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Bowness, Tocchet, Brunette named finalists for NHL’s coach of the year award

May 3, 2024 | 9:54 AM

NEW YORK — Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets, Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks and Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators are the finalists for this season’s Jack Adams Award.

The award is presented annually to the head coach of the year as voted by members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.

Bowness guided Winnipeg to a fourth-overall finish with a 52-24-6 record. The 110 points were the second-highest in franchise history.

Bowness, who completed his 14th NHL season as a head coach and 36th as a head or assistant, is a first-time finalist and the first finalist in franchise history.

Tocchet helped the Canucks finish first in the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record in his first full season behind Vancouver’s bench. He is a first-time finalist and looking to become the third Canuck coach to win the award.

Brunette led Nashville to a 47-30-5 record in his first season coaching the Predators. He was also a finalist in 2021-22 as a rookie head coach with the Florida Panthers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2024.

The Canadian Press