Gerard Gallant wins Jack Adams Award as NHL’s coach of the year

Watch as Vegas Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant is named the winner of the Jack Adams Award.

LAS VEGAS — Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights has won the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s top coach.

Gallant was an obvious choice over Colorado’s Jared Bednar and Boston’s Bruce Cassidy after he masterminded the most spectacular expansion season in recent sports history. The Golden Knights went 51-24-7 and handily won the Pacific Division before winning 13 post-season games and reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their first playoff campaign.

The 54-year-old Gallant was named the Golden Knights’ first coach in April 2017, and the veteran NHL coach provided steady leadership while turning Vegas’ expansion roster into a cohesive, motivated team. Gallant’s players praised his steady, intelligent approach to the post-season, which ended in a five-game loss to the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.

Gallant previously coached in Columbus and Florida, but his teams had never won a playoff round before Vegas’ remarkable run.

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