51-24-7 record, their best regular-season performance since the Stanley Cup season of 1993-94. The club's goals-against figure (187) was tops in the East, third in the NHL overall and was the fewest by a Rangers club over a full season since 1970-71. Tortorella won the award in 2004, the season in which he guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup.

 

[forty_three]

Hitch, MacLean, and Torts

Gah! Right through my heart.

If only they added Dineen, woulda been a "Punch 43 in the nuts" hat trick.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Good choices, but I gotta give it to Hitch.

 

[dash]

I hope the Stache wins this one, nobody expected the Sens to make the playoffs this season, Hitch did a great job with the Blues and would be a worthy winner as well.

 

[BF4L]

Anyone but Torts

 

[awaz]

i think torts was more of a 'it's really a 2 man race, but we gotta have a 3rd finalist' type of candidate.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Anyone but Torts

Yeah, anyone but Torts.

 

[Darkstone42]

I would like to formally concur with the "anyone but Torts" sentiment.

 

[forty_three]

I would like to formally concur with the "anyone but Torts" sentiment.

Can we start a campaign of "they spelled 'Trotz' wrong"?

 

[Darkstone42]

Can we start a campaign of "they spelled 'Trotz' wrong"?

Yes. I think you could stick Tippett in there, too.

 

[Automattic]

I hope Torts wins. It's not because I like controversy....Oh wait...Yeah it is.

 

[flyersfan4706]

 

[naslundfan19]

I think you could stick Tippett in there, too.

This

 

[Eddie_Shack]

Tortorella must have done a lot of whining and grandstanding to get his name on the ballot. Got to give him credit for that.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Either MacLean or Hitch deserves it.

I don't think that Torts should even be on the radar on this one. How hard is it tap Henrik Lundvist on the shoulder 70 times a year and tell him to stop a whole lot of pucks. He has a pretty veteran team with a maxed out payroll. He certainly deserves credit for keeping them focused all the way to the top seed.

The more I think about it, the 3rd nomination should be Lavs in Philly. He dealt with injuries, a headcase goalie and the loss of his captain. He just rolled out rookie after rookie and got 100 + points.