Rangers’ Gerard Gallant a finalist for Jack Adams Award for NHL’s top coach

RALEIGH, N.C. – Gerard Gallant could once again be named the NHL’s top coach to cap his first season as the Rangers’ bench boss.

The NHL announced on Thursday that Gallant, the Panthers’ Andrew Brunette and the Flames’ Darryl Sutter are the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award as voted upon by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association. The winner will be announced before the conclusion of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Gallant won the award in 2018 after guiding the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season.

He led the Rangers to a 52-24-6 record (110 points) – their best showing since 2014-15 – and a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division.

Eight coaches have won the Jack Adams more than once since the award was inaugurated in 1974 but only Scotty Bowman, Jacques Lemaire, Pat Quinn, John Tortorella and Barry Trotz have won it with different franchises.

The Rangers have never had a coach win the award.

Sutter, in his second stint with the Flames, led them to the NHL’s biggest improvement from last season. Brunette guided the Panthers to their first Presidents’ Trophy with a 58-18-6 mark (122 points) after taking over on an interim basis on Oct. 29 when Joel Quenneville was forced to resign.