Could a Familiar Face Win the Jack Adams Over Jim Montgomery?

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Dorin Canaday
April 14, 2023 (1:07 PM)

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Jim Montgomery guided the Bruins to a historic season, but will he win the Jack Adams? Because one familiar face could potentially swoop in and steal it from him.

Not as Unanimous as Initially Believed?

Montgomery brought a fresh and positive perspective to the Bruins in 2022-23, a complete 180 from Bruce Cassidy. But as Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald recently pointed out, Boston's former bench boss could be Montgomery's biggest competition for the award.

''Jim Montgomery should be the runaway Jack Adams winner and it was clear it was time for a change. But Bruce Cassidy had himself a damn good year, too. Thought Vegas would slide into oblivion when they lost Mark Stone, but hanging on to win Pacific is impressive.''

Cassidy spent almost 15 years in the Bruins organization in Providence and Boston, so we fans know he's an excellent coach. He continued his success with the Golden Knights this season. As Conroy eluded to, he helped the club secure the top spot in the Western Conference (51-22-9) despite significant injuries.

However, people quickly forget that Montgomery and the Bruins were written off this off-season because they were without Matthew Grzelcyk, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy to start the season.

It's obviously Montgomery's trophy to lose, as Boston achieved several accolades along the way to the most single-season wins and points in NHL history. A season that saw the club finish 65-12-5, a record that another team may never reach.

Other possible nominees include:

Lindy Ruff (NJD)
Dave Hakstol (SEA)
Jared Bednar (COL)