Trophy Tracker: Sullivan, Brind'Amour top Adams picks as NHL top coach

To mark the beginning of the 2022-23 regular season, NHL.com is running its first installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, we look at the race for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the top coach in the NHL as selected in a vote by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Mike Sullivan has yet to win the Jack Adams Award voted as NHL coach of the year.
A panel of 15 NHL.com writers believe that will change this season by choosing the Pittsburgh Penguins coach as the preseason favorite. Sullivan's 30 points (three first-place votes) led the voting, with Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes second with 25 points (three first-place votes), followed by Gerard Gallant of the New York Rangers with 19 points (two first-place votes).
Receiving one first-place vote each were Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche, Bruce Boudreau of the Vancouver Canucks, Bruce Cassidy of the Vegas Golden Knights, John Hynes of the Nashville Predators, Paul Maurice of the Florida Panthers, D.J. Smith of the Ottawa Senators, and Jay Woodcroft of the Edmonton Oilers.
Sullivan never has been an Adams finalist despite his impressive record since replacing Mike Johnston as Pittsburgh coach Dec. 12, 2015. He's 297-156-54 in seven seasons, helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017 and has gotten them into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in every season of his tenure.
The organization thinks so highly of Sullivan that it agreed with him on a three-year contract Aug. 30 that starts in the 2024-25 season and runs through 2026-27.
"The problem when you talk about a coach of the year, or those type awards, when you say, 'Well, our guy should have won,' people take that as disrespectful,"
Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke told NHL.com
. "And I don't mean it disrespectfully. This is not a commentary on other coaches who have won coach of the year, but I don't know anyone who's done more in seven seasons he's been here, who has done a better job coaching, than Mike Sullivan. I think he's been terrific, and I love working with him."
Burke hasn't wavered in his belief even though the Penguins have failed to get past the first round of the playoffs in four consecutive seasons, the latest a seven-game loss to the Rangers in the Eastern Conference First Round after holding a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
The Penguins (46-25-11) finished third in the Metropolitan Division last season. They've qualified for the playoffs in 16 straight seasons, and with a roster led by forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang, there's enough for at least another Cup run.
"We have, in my mind, the best core that I've ever been around," Sullivan said when training camp opened Sept. 22. "These guys are driven to win. They're hungry. You can see it in their fitness level on the ice coming off of Day One here, so I know they're excited.
"This is a new season with a new team. We're going to be a forward-thinking group from here on out."
Hanging on the wall of Sullivan's office is a quote from legendary Green Bay Packers football coach Vince Lombardi: "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence." Standards of excellence remain unchanged for the Penguins. They're expected to win, perhaps enough to compel voters to recognize how much of a role Sullivan plays in meeting or exceeding those standards.
"I love getting on the ice with these guys every day," Sullivan said after his contract was announced. "I love being in the heat of the battle, and next to being a player it might be the next best thing. It's part of my DNA. I love working through the challenges that this League inevitably presents."
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Mike Sullivan, Penguins, 30 points (3 first-place votes); Rod Brind'Amour, Hurricanes, 25 (3); Gerard Gallant, Rangers, 19 (2); John Hynes, Nashville Predators, 15 (1); Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche, 14 (1); Bruce Boudreau, Vancouver Canucks, 14 (1); Jay Woodcroft, Edmonton Oilers, 14 (1); D.J. Smith, Ottawa Senators, 13 (1); Bruce Cassidy, Vegas Golden Knights, 13 (1); Don Granato, Buffalo Sabres, 11; Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning, 9; Paul Maurice, Florida Panthers, 8 (1); Todd McLellan, Los Angeles Kings, 7; Lane Lambert, New York Islanders, 7; Pete DeBoer, Dallas Stars, 7; Martin St. Louis, Montreal Canadiens, 7; Rick Bowness, Winnipeg Jets, 5; Derek Lalonde, Detroit Red Wings, 4; Peter Laviolette, Washington Capitals, 2; Dean Evason, Minnesota Wild, 1
NHL.com staff writer Mike G. Morreale and NHL.com independent correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report