The NHL announced today that Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette is one of three finalists for the Jack Adams Award, given annually "to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.”
"It didn't always go that well in the beginning," Predators captain Roman Josi said. "We kind of had our ups and downs, so it wasn't as consistent, probably, as he would have hoped. But he just stuck with it. He kept believing in us. Really, throughout the whole year, he believed in the system and we just kept chipping at it. We got more and more consistent, so [the nomination is] well deserved. He's done an amazing job."
In his first season coaching the Predators (47-30-5, 99 points), Brunette led Nashville back to the postseason after an eight-season playoff streak was snapped in 2022-23. A highlight from Brunette's first season behind the Predators bench was the team's franchise-record 18-game point streak from Feb. 17-March 26 (16-0-2), the longest point streak in the NHL this season and the longest since the Colorado Avalanche's 19-game streak (17-0-2) in 2021-22. The Predators outscored their opponents 74-33 in that span, tallied the most goals per game (4.11) and allowed the fewest (1.83).
"He's been huge for us as a group and for me personally as well,“ said Predators forward Luke Evangelista, who finished with the sixth-most points by a rookie (39) his first full NHL season under Brunette. "We're blessed to have him, and we wouldn’t be in this situation [in the playoffs] without him.”
Brunette is a Jack Adams finalist for the second time in as many seasons as an NHL head coach, following a second-place finish with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22. That year, Brunette led Florida to a 58-18-6 record and their first-ever Presidents' Trophy when he took over as interim coach after the team parted ways with Joel Quenneville.
The Panthers opted to hire Paul Maurice for their open head coaching job instead of promoting Brunette in the summer of 2022. When asked Friday what receiving a second Jack Adams nomination meant to him, Brunette called it a "tremendous honor" before joking that the last time he was a finalist, he ended up losing his job.
"The last time, it didn't go quite as well," Brunette said with a chuckle. "I don't know how to take it anymore."
Only two other head coaches have been voted Jack Adams finalists in each of their first two seasons behind an NHL bench: Terry Crisp (CGY, 2nd in 1987-88 and 3rd in 1988-89) and Paul MacLean (OTT, 3rd in 2011-12 and 1st in 2012-13). Brunette is the third Jack Adams finalist in Predators history, joining Barry Trotz (2nd in 2009-10, 3rd in 2010-11) and Peter Laviolette (3rd in 2014-15).
Brunette will coach against fellow Jack Adams finalist Rick Tocchet tonight as the Predators host the Vancouver Canucks in a do-or-die Game 6 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A loss for the Predators would end their season, while a win would send the series back to Vancouver for Game 7.
The puck drops for Game 6 at Bridgestone Arena at 6 p.m. CT.
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