Twenty-two current NHL coaches have spent time coaching in the AHL, where they learned the ins and outs of developing talent at the professional level. Striking the balance between development and creating a winning environment tests each AHL coach.
The past two Jack Adams Award winners as the best coach in the NHL, Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins and Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders, each had a long tenure as an AHL coach. Cassidy spent seven seasons in the AHL, with Grand Rapids, then an Ottawa Senators affiliate (2000-02), and Providence, the Bruins' AHL team (2011-16). Trotz spent seven seasons with Baltimore and Portland, each an affiliate of the Washington Capitals, from 1990-97 before becoming the first coach of the expansion Nashville Predators in 1998-99.
Here is a look at five coaches who may be ready to join the NHL coaching ranks after long AHL apprenticeships: