Jon Cooper, Dan Muse, Lindy Ruff Named Jack Adams Award Finalists

Jon Cooper, Dan Muse and Lindy Ruff have been named the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, the NHL announced Friday. The Adams is awarded to the head coach who is "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success.

Cooper, who is the NHL's longest-tenured coach, guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to their ninth consecutive playoff appearance. The 58-year-old has coached the team to five 50-win campaigns and seven seasons of more than 100 points. Under Cooper, the Lightning were in the top five in goals scored per game and fewest goals allowed per game. They also finished with the No. 3 penalty kill in the NHL with an 82.6% success rate.

A three-time Adams finalist, Cooper is seeking to win the award for the first time in his career. If so, he would become the second coach in Lightning history to win the Adams behind John Tortorella.

Muse, who was hired last offseason by the Penguins, took over a team that had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and guided it back to the postseason. Pittsburgh would ultimately lose in the first round to the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers. In his first NHL season, Muse, 43, was forced to make a series of adjustments to his lineup. The Penguins navigated injuries and inconsistencies in a season that saw them play a league-high 44 players.

If Muse were to win, he would be the first rookie head coach since Patrick Roy in 2013-14 to capture the Adams. He's the third coach in Penguins history to be a finalist, joining Dan Bylsma and Michel Therrien. Bylsma won the award in 2010-11.

Ruff, who is in his second stint with the Sabres, guided the club to its first playoff appearance in 14 seasons. The Sabres' postseason drought was so long that they entered the season tied with the NFL's New York Jets for the longest streak without making the playoffs in major American sports. Under Ruff, the Sabres had the third 50-win season in franchise history. They finished with 109 points, the fifth-highest total in club history. It was also the Sabres' first division title since 2009-10, which came during Ruff's first run with the team.

The Sabres' 30-point improvement was the second-largest increase from 2024-25 behind the San Jose Sharks. The 66-year-old coach won the Adams in 2005-06 after guiding the Sabres to a 53-win season that ended in the Eastern Conference finals. This is his fifth time as an Adams finalist, which ties him with Scotty Bowman, Alain Vigneault and Tortorella for the most in NHL history.

Adams voting was done by members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association who submitted their ballots at the end of the regular season. Those coaches who finished in the top three in votes were named finalists.