The NHL announced the nominees of the 2021 Jack Adams Award. This award is given to the best coach of the NHL season every year. This year’s nominees are Ron Brind’Amour from the Carolina Hurricanes, Dean Evason of the Minnesota Wild, and Joel Quenneville of the Florida Panthers. The winner of the Jack Adams award will be presented at the 2021 NHL Awards ceremony before the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Rod Brind’Amour (@Canes), Dean Evason (@mnwild) and Joel Quenneville (@FlaPanthers) are the finalists for the 2020-21 Jack Adams Award. https://t.co/OqRZCbKkMk #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/gCxRsyTg6u
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 11, 2021
2021 Jack Adams Nominees Announced
The 2021 Jack Adams nominees are among some of the most impressive coaches in the NHL. From Brind’Amour’s impressive handling of the Central Division to the sheer willpower Evason showcased with the Wild, there’s very little to dislike about any of these coaches. Last year, Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins took home the award after a dominant 2019-20 campaign. This is Brind’Amour and Evason’s first nomination and Quenneville’s third.
The Case for Ron Brind’Amour
Brind’Amour did an astonishing job with the Carolina Hurricanes. After winning an excellent 47 games last season, the Hurricanes overtook the Central Division with a 36-12-8 record. Additionally, he’s the first coach in Hurricanes history to take his team to the postseason in three consecutive years. He’s beloved by his team and his front office and has made an amazing impression within the organization. If Brind’Amour wins, he’ll be the first coach in Carolina Hurricanes history to take the award home.
The Case for Dean Evason
In his first full season, Evason brought the Wild a .670 points percentage, the best in their organization’s history. In addition, the Wild scored 3.21 goals per game, a new record for the team. While playing in a highly competitive division, Minnesota was able to put three separate winning streaks together. To top things off, the team went on a midseason tear, adding 14 points in 15 games to their overall record. If Evason wins the Jack Adams award, he’ll be the second coach in Wild history to win it.
The Case for Joel Quenneville
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to see Quenneville on this list. The three-time nominee (and one-time winner) brought the Panthers to their second offseason in a row. They earned the highest points percentage and goals-per-game in franchise history under Quenneville this season. Additionally, the Panthers’ defensive metrics greatly improved under Quenneville. In 2019-20, they sported the third-worst goals-against average (GAA) in the league. This season, they were ninth in the league. If Quenneville wins the award, he’ll be the first coach in Panthers history to earn the trophy.
