NHL Hockey Top Coaches

NHL Hockey Top Coaches 

NHL Hockey

Mike Babcock, Detroit

Hockey prototype for the modern-era

Jacques Lemaire, Minnesota
He frequently outcoaches his NHL Hockey counterparts. 

Jacques Gerard Lemaire (born September 7, 1945 in Lasalle, Quebec) is a former ice hockey forward and current coach of the Minnesota Wild in the NHL. 

Lemaire is known to be an unorthodox NHL Hockey coach for several reasons. First, he plays a defensive-minded hockey system often using a strategy called the neutral zone trap, or a variant of the trap. Second, Lemaire rarely posts permanent lines and is known to shift players up and down lines, often within games. Moreover, unique to NHL teams, the Wild under Lemaire's tenure has never named a permanent team captain, choosing instead to rotate the captaincy between players on a month-to-month basis.

Lemaire is also known to be one of the best coaches for working with and meshing both young players and veterans. He spends much time in evolving young rookies to reach potential and demands adaptation from veterans to perfect his hockey system.

In the 2007–08 NHL season, while coaching the Detroit Red Wings, Babcock achieved his 200th NHL Hockey career win. This was on December 15 against the Florida Panthers, with a 5–2 final score. Heading into the All-Star game, as the top team in the league, Detroit's Babcock was selected to coach the Western Conference in the All-Star game. On June 4, 2008 Mike led the Detroit Red Wings to another Stanley Cup championship by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

He was announced as a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy for the 2007–2008 season, awarded to the coach who best contributes to his team's Hoceky success but finished third behind Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals and Guy Carbonneau of the Montreal Canadiens. In June, 2008, Babcock signed a three-year contract extension with the Red Wings.

Lindy Ruff, Buffalo
this is the guy who has the longest tenure in the NHL

Lindy Cameron Ruff (Born: February 17, 1960 in Warburg, Alberta) is head coach of the Buffalo Sabres and former left winger in the NHL. Lindy was chosen in the second round, 32nd overall of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. Ruff gained a reputation as a player for his toughness, character and hard work on the ice.

He became assistant coach of the Florida Panthers for the 1993–94 NHL Hockey season until the 1996–97 NHL season. His most success as an assistant coach was with the 1996 Florida Panthers that made it to the Stanley Cup, but lost to the Colorado Avalanche.

In the 2006–07 season he became the first Sabres coach to lead the team to back-to-back 50 win seasons, boasting the 5th best win percentage in terms of points captured vs. points available from 1979-present for the entire HOCKEY league.

Ruff ranks 23rd in the history of the NHL with 397 regular season coaching wins. His 52 career playoff wins are tied for 14th place on the all-time list. Among coaches with 40 or more playoff wins, Ruff is in the top 5 in terms of career winning percentage.

Barry Trotz, Nashville
Testament to the positives of stability.

Barry Trotz (born July 15, 1962 in Dauphin, Manitoba) is the head coach of NHL Nashville Predators. He was previously the coach of the American Hockey League's Baltimore Skipjacks and Portland Pirates, with whom he won an AHL championship in 1994. That same year, he won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, which is awarded to the outstanding coach in the AHL as voted upon by the AHL Broadcasters and Writers. 

He became the coach of Predators in 1997, when the team was created. As of 2007, Trotz remains the only coach of the team, having led the Preds to four consecutive playoff appearances. He holds the record for most games coached by the first coach of an NHL franchise. By virtue of that, he also holds the record for most games coached by the first coach of an NHL expansion franchise.

Honorable Mention

Randy Carlyle, Anaheim
This is his first NHL job, but the former Norris Trophy-winning defenseman has coached a champion.

Ken Hitchcock, Columbus
worked-his-way-up coach, great ambassador for the league and has Cups -- Memorial and Stanley -- on his résumé.

Peter Laviolette, Carolina
The Stanley Cup goes a long way here

NHL Hockey Top Coaches