The Top 5 Candidates for the Jack Adams Award at the End of December

Lindy Ruff, New Jersey Devils

The Devils are one of the most, if not the most, surprising teams in the league. The Devils currently sit at 23-11-2 for 48 points and are second in the Metropolitan Division.

Ruff has 804 career wins, along with a .549 winning percentage. Ruff is a previous Jack Adamas Award winner, winning the 2005-2006 award while with the Buffalo Sabres. That season, Ruff led the Sabres to a 52-24-6 record for 110 points.

He has also had playoff success as well, posting a record of 66-54 for a playoff winning percentage of .550.

Ruff was hired as the Devils’ new coach on July 9, 2020. At the time of his hire, he was the New York Rangers assistant coach.

An experienced coach with a strong presence, Ruff is one of the more underrated coaches in the league. More of a veteran coach, Ruff is coaching the fifth youngest team in the league with an average age of 25.8 years.

Lindy Ruff has been coaching for 23 years and has only missed the playoffs seven times in his career. He had the Devils playing some of their best hockey early in the season and has regrouped to get the team back on track.

He demands excellence and is tough, leading the Devils to a successful season thus far.  Ruff could be, at the end of the season, one of the few head coaches to win the award multiple times with more than one team.

He deserves to at least be Jack Adams Award-nominated for the job he has done so far with the Devils.