CaliSports News – NHL Awards Predictions

JACK ADAMS TROPHY (COACH OF THE YEAR)

Nominees

Bob Hartley – Calgary Flames

Peter Laviolette – Nashville Predators

Alain Vigneault – New York Rangers

Predictions

Emily – Peter LaViolette

I’m going to start this prediction with eliminating Hartley from contention. He was made the Calgary coach three years ago and the only reason they didn’t miss the playoffs this year was because the Kings did.

Vigneault lead his team to a franchise record 113 points in the regular season. It’s the first time the Rangers have won the President’s Trophy since the 93-94 season. He obviously did a phenomenal job with the team last year and since he left the Canucks they have gone downhill.

However I’m giving Laviolette the edge here because of his first year as their coach, Nashville pulled ahead with a team who didn’t have as many All-Star names as the Rangers (any team with Henrick Lunqvist is going to have a better chance than most to do well), and (maybe this is bias) but the Western Conference is much more challenging. He was chosen as a coach for the All Star game because under him and his staff they had the highest points percentage throughJanuary 8th. That’s a huge accomplishment.

Lori – Bob Hartley

Was there any greater success story this year than the young, gritty Calgary Flames? Making the playoffs for the first time in five years when no one expected them to have a shot and then making it through the first round against the Vancouver Canucks were major achievements for these young players. Hartley definitely deserves much of the credit for getting these guys to believe in themselves, putting together dangerous line combinations like the trio of veteran Juri Hudler with the young and talented Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau and keeping his team focused at season’s end when everything came down to a few games. LaViolette and Vigneault did admirable jobs with their teams, particularly the latter, who got his team back into the playoff picture after they too, had missed out on the post-season two years in a row.

Vigneault has done a terrific job with the Rangers and they were the President’s Trophy winner this season, but he has won this award before and expectations were already high for the Rangers coming off of last year’s Stanley Cup final loss to the LA Kings. I think Hartley walks away with this one. Side note: How has Daryl Sutter NEVER won this award?!

Mike – Alain Vigneault

Vigneault got the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final last year and almost got them there again this year. He was only one game away. Hartley and Laviolette are good as well, helping get Nashville and Calgary to the playoffs. Vigneault did, I think a slighter better job, but I think any of them could really win the award!

Jeff – Bob Hartley

I really like what Peter Laviolette did with the Nashville Predators.  Where previous (and now Washington Capitals) coach Barry Trotz had the “Preds” play a more suffocating style of (boring) defensive hockey, Laviolette let go of the leash a little bit and allowed his players to freely roam more offensively than they ever had before.

Still I can’t help but admire (and envy) what Bob Hartley did with the “little engine that could” Calgary Flames.  A team that no one in their right mind would have predicted to not only make the playoffs but make it to the second round as well!  I see Hartley’s name being called for this award.