Jack Adams Award Preview

The 2013 edition of the NHL Awards will be a lackluster broadcast on the NHL Network, and NHL.com, starting tonight at 5 PM ET. Tonight about half of the awards will be handed out, and it will conclude tomorrow night with the remainder of the awards being named just before the puck drops on Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals. Today we preview the best bosses behind the bench, running for the Jack Adams Award.

The Jack Adams Award is awarded every year to the coach who is “adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.”

Jun 11, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks head coach

during practice on media day in preparation for game one of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Paul McLean, Ottawa Senators

McLean seems to be the favourite for the award after guiding the wounded Senators into the playoffs in both years behind the bench. With some help from hardworking call-ups and ageless captain Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators qualified for the playoffs despite losing 4 of their 5 top players during the season, including reigning Norris winner Erik Karlsson and league-leading goaltender Chris Anderson.

Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks

Boudreau started his first full year with the Ducks after filling in for Randy Carlyle in the 2011-12 campaign. Boudreau took the Ducks to the playoffs with a second-place seed in the West after living in the mighty Blackhawks’ shadow all season. The Ducks had a wonderful regular season thanks to Boudreau, with the league’s fourth-best powerplay at 21.5% and the league’s third best point percentage at .688%

Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks

Quenneville is the longest serving bench boss of the three, and also had the most regular season success, coaching the runaway President’s Trophy winner Chicago Blackhawks. Quenneville has kept his team under wraps for all 48 games, including the ridiculous streak they went on to start the season. The Blackhawks also had the league’s third best penalty kill at 87.2%

Many believe that Boudreau is outclassed this season, and the winner will either be Quenneville or McLean. Despite Coach Q guiding the Blackhawks to one of their best regular season’s ever, McLean is the favourite to win it, after the Sens looked out of contention by mid-february when they lost Karlsson, Anderson, and top scorer Jason Spezza. However, the Sens persevered and made it to the playoffs. Keep in mind that the NHL Broadcasters Association, who does the voting, only analyzes the teams in the regular season, and not the playoffs, so Quenneville gets no edge on the other two there.

Tune in to NHL.com or the NHL Network at 5 ET to see the winner!

For more Blackhawks conversation, like us on Facebook: Blackhawk Up, and follow us on Twitter: @Blackhawk_Up.