Jim Montgomery, Dave Hakstol, Lindy Ruff finalists for Jack Adams Award

Coach Jim Montgomery, whose Boston Bruins had the most successful regular season of any team in NHL history, was announced as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award on Friday night.

The other finalists helped orchestrate two of the greatest year-over-year turnarounds in NHL history: Dave Hakstol of the Seattle Kraken and Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils.

The Jack Adams Award is presented annually by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association to “the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.”

Montgomery was hired last summer by the Bruins to replace Bruce Cassidy. It was his first head-coaching job after being fired by the Dallas Stars in December 2019 for “unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs” of the team. One month later, in January 2020, Montgomery announced that he was checking into rehab for alcohol abuse.

Montgomery led the Bruins to remarkable regular-season success, setting new NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) in a single season. They tied the NHL record for road wins (31) and set franchise records for road and home wins (34) in a season. They were the best defensive team in the NHL (2.12) and its second-best offensive team (3.67).

Alas, the Bruins’ regular-season success didn’t extend to the Stanley Cup playoffs, as they lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers in seven games.

The voting for the Jack Adams was completed before the playoffs began.

Ruff led the Devils to the second greatest year-over-year improvement in NHL history. New Jersey finished with 112 points in the standings, 49 points more than their total from 2021-22. That trailed only the San Jose Sharks, who improved by 58 points from 1992-93 to 1993-94.

New Jersey set new franchise records for points and wins (52). The Devils had a minus-59 goal differential last season; this season, they had a plus-65 goal differential. All of this success came after fans in New Jersey were chanting for Ruff’s firing amid a slow start to the season.

Hakstol, the first coach in Kraken history, led Seattle to a 40-point improvement over its inaugural season, and the team’s first playoff berth. The Kraken were the fourth-highest-scoring team in the NHL (3.52 goals per game). They went from a minus-69 goal differential to a plus-33 goal differential this season.

The winner will be revealed live during the 2023 NHL Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Monday, June 26.