4 Philadelphia Flyers Jack Adams Award Winners

The Jack Adams Award has existed in the National Hockey League since the 1973-74 season. The award is handed out each season to the best head coach in the league. Two teams, to date, have had their coaches win the Jack Adams Award on four occasions. One of those teams is the Detroit Red Wings and the other is the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fred Shero

Fred Shero was the first ever recipient of the Jack Adams Award in 1973-74. His Flyers finished the regular season with 50 wins and 112 points in 78 games and were placed first in the West Division. The point total was a 27 point improvement over the previous season. After sweeping the Atlanta Flames in the first round and ousting the New York Rangers in seven games in the semi-finals, Philadelphia won the Stanley Cup in six games over the Boston Bruins.

The 1973-74 Flyers were led by Bobby Clarke, Rick MacLeish, Bill Barber and Bernie Parent. They would win the Stanley Cup the following year as well, their last Cup victory to this date. Shero coached the team from 1971-72 to 1977-78. He followed that up with three years as bench boss of the New York Rangers. His teams were runners-up twice, Philadelphia once and New York once.

Pat Quinn

Pat Quinn, in just his second year as head coach, won the Jack Adams Award in 1979-80. The Flyers totaled 116 points during the regular season, good for first overall in the NHL. After ploughing through the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flyers lost to the New York Islanders in the finals.

Reg Leach led the 1979-80 Flyers with 50 goals while Ken Linseman led the team in points. Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber were still key factors on the team.

Pat Quinn coached in the NHL from 1978-79 to 2009-10 with the Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. Quinn never won a Stanley Cup but did find his way to the finals again in 1993-94 with the Vancouver Canucks. Pat won the Jack Adams again in 1991-92, with Vancouver.

Mike Keenan

Mike Keenan won the Jack Adams Award in his first year as head coach, 1984-85. ‘Iron Mike’ coached the Flyers to first overall in the NHL with 113 points. Once again, Philadelphia made it to the finals after beating the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Quebec Nordiques. Unfortunately, Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers proved too strong and beat the Flyers in five to take the Stanley Cup.

Tim Kerr led the Flyers that season with 54 goals. Also leading the team were Brian Propp, Dave Poulin, Mark Howe, Rick Tocchet and Pelle Lindbergh.

Keenan coached in the NHL from 1984-85 to 2008-09 with the Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames. Two of Mike’s teams in Philadelphia were runners-up for the Stanley Cup. He also coached the Chicago Blackhawks to an unsuccessful run at the finals. Behind the bench of the 1993-94 New York Rangers, Keenan got his only Stanley Cup.

Bill Barber

Bill Barber was head coach of the Flyers for just a season and a half. He took over from Craig Ramsay part way through the 2000-01 season and Philadelphia had a 31-13 record under the former player, earning him the Jack Adams. The team finished with 100 points and a second place Atlantic Division seeding. The Flyers lost in the first round to the Buffalo Sabres in six games. Mark Recchi, Keith Primeau and Simon Gagne starred.

Barber coached the following season and hasn’t coached since. Bill played for the team from 1972-73 to 1983-84. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

Pat Burns: Only 3 Time Winner Of The Jack Adams Award

The Jack Adams was first awarded to the NHL's top head coach for the 1973-74 season. Fred Shero was the first recipient and Pat Burns is the only three time winner. Both Shero and Burns are deceased and both were inexplicably denied entry to the Hockey Hall of Fame while still alive.

In a National Hockey League head coaching career that lasted from 1988-89 to 2003-04, Pat Burns became the only person to win the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach three times. The Jack Adams Award was introduced for the 1973-74 season, with Fred Shero of the Philadelphia Flyers being the first recipient.

1988-89 Montreal Canadiens

Burns won the Jack Adams in his first year of coaching in the NHL, 1988-89. The Montreal Canadiens finished first overall in the Prince of Wales Conference and second overall in the NHL, behind only the Calgary Flames. The Canadiens and Flames met in the Stanley Cup finals with Calgary coming out victorious in six games.

1992-93 Toronto Maple Leafs

In 1992-93, in his first year as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Burns saw a 32 improvement over the previous season. In 1991-92, Toronto had finished last in the Norris Division with just 67 points. Their point total improved to 99 points under Pat and the team made it to the Conference finals before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in seven games.

1997-98 Boston Bruins

In 1997-98, in his first year as coach of the Boston Bruins, the team saw a similar turnaround that the Maple Leafs had experience under Burns. The team improved 30 points over 1996-97. The previous year was the first time Boston had failed to qualify for the post season since the 1966-67 season. The team bowed out to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.

Pat Burns

Never a player at the professional level, Burns rose quickly to prominence in the coaching world. He was behind the bench of the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three years, from 1984-85 to 1986-87. In the second year, the Olympiques won the Jean Rougeau Trophy as regular season champions and the President’s Cup as champs in the playoffs. Pat was selected as QMJHL First Team All-Star coach.

