The NHL announced the winner of the Jack Adams award for the best coach of the year and the winner was one of the most experienced coaches in the league. Darryl Sutter, coach of the Calgary Flames, finally won a Jack Adams award.
The Calgary Flames finished this season with a record of 50-21-11. They were the best team in the Pacific Division and were one of the best defensive teams in the league. A year ago they were fifth in the NHL North Division missing out on the playoffs and with Sutter behind the bench, they were just 15-15-0.
Sutter really helped transform the team this past season. The Flames played the way Sutter likes to see his teams play. It was similar to the Kings during their championship days. They were physical and found a way to win most nights.
This team also had great goaltending and great talent up and down the lineup. But at the end of the day, the award is given to the coach who has contributed most to his team’s success and it was decided Sutter was the best fit for the award.
The Jack Adams Award is given to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success in the regular season.
— NHL (@NHL) June 2, 2022
Darryl Sutter got the chance to accept the award from his brother Brian, a former Jack Adams Award winner himself. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/UWcZBLLFrs
Sutter has coached 1397 games in the NHL. During his time behind the bench, he has been with four different teams. The Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, and Chicago Blackhawks.
He has won two Stanley Cups in his career as a coach and now he can add a Jack Adams to his resume. Although there is no doubt that Sutter played a big part in the success of the Flames this past season, this team has been in the playoffs three times in the last four years and the one year they were out was the shortened divisional season in 2020-21. Sutter was coaching a really good team in Calgary.
Sutter beat out every other coach in the league for the awards but the other two finalists were Andrew Brunette of the Florida Panthers and Gerard Gallant of the New York Rangers.