Neck guard sales jump after Sask. hockey player slashed by skate
11h ago
More adult players are now investing in the protective equipment.
The debate over coach-of-the-year awards is always an interesting one and the three nominees for the Jack Adams Award in the NHL cover three different criteria.
You have the coach of a very good team that is still very good in Boston’s Bruce Cassidy. The Bruins had another great regular season and Cassidy was headed to another 50-win season after 50 and 49 in the two previous seasons.
Then you have the coach for whom expectations were extremely low but who surprised. John Tortorella lost numerous stars but the Columbus Blue Jackets were back in the battle in the Metropolitan Division when many thought the floor was going to drop this year.
Then you have the new guy who turned a non-playoff team into a serious contender with Alain Vigneault in Philadelphia.
All of them have a great resume and are deserving of the award, but if history is any indication, it’s usually a new guy turning a team around and rarely the coach of the best team.
So Vigneault is likely the favourite and would be at the top of my ballot, if I had one.