Gallant loads up the Metropolitan Division coaching ranks

Next season the NHL will return to its traditional divisions after a year of COVID-mandated geographically-segregated competition. That means a  return to the Metropolitan Division for the  New York Rangers.

Many hockey observers believe that the Metropolitan Division is the toughest in the NHL and the East is the better of the two conferences.  That could be debated for days, but one thing is certain, when the Rangers hired Gerard Gallant, it made an already imposing roster of Metropolitan Division coaches even more impressive.

The easiest way to look at the quality of coaches in each division is by Jack Adams Awards contention.  Over the last seven seasons, there have been 21 finalists for the award, given to the best coach as judged by members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.

Here are the finalists with the winners in boldface.  The winner this season has yet to be announced.:

2021: 

1. Rod Brind’amour, Carolina
2. Dean Evason, Minnesota
3. Joel Quenneville, Florida

2020:

1. Bruce Cassidy, Boston
2. John Tortorella, Columbus
3. Alain Vigneault, Philadelphia

2019:

1. Barry Trotz, Islanders
2. Craig Berube, St. Louis
3. Jon Cooper, Tampa

2018:

1. Gerard Gallant, Vegas
2. Bruce Cassidy,  Boston
3. Jared Bednar, Colorado

2017:

1. John Tortorella, Columbus
2. Mike Babcock, Toronto
3. Todd McLellan, Edmonton

2016:

1. Barry Trotz,Nashville
2. Gerard Gallant, Florida
3. Lindy Ruff, Dallas

2015:

1. Bob Hartley, Colorado
2. Alain Vigneault, Rangers
3. Peter Laviolette, Nashville

That means that of the last 21 Jack Adams Awards finalists, nine are currently coaching in the Metropolitan Division (Gallant, Trotz, Brind’Amour, Laviolette, Ruff, Vigneault) with Gallant, Trotz and Vigneault contending twice each.

Four of the 21 are in the Atlantic Division (Cooper, Cassidy, Quenneville) with three in the Central (Bednar, Evason, Berube) and only one in the West (McLellan).  Four of the finalists are not coaching (Hartley, Tortorella, Babcock) with Cooper and Tortorella repeat contenders.

It also means that 13 of the the last 21 finalists are coaching Eastern Conference teams with only four in the Western Conference.

We’re not even including Mike Sullivan who has won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins and has never been a Jack Adam Award finalist and is still a coach in the Metropolitan Division.

With Gallant on board it means that four of the last five coaches  deemed the best in the NHL  (including John Tortorella), are in the Metropolitan Division with Brind’amour  heavy favorite this season for finishing first in the Central Division and only two points away from the President’s Trophy.

Great coaches make a big difference and in hiring Gallant, the Rangers got a coach who has been considered one of the best for the last six years.  He’ll fit right in with his colleagues in the Metropolitan Division.

In the meantime, no Rangers coach has ever won the Jack Adams Award.  Maybe Gallant will be the first.