Don Cherry to reveal coach of the year finalists
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | 12:23 AM ET
CBC Sports
Don Cherry, star of Coach's Corner, won the Jack Adams Award in 1976. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)Hockey Night in Canada's resident former coach of the year is set to unveil the candidates for this year's prize.
Don Cherry will announce the three finalists for the 2008 Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL's top head coach as judged by the NHL Broadcasters' Association, during Coach's Corner on Wednesday night.
Cherry, who won the award in 1976 while with the Boston Bruins, will reveal this year's finalists during the first intermission of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers (CBC, 7 p.m. ET).
The 2007 Jack Adams winner, Alain Vigneault of the Vancouver Canucks, will almost certainly not be nominated again after his team failed to qualify for the post-season.
Coaches thought to be in the running for this year's award include:
- Guy Carbonneau, who led the surprising Montreal Canadiens to their first division title since 1992.
- Bruce Boudreau, who took over a floundering Washington Capitals team in late November and guided it to its first Southeast Division crown in seven years.
- John Stevens, who oversaw the Philadelphia Flyers' turnaround from the worst team in the NHL to the sixth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
- Mike Babcock, who coached the Detroit Red Wings to the league's top record.
- Ron Wilson, who guided the San Jose Sharks to an 18-2-2 finish and the second seed in the Western Conference.
- Barry Trotz, who took the financially strapped Nashville Predators back to the post-season after the team lost several key players in cost-cutting moves.