The Olympiques qualified for the Memorial Cup that season, making it through to the final game. The Guelph Platers (today’s Owen Sound Attack) were crowned Memorial Cup champions with a 6-2 victory over Hull. Hockey Hall of Fame member Luc Robitaille was a member of that Olympiques team.

After a year coaching the Sherbrooke Canadiens of the American Hockey League in 1987-88, it was straight up to the NHL Canadiens. Along with coaching in Montreal, Toronto and Boston, Burns won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils, where he coached in 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Along with Fred Shero, now both deceased, the Hockey Hall of Fame were under fire for denying the two entry. Shero won two Stanley Cups and was a finalist on two other occasions, as well as winning championships in three other professional league and was inducted posthumously in 2013. Pat’s qualifications for the Hall of Fame are obvious from his accomplishments stated above and is finally allowed entry for 2014.

 

New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Playoff History

The New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings will meet in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in NHL history. The Rangers entered the National Hockey League for the 1926-27 season and are four time Stanley Cup winners. The last time the Rangers won the championship was 1993-94. The Kings entered the NHL in 1967-68 and are one time winners of the Stanley Cup, last winning in 2011-12.

Not only have New York and Los Angeles not met in the Stanley Cup finals prior to 2013-14, the two have rarely met at all in the post season. In fact, the teams have played off against each other on just two occasions. Both times, it was in a preliminary round series. Both times, the Rangers were victorious.

Rangers vs. Kings 1978-79

New York and Los Angeles met in the preliminary round of the 1978-79 Stanley Cup playoffs with the Rangers sweeping the series in two games. New York easily won the first game 7-1 at Madison Square Garden while the second game was decide in overtime at The Forum in Los Angeles with the Rangers coming out on top 2-1.

Despite the offensive threat that the Triple Crown Line provided, the Kings only had goals from Charlie Simmer and Syl Apps on the series. Marcel Dionne was silenced after an outstanding regular season. Dionne’s 59 goals placed him second in the NHL behind Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders. His 71 assists placed him third behind Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders and Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens. Marcel was second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with 130 points, four behind Bryan Trottier.

New York was led by Anders Hedberg, Phil Esposito and Pat Hickey during the regular season and it was Esposito that led the club with 20 points through the playoffs. New York went on to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the quarter-finals and the New York Islanders in the semi-finals to earn a showdown with the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal came out on top in five games.

During the regular season, the Fred Shero coached Rangers placed third in the Patrick Division with 91 points. The Bob Berry coached Kings finished third in the Norris Division with 80 points.

Rangers vs. Kings 1980-81

Two years later, Los Angeles and New York met again in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This time, the series was a best of five affair. This time, it was the Rangers winning again with the series decided in four games. New York won game one by a score of 3-1, game three by a whopping 10-3 score and the deciding fourth game by a 6-3 count. The Kings won game two 5-4. On the series, New York outscored the Kings 22-8.

Through the 1980-81 playoffs, the Rangers were led by Ron Duguay, Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg. It had been Hedberg, Ed Johnstone and Ron Greschner that led the club offensively through the regular season. Playing the bulk of the playoffs in net was the forgettable Steve Baker. New York went on to the beat the St. Louis Blues in the second round before being swept by the Islanders in the semi-finals. The Rangers would muster just eight goals against their cross-town rivals.

The series was certainly a disappointment for the Kings with the Triple Crown Line at their pinnacle. During the regular season, Marcel Dionne scored 58 and assisted on 77 for 135 points, Dave Taylor scored 47 and assisted on 65 for 112 points and Charlie Simmer scored 56 and assisted on 49 for 105 points. Dionne once again finished second in the NHL for goals behind Mike Bossy. He also once again finished third for assists, this time behind Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers and Kent Nilsson of the Calgary Flames. His 135 points was second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind Gretzky’s 164.

Bob Berry was still the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. However, Fred Shero was replaced midseason behind the New York bench by Craig Patrick. Phil Esposito was still with the Rangers but now behind the bench as an assistant coach. During the regular season, Los Angeles finished second in the Norris Division with 99 points while the Rangers placed fourth in the Patrick Division with just 74 points.

NHL Hockey Trivia: Fred Shero

Fred Shero is perhaps one of the best hockey coaches to ever stand behind a bench in professional hockey. The fact that the Hockey Hall of Fame took over two decades after his death to finally honour Shero is an enormous injustice. Test and expand your knowledge of “The Fog” with the following four hockey trivia questions and answers.

Q. Long before he was a head coach in the National Hockey League, what NHL team did Fred Shero play for?

A. For the New York Rangers, Shero played a total of 145 regular season and 13 playoffs games between 1947-48 and 1949-50. As a defenseman, Shero totaled 22 points in the combined 158 games. Fred played pro from 1943-44 to 1957-58 in the EHL, AHL, USHL, NHL, PCHL, WHL and QHL. He was a member of consecutive Calder Cup championships in the AHL with the Cleveland Barons in 1952-53 and 1953-54. He exploded offensively with the Barons in 1953-54 with 21 goals and 53 points.

Q. Fred Shero twice coached the Stanley Cup finalists, in the form of the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers and the 1978-79 New York Rangers. In both these occasions, what team defeated Shero’s team?

A. The Montreal Canadiens were Stanley Cup champions in four consecutive seasons from 1975-76 to 1978-79. In the first and last years of their dynasty, the Habs met and defeated team’s coached by Fred Shero. In 1975-76, the Flyers were denied their third consecutive championship, swept by the Canadiens in four games. In 1978-79, the Rangers were able to win one game against Montreal.

Q. In what year did Fred Shero win the Jack Adams Award as the top coach in the NHL?

A. Shero was the first ever recipient of the Jack Adams Award, winning in 1973-74. His Philadelphia Flyers became the first of the 1967 expansion teams to win the Stanley Cup. The Flyers were also the first non-Original 6 team to win the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Maroons captured the championship in 1934-35.

Q. Fred Shero coached championship teams in four professional hockey leagues. What team did he lead to a Calder Cup victory in the American Hockey League?

A. Going into the 1969-70 AHL season, it was understood to be a swan-song season for the Buffalo Bisons. There wasn’t enough room at the Auditorium in Buffalo for two professional hockey teams and the Buffalo Sabres were set to start their inaugural NHL season in 1970-71. The Bisons swept the Springfield Kings to capture their fifth and final Calder Cup.

Well Known Coaches of the 1963-64 CPHL

1963-64 was the first year of the Central Professional Hockey League, a minor pro league that existed from 1963-64 to 1983-84. The league changed its name to the Central Hockey League in 1968-69 but is not related to the current CHL. The coaches of the five teams were all established hockey men who are still mostly well known today.

In 1963-64, the league consisted of five teams with each playing a 72 game schedule. The Omaha Knights finished first overall with 97 points, 17 better than the second place St. Paul Rangers. The Knights and Rangers met in the playoff finals with Omaha coming out victorious in five games. St. Paul took the first game of the series 2-1 before the Knights won four straight by scores of 11-0, 3-0, 7-4 and 6-2.

The league’s scoring leader was Alain Caron of the St. Louis Braves with 77 goals and 125 points. A young Phil Esposito was in his second year of professional hockey and split the season between the Chicago Black Hawks and the St. Louis Braves. Despite playing just 43 games, Esposito finished sixth in the league with 80 points.

Scotty Bowman – Omaha Knights

The Omaha Knights had two head coaches during the 1963-64 CPHL season. Scotty Bowman coached the team’s first eight games before heading to Montreal to coach a minor league team there. The Knights went a perfect 8-0 under Bowman. Scotty went on to coach in the National Hockey League from 1967-68 to 2001-02 with the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings. He won nine Stanley Cup championships, five with Montreal, one with Pittsburgh and three with Detroit.

Bill McCreary – Omaha Knights

Bill McCreary stepped in after Bowman left town. He acted as a player / head coach and it was his only year coaching with Omaha. McCreary coached three partial NHL seasons in the early 1970’s with the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and California Seals. Bill was a veteran of 309 NHL regular season games between 1954-55 and 1970-71 with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues.

Fred Shero – St. Paul Rangers

Fred Shero did not win a CPHL championship with the St. Paul Rangers in 1963-64 but did go on to win championships in the IHL, AHL, CHL and NHL. Fred was head coach in the National Hockey League from 1971-72 to 1980-81 with the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. He was the first ever recipient of the Jack Adams Award in 1973-74 as the NHL’s coach of the year.  He played 145 regular season NHL games between 1947-48 and 1949-50, all with the Rangers.

Harry Sinden – Minneapolis Bruins

Harry Sinden of the Minneapolis Bruins was another CPHL player / head coach. He played for Minneapolis for the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons. Sinden is most famous for his head coaching job with the Boston Bruins between 1966-67 and 1969-70. He led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup championship in 1969-70, with the help of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. Sinden also returned for interim stints behind the Boston bench in 1979-80 and 1984-85.

Walter ‘Gus’ Kyle – St. Louis Braves

Walter ‘Gus’ Kyle was in his last year of coaching with the 1963-64 St. Louis Braves. In 1958-59, he coached the Calgary Stampeders to a WHL championship. Kyle played 203 games in the NHL between 1949-50 and 1951-52 with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.

Tony Leswick – Indianapolis Capitols / Cincinnati Wings

Tony Leswick had the dubious job of coaching the Indianapolis Capitols in 1963-64. After an explosion wrecked their arena just nine games into the season, the Capitals moved east to Cincinnati for the remainder of the season and were known as the Cincinnati Wings. The team won just 12 of their 72 games and finished dead last in the league. Leswick played 740 regular season games in the NHL between 1945-46 and 1957-58 with the Rangers, Red Wings and Black Hawks. He scored the winning goal in overtime of game seven of the 1953-54 Stanley Cup finals to give Detroit the victory over the Montreal Canadiens.