The second time is the charm for Paul MacLean. After finishing third in Jack Adams voting as a rookie head coach in Ottawa last season, Paul MacLean was the runaway winner in 2013.
Awarded to the "NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success" by the NHL Broadcasters' Association.
He captured 28 first place votes and his name appeared on 56 of the 83 ballots. It's the first time a Senators coach has captured the honour since Jacques Martin won fourteen years ago for his 1998/99 season.
Not too shabby for a 'fat, bug-eyed walrus'.
On a normal day, MacLean's omission from 27 ballots would have been the most hilarious piece of hockey-related news, but that distinction goes to the Florida Panthers for actually giving up something — TJ Brennan — to acquire Bobby Butler. Butlaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!
Of course it would be fun to find out which individuals were responsible for omitting MacLean, but unlike other professional sports leagues (ie. baseball), there are no mechanisms in place to publish each voter's respective ballots. Poking fun at the incompetence of others will have to wait another day.
Not that any of us need any reassurance that this team is on the right track — although I suspect the organization will market the shit out of the Jack Adams Trophy nod as validation that this 'rebuilding' team is ahead of schedule and destined for bigger and better things — it's great to see some of the organization's hockey operations staff recognized for their work and contributions; especially because Bryan Murray finished fifth in the NHL General Manager of the Year balloting.
Even though MacLean won his individual award, it's really a reflection of the work that the collective group — the Binghamton coaching staff, the player development staff, management and the amateur scouts — has done to allow this team to compete on a daily basis.
And the votes were:
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